Category: Aging & Mortality

The Gifts and Losses of Growing Old September 17, 2009

Host: Armand DiMele

Getting older is full of gifts that youth misses entirely: steadiness, perspective, freedom from reactive chemistry. Armand DiMele makes the case for aging with dignity rather than fighting it, drawing on caller stories, brain science, and the value older workers bring to any room.

The Healing Power of Touch September 16, 2009

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Faith Schwartz, Sherri Siegel

Touch is a basic human need that goes unmet for many people, especially the elderly. Armand explores the science and practice of massage with Dr. Sherry Siegel, M.D. and licensed massage therapist Faith Schwartz, covering everything from nerve sensitivity and endorphins to the many massage modalities and why draping builds trust.

The Male Side of Menopause with Dr. Henry Hess March 19, 2009

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Dr. Henry Hess

Most menopause conversations leave men out entirely. Armand and gynecologist Dr. Henry Hess examine how hormonal shifts reshape attraction, bonding, and sexual connection, and why men’s ignorance of the process quietly destroys long marriages. Covers the history of hormone therapy, oxytocin, and foreplay as daily practice.

The Fear of Growing Old with Dr. Bernard Starr October 30, 2008

Growing old is feared more than death itself, and that fear may be largely a cultural illusion. Armand DiMele and Dr. Bernard Starr examine how longevity has reshaped society, why research shows older people are often more satisfied than expected, and how a shift in ego and time-consciousness can make aging a genuine liberation.

Early Onset Alzheimer’s with Pat Moffitt June 5, 2008

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Pat Moffitt

A husband’s love story that becomes a caregiving ordeal. Pat Moffitt, author of ‘Ice Cream in the Cupboard,’ recounts his wife Carmen’s early onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis at 53, the bewildering behavioral changes that preceded it, and how he learned to face a loss that arrives long before death.

The Sandwich Generation April 8, 2008

Host: Armand DiMele

Women and men squeezed between raising children and caring for aging parents are quietly burning out, and almost no one is talking about it. Armand DiMele examines why the sandwich generation is a growing crisis, tracing longer lifespans, delayed marriage, and adult children staying home as forces that trap the middle generation in relentless giving.

Staring at the Sun with Dr. Irvin Yalom March 5, 2008

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Dr. Irvin Yalom

Psychiatrist and author Dr. Irvin Yalom joins Armand DiMele to argue that confronting death directly, rather than avoiding it, is essential to living fully. They discuss erotic transference, the therapist’s need for ongoing personal therapy, and Yalom’s existential view that therapist and patient are fellow travelers facing the same mortality.

Depression in the Elderly with Dr. Kent Robertshaw January 30, 2008

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Kent Robertshaw

Depression in older adults is chronically misdiagnosed because its symptoms show up as physical complaints, and society writes off low mood as a natural part of aging. Armand DiMele and Dr. Kent Robertshaw, MD, Psychiatrist, discuss suicide risk in the elderly, the concept of pseudodementia, medication sensitivity, and the power of empathic listening in treatment.

What Do You Know for Sure March 15, 2007

Host: Armand DiMele

Armand DiMele opens with research on male biological clocks, aging eyesight, fertility cues, and Ambien sleep-eating before pivoting to a bigger question: what do you know for sure? Callers share overlooked personal skills, and Armand uses those skills as a mirror to surface deeper struggles like depression and lost direction.

How Hearing Changes as We Age Undated

Host: Armand DiMele

Hearing isn’t just physical, it’s psychological. Armand DiMele explains how the ear literally bifurcates with age, making it harder to attend to competing sounds, and how emotional states like depression or childhood fear shape what we allow ourselves to hear.