Hosts: Armand DiMele

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

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Kent Robertshaw
Category: Aging & Mortality, Depression & Mood

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.

The Habit of Making Excuses January 24, 2008

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Identity & The Self, Personal Growth & Change

Excuses block growth by turning avoidance into belief. Armand DiMele traces the impulse to dodge responsibility from the Garden of Eden to the modern workplace, arguing that owning your mistakes builds confidence and integrity far more than clever deflection ever could. Callers explore criticism, fear, and defensiveness in real time.

Love as an Antidote to Fear January 23, 2008

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Bob, Chris, Jake, Michael Heddo, Rohini Samwaru
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Identity & The Self

Is love genuinely a cure for hatred, or just a way to smother fear? Armand DiMele and studio walk-in Rohini Samwaru, along with callers, wrestle with who gets to define love, whether self-love is a prerequisite, and how fear underlies anger. A caller’s impromptu Spanish love song closes the hour.

The Roots of Human Hatred January 22, 2008

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Identity & The Self

Hatred is not anger but a consuming state of being, and most people carry far more of it than they admit. Armand replays a remastered lecture to distinguish hatred from anger, trace its origins in childhood suppression, and argue that the desperate human search for love is really an attempt to escape inner hatred.

How Close Is Close Enough January 17, 2008

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Identity & The Self, Love & Romantic Relationships

Fear of intimacy comes down to three wounds: abandonment, betrayal, and rejection learned in childhood. Armand DiMele argues that most people want the right things from the wrong people, that parents trained us to hide our true feelings, and that real closeness begins with releasing judgment rather than demanding honesty.

How Fear Miscalculates Risk January 16, 2008

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Anxiety & Fear, The Mind & Neuroscience

Fear is not irrational; it is a lightning-fast risk assessment run by the reptilian brain, and that system makes predictable errors. Armand DiMele explains why people fear planes but not cars, ignore slow-building dangers like smoking, and grow reckless when they feel protected. Callers connect the science to their own lives, including one woman whose fear of water traces back to childhood beatings and dissociation.

Why We Defeat Ourselves January 3, 2008

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

We know what makes a good life, so why don’t we do it? Armand DiMele walks through the core patterns of self-defeating behavior, from denial and counterfactual thinking to procrastination and perfectionism, drawing on research by psychologist Dan Newhart to explain how self-sabotage builds gradually, often invisibly.

New Year’s Traditions Around the World January 2, 2008

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Personal Growth & Change, Society, Culture & Current Events

Fireworks to chase evil spirits, 108 gong strikes, color-coded underwear for luck: Armand DiMele traces the surprising origins of New Year’s customs from Japan to Spain to Germany, then turns to why resolutions fail and how small, specific changes outperform grand acts of willpower.

The Invisible Outhouse We Carry December 27, 2007

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Identity & The Self, Personal Growth & Change

We all carry invisible psychological shields, shaped in childhood, that distort how we see ourselves and others. Armand uses the Mr. Bean outhouse gag as a running metaphor for these blind spots, then takes calls from listeners who recognize their own, from chronic tension to conflict avoidance to a lifelong pattern of addiction.

Finding the Noble Self with Stephanie Roth-Goldberg December 13, 2007

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Stephanie Roth
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Every dysfunctional behavior hides a noble intent. Armand DiMele and Stephanie Roth-Goldberg, LCSW explore this idea through vivid examples, from the alcoholic who drinks to get to work, to the teenager selling drugs so his mother can quit her second job, revealing how focusing on the wellness rather than the illness can transform how people see themselves.