Mood: Sad

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Living With Physical and Emotional Pain June 9, 2015

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Ben Starr, Giullian Gioiello
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Grief & Loss

Physical pain and emotional pain feel utterly different, yet both demand surrender rather than resistance. Armand DiMele, joined by co-hosts Ben Starr and Giullian Gioiello, takes calls from listeners navigating broken bones, chronic back pain, heroin withdrawal, and the grief of losing parents, exploring how we sometimes choose painful patterns and what it takes to move through them.

When Trauma Cracks the Mind April 22, 2015

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Anxiety & Fear, Trauma & Healing

Acute stress disorder is the immediate psychological fracture that follows a single catastrophic event, distinct from PTSD. Armand DiMele walks through the diagnostic criteria, from numbing and amnesia to hypervigilance, and takes calls from listeners who survived stacked traumas including assault, Hurricane Sandy, and sudden bereavement.

The Memory of Smell April 8, 2015

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, The Mind & Neuroscience

Smell is the sense most deeply wired to long-term memory, and Armand DiMele builds a rich hour around that fact. Callers share scents tied to powerlessness, lost mothers, freedom, and home, revealing how a single whiff can collapse decades in an instant.

Abolition and the Loss of Motivation April 7, 2015

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Depression & Mood, Personal Growth & Change

What looks like laziness is often abulia, a poverty of will rooted in depression, loss, or broken structure. Armand DiMele traces the condition through job loss, retirement, post-college drift, and the Japanese phenomenon of hikikomori, then works live with callers stuck in exactly this state.

Never Stand on Your Side During an Argument January 28, 2015

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Ben Starr, Giullian Gioiello
Category: Communication & Conflict, Emotions & Inner Life

Arguments fail not because people disagree but because each side stays locked in its own perspective. Armand DiMele, with co-hosts Ben Starr and Giullian Gioiello, examines what people really want from arguments (to be understood, not just to win), the difference between constructive and destructive conflict, and why buried anger corrodes intimacy. Callers share stories of dog walks, debt collection, and distant partners.

Pain as a Social Glue January 14, 2015

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Andrea Katz, Ben Starr, Diane, Giullian Gioiello, Oh Sui, Seth
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Identity & The Self

Shared pain may be the most powerful force for human bonding, from civil rights marches to losing sports teams to AA meetings. Armand DiMele and co-hosts Giullian Gioiello and Ben Starr examine why people unconsciously seek painful situations to feel connection, and what happens when calm replaces conflict.

The 36 Dramatic Situations in Life with Jeff Kitchen January 13, 2015

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Anthony, Beverly, Dennis, Giullian Gioiello, Jeff Kitchen, Lisa Arnone
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Identity & The Self

All human conflict reduces to 36 dramatic situations, argues screenwriter Jeff Kitchen, and Armand DiMele uses that framework as a live diagnostic tool. Callers work through father wounds, romantic entanglement, and a longing to be loved, revealing how classic dramatic patterns play out in ordinary lives.

The 36 Dramatic Situations with Jeff Kitchen January 13, 2015

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Anthony, Beverly, Dennis, Dr. Annalisa Erba, Giullian Gioiello, Jeff Kitchen, Jonathan Raskin
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Human life maps onto just 36 dramatic situations, a framework screenwriter Jeff Kitchen shared with Armand DiMele. Using Georges Polti’s classic book as a lens, Armand and co-host Giullian Gioiello take live calls and show how real struggles, from tyrannical fathers to fear of love, fit ancient dramatic patterns.

Disarming the Narcissist with Wendy Behary January 6, 2015

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Wendy Behary
Category: Identity & The Self, Love & Romantic Relationships

What does a narcissist actually look like up close, and can you change the dynamic without leaving? Wendy Behary, LCSW, Author of “Disarming the Narcissist,” joins Armand to map the traits (entitlement, demeaning behavior, emotional detachment) and offer real strategies for partners who feel invisible.

Who You Love at Year’s End December 31, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Ben Starr, Giullian Gioiello
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Love & Romantic Relationships

New Year’s Eve amplifies the ache of who is or isn’t in your life. Armand DiMele, joined by co-hosts Giullian Gioiello and Ben Starr, examines a Yale study showing people often date out of guilt rather than desire, then unpacks how childhood obligations to a parent or grandparent quietly shape adult romantic choices.