The Hardcore Self-Help Podcast with Duff the Psych

Hello, friends! Just a nice Q&A episode for you this week. Thank you all so much for the outpouring of support and care after the last episode. Things are definitely improving around here. Expect an update on our life soon! For today, here are the questions covered: I have been struggling between therapy sessions, but don't want to bother my therapist about it. What can I do? Should I go to therapy since I don't want to have kids following the death of my mother? As always, you can send me your questions to duffthepsych@gmail.com and if you'd like to learn more about all that I do, check out duffthepsych.com/starthere This episode is brought to you by Thrive Market. Check them out for sustainable organic groceries delivered straight to your door! Go to thrivemarket.com/duff for a special gift along with your trial membership!

This is an interesting episode. I honestly don't know if I'll keep it posted forever. It has been an exhausting and scary week. So I turned on the mic and just got real with you. My wife is struggling with her mental health and we have had to navigate the options for more intensive treatment, which has been extremely frustrating. I talk about inpatient hospitalization, residential programs, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs, and more. Basically, I ramble about what we are going through as a family for almost an hour. It's raw and it's real. I hope it helps you feel less alone.

Dive into transformative lifestyle changes for battling anxiety! Discover how crucial sleep is for emotional well-being and cognitive function. Learn about establishing a consistent bedtime routine to improve rest and reduce stress. Explore the benefits of mindfulness practices and the impact of exercise and diet on anxiety management. Uncover effective strategies to build healthier habits that enhance your daily life and establish empowering routines.

Hello, all! Thanks for having some patience with the lack of an episode last week. I think it was worth it because this is a packed episode. In this week's episode, I dive deep into my favorite tips and techniques to make you a better communicator and a better listener. In the field, we call these "active listening" techniques and they are the fundamental techniques that all therapists learn to help people open up and trust them. Here are the tips covered: You have more than one shot. Pay attention to emotional state. Listen before speaking. Nonverbal behaviors. Open-ended questions. Restatements. Reflections. Silence. I think you'll get a lot out of this episode! Please continue sending me your questions and episode ideas to duffthepsych@gmail.com This week's sponsor is Raycon. Check out their awesome wireless earbuds at buyraycon.com/duff

Hello, friends! I hope that you're staying healthy and relatively happy out there. In this episode, I've got the following awesome questions for you: My fiance and I are stuck on different continents due to COVID. What can I do to deal with my sadness? I get rushes of adrenaline and panic attacks when moving around in bed at night. Why and what can I do? Don't forget that you can still get the entire Kick Anxiety's Ass course for just $75 instead of $300. Head over and check out some free lessons! This episode is brought to you by Thrive Market. Go to thrivemarket.com/duff to get a free gift with your risk-free membership.

Hello, friends! This episode is a question and answer show with a couple really great ones: How can I remember what brought be joy before depression? Should I stay away from me ex who was abusive to me? As always, please send in your questions for the show to duffthepsych@gmail.com This episode is brought to you by Raycon. I'm loving their new Everyday E25 earbuds. Check out buyraycon.com/duff for 15% off your order.

Hello, friends! This is a nice little Q&A episode featuring the following two questions: What can I do about my severe anxiety reaction when wearing a mask? Should I be taking psychiatric medication for my symptoms? No sponsor this week, but don't forget that my comprehensive anxiety course is still available until this pandemic is done. If you have questions or topic suggestions, send them over to duffthepsych@gmail.com

Hello, everyone! I think you will really enjoy this episode. I sat out in the back yard with some candles, twinkle lights, and a couple glasses of wine with my lovely wife, Joelle and just talked. We really didn't have an agenda, so you are getting a normal raw convo between us. We ended up talking about a variety of topics including Joelle's new embroidery hobby and my new gardening hobby. We also discuss our poly triad relationship, which didn't end up lasting, Joelle's own identity exploration, and why WE work as a couple. It was such as pleasure to sit down and share these snippets with you all. This episodes sponsor is Thrive Market. Check out thrivemarket.com/duff for $20 shopping credit!

Hello, friends. I asked on social media whether you'd prefer a Q&A or a guided meditation and the overwhelming answer was a guided meditation. I get it. We are STILL in uncertain and difficult times. I know that I'm dealing with my fair share of haywire thoughts. So, the purpose of this meditation is to help you get on a little better terms with your thoughts using the visualization of a snowglobe. Enjoy! Please continue sending me your awesome questions and content suggestions to duffthepsych@gmail.com!

Hello, all! This episode features a re-release of one of my favorite episodes of all time. I go through 10 of the most common thinking traps. Also called cognitive distortions, thinking traps are patterns of unhelpful thinking that we all fall into at times. For those with mental health issues, they can become quite common. If you are interested in getting the free eBook based on this, head over to http://duffthepsych.com/subscribe Next week will most likely be another Q&A, so keep sending me your awesome questions to duffthepsych@gmail.com