Category: Addiction & Compulsion

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Shame Addiction and Katrina August 29, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Maria Atin
Category: Addiction & Compulsion, Emotions & Inner Life

Toxic shame drives addiction, numbness, and violence, and Hurricane Katrina made that truth impossible to ignore. Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti trace how collective shame over race, poverty, and government failure sent millions into emotional deadness and substance use, and urge listeners to feel the pain rather than go numb.

Intermittent Explosive Disorder August 23, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Christine Ulrich, Kent Robinshaw
Category: Addiction & Compulsion, Emotions & Inner Life

Explosive anger affects far more people than assumed, with some studies finding it in over 10 percent of the population. Armand DiMele and colleagues Christine Ulrich and Kent Robinshaw examine the biology of rage, the passive-aggressive partners who enable it, why victims stay, and how therapy and medication can help.

Mood Modification and Addiction August 16, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Kent Robertshaw
Category: Addiction & Compulsion, Emotions & Inner Life

Every addiction is really a mood management strategy. Armand and Dr. Kent Robertshaw, MD, Psychiatrist, walk through the core components of addiction, salience, mood modification, tolerance, and withdrawal, using gambling, shopping, cigarettes, alcohol, and internet use to show why substances and screens feel easier than people, and what actually helps someone stop.

The Human Body and Its Plant Connections May 3, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Maria Atti
Category: Addiction & Compulsion, The Mind & Neuroscience

The body produces its own cannabis-like chemicals, and plants seem to have evolved to mimic them. Armand and co-host Roberta Maria Atti trace the endocannabinoid system through appetite, addiction, and the way opiates, alcohol, and tobacco all exploit receptors the nervous system built for itself, before landing on the idea that self-love is the original inner supply we keep outsourcing.

Truth, Innocence and Self-Deception April 27, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Anne O'Connell, Kent Robertshaw, Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Addiction & Compulsion, Identity & The Self

Why do people lie to themselves, and what does that cost them? Armand DiMele and guests Dr. Kent Robertshaw, MD and Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW explore how shame, unmet needs, and fear of self-examination keep people stuck in dysfunctional patterns, and why honest self-reflection is the foundation of real change.

Rough Childhoods and Impulse Control April 12, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Maria Atti
Category: Addiction & Compulsion, Personal Growth & Change

Rough childhoods don’t just wound emotionally, they physically reshape the brain, and that is the root of impulse control problems. Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti trace how early neglect stunts neuronal development and drives behaviors from theft and violence to binge eating and self-cutting, with a striking detour into what starvation studies reveal about compulsion.

The Psychology of Impulse Control April 11, 2006

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Addiction & Compulsion, Emotions & Inner Life

Armand DiMele traces impulsive behavior from everyday impulse buying and advertising to serious disorders including mania, antisocial personality, and addiction. He argues that reduced sensitivity to consequences is the common thread, and that awareness alone is a powerful first antidote.

Anorexia as a Control Issue January 31, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Christine Ulrich, Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Addiction & Compulsion, Identity & The Self

Anorexia is not really about food but about control, perfectionism, and a refusal to grow up. Armand DiMele, joined by Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW and Christine Ulrich, traces how starvation becomes a way to freeze development, reject femininity, and rebel against family pressure without openly defying it.

Mind Control and Possession November 16, 2005

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Maria Atti
Category: Addiction & Compulsion, Identity & The Self

Cult tactics reveal how easily the mind surrenders its autonomy. Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti walk through techniques like love bombing, confession, disinhibition, and time deprivation, showing how the same methods appear in malicious cults, EST training, casinos, and even well-meaning recovery programs.

The Addiction to Leaving Yourself November 1, 2005

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Addiction & Compulsion, Identity & The Self

Fugue states are everywhere: in drinking, meditation, marathon running, internet use, even falling in love. Armand DiMele argues that any habitual escape from the present moment is a form of dissociation, explains the neurological cost, and offers practical steps for learning to stay.