Mood: Scared

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Nature Versus Nurture in Parenting September 7, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Family & Parenting, Identity & The Self

Can good parenting overcome bad genes? Armand DiMele and Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW, dig into the nature versus nurture debate through real cases: a mother baffled by her troubled teen, a neuroscientist who carries a psychopath’s genetic profile yet lives normally, and callers including an adoptee who found her musical gift written in her DNA.

The Chemistry of Falling in Love September 2, 2010

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Love & Romantic Relationships, The Mind & Neuroscience

Why do we bond so powerfully with other people? Armand DiMele walks through the neuroscience of love, from lust and adrenaline to dopamine, oxytocin, and vasopressin, then argues that the chemistry of bonding extends beyond couples to explain PMS, depression, ADD, and chronic illness as shared phenomena of the bonded pair.

Growing Up in the 20-Something Generation August 25, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Lauren Sykes, Linda Vanella
Category: Identity & The Self, Personal Growth & Change

Why are so many young adults delaying marriage, careers, and commitment well into their 20s and beyond? Armand DiMele and Linda Vanella, LCSW-R, dig into shifting milestones, the rise of the “hipster” lifestyle, political disillusionment, and whether prolonged adolescence reflects freedom, avoidance, or something in between.

The Power of Rest with Matthew Edlund July 29, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Dr. Matthew Edlund
Category: Personal Growth & Change, The Mind & Neuroscience

Rest is as essential as food, yet radically undervalued. Dr. Matthew Edlund, author of The Power of Rest, joins Armand DiMele to explain how strategic rest rebuilds memory, why late-night eating harms the body, and how paradoxical relaxation, music, and rhythm can transform daily life. Callers share their own sleep struggles.

How Technology Rewires the Brain July 22, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Family & Parenting, The Mind & Neuroscience

Every ping and notification triggers a dopamine hit, and Armand DiMele and Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW argue this makes smartphones and computers genuinely addictive. They examine how constant multitasking fragments focus, why kids now know more about technology than their parents, and how adults can close that gap by letting children teach them.

When the Mind Stops Moving with Dr. Michael Grove July 21, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Dr. Michael Grove, Lauren Sykes, Sherri Siegel
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Why do people freeze mentally and physically, and how do you break that spell? Dr. Sherry Siegel, M.D. hosts alongside Dr. Michael Grove, who outlines ten categories of psychological paralysis including perfectionism, frustration freeze, and putting the cart before the horse. Callers share vivid personal examples, from job-search overwhelm to humiliation-induced shock.

Irritability and the Weather July 8, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Bernie Starr, Dr. Maria Grace, Karen, Patricia Miranda, Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, The Mind & Neuroscience

Irritability turns out to be closer to fear than anger, and closer to tears than most people realize. Armand DiMele and Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW, trace how weather, hormones, serotonin, fatigue, and vitamin D deprivation all converge to push the nervous system toward that hair-trigger state, and callers weigh in with their own experiences.

The Psychology and Physiology of Heat July 7, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Sherri Siegel
Category: Society, Culture & Current Events, The Mind & Neuroscience

Heat does more than make you uncomfortable. Armand DiMele and Dr. Sherry Siegel, M.D. break down how extreme heat triggers irritability and violence, why common medications like Benadryl and Coumadin become dangerous in high temperatures, and how the body loses its ability to cool itself with age.

The Fine Art of Catastrophizing July 1, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Angela, Christina, Reiner Heilregel, Sherry Oren King, Stephanie D'Ambra, Tony Thomas
Category: Anxiety & Fear, Depression & Mood

Catastrophizing turns small setbacks into imagined disasters, and Armand DiMele unpacks why so many people do it. Drawing on Albert Ellis, Gestalt therapy’s “and then what” technique, and co-host Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW, the episode offers practical ways to interrupt the spiral before it paralyzes you.

Depression as Brain Overload June 17, 2010

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Depression & Mood, The Mind & Neuroscience

Depression is not weakness but a physical stress reaction triggered when the brain exhausts its supply of neurotransmitters. Armand DiMele explains the neurochemistry of collapse, the narcissistic wounds that drive suicide, and why a depressed person genuinely cannot imagine a way out. Callers share personal recoveries, including one with an MAO inhibitor.