Mood: Scared

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Medicated and Stimulated Types in Relationships December 16, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Ben Starr, Giullian Gioiello
Category: Identity & The Self, Love & Romantic Relationships

Why are calm people drawn to chaotic partners and vice versa? Armand DiMele introduces a framework dividing people into “medicated” (low-energy, safety-seeking) and “stimulated” (high-energy, adversity-driven) types, arguing that partners unconsciously seek their opposite to feel complete. Co-hosts Ben Starr and Giullian Gioiello join the discussion, along with callers navigating chronic pain, estrangement, and long-term relationships losing their spark.

The Pace and Psychology of City Life November 25, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Audrey Clark, Ben Starr, Dr. Austin Hayes, Dr. Eric Mizell, Giullian Gioiello, Karen, Tommy
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Society, Culture & Current Events

City life moves fast, but what does that speed cost us emotionally? Armand DiMele and co-hosts Giullian Gioiello and Ben Starr examine urban pace, walkability, and the numbness the city breeds. Guest Audrey Clark shares the warmth of tight-knit communal life in Guyana against the harder, lonelier rhythms of New York.

Smartphones Anxiety and the Need for Connection September 24, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Ben Starr, Giullian Gioiello, Linda Vanella, Michael Jessen
Category: Anxiety & Fear, Society, Culture & Current Events

Constant connectivity feeds anxiety rather than relieving it: Armand DiMele argues the smartphone is a modern “stick” the nervous mind uses to scan for danger. With co-hosts Linda Vanella, LCSW-R, Giullian Gioiello, and Ben Starr, plus guest Michael Jessen, the group examines phone-checking as compulsion, passive aggression, and a substitute for real presence.

Living with ADHD Across the Lifespan September 17, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Ben Starr, Giullian Gioiello, Linda Vanella
Category: Personal Growth & Change, The Mind & Neuroscience

ADHD affects far more adults than is recognized, and Armand argues the same traits that make childhood difficult can become creative gifts. Linda Vanella, LCSW-R, draws on clinical and personal experience, while co-host Ben Starr shares his own journey through medication, video games, and self-medication to quiet the mental buzz.

The Obsessive Mind in Love September 10, 2014

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

Why can’t you get someone out of your head? Armand DiMele traces romantic obsession to the brain’s danger-detection system, arguing that the amygdala treats lost love as a survival threat. Linda Vanella, LCSW-R, joins co-hosts Ben Starr and Giullian Gioiello as callers share raw stories of grief, betrayal, and letting go.

Frozen in Time by Childhood Trauma August 13, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Ben Starr, Linda Vanella, Ori Amini Morrison
Category: Family & Parenting, Trauma & Healing

Childhood trauma leaves children frozen in place, and the cure often lies in the parent-child relationship, not just the child alone. Linda Vanella, LCSW-R, draws on her work with traumatized veterans and young children to explain how creative tools like xylophone play, power cards, and the hero’s journey restore a child’s sense of agency alongside the caregiver’s.

Why Teenagers Take Risks July 1, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Giullian Gioiello, Lisa Arnone
Category: Anxiety & Fear, Identity & The Self

Adolescent risk-taking is rooted in brain biology: the amygdala and reward circuits mature before the prefrontal cortex, leaving teenagers flooded with sensation-seeking drive and no brake. Armand DiMele, co-host Giullian Gioiello, and Lisa Arnone, LCSW trace this from evolutionary necessity through modern dangers like cutting, substance use, and viral stunts.

The Hidden Forces Behind Every Decision June 24, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Giullian Gioiello, Lisa Arnone
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Emotions quietly hijack our choices before we even know it. Armand DiMele, joined by Lisa Arnone, LCSW, and co-host Giullian Gioiello, walks through a catalog of cognitive and emotional biases, from anchoring and the bandwagon effect to choice-supportive thinking, showing how pausing to reflect remains the most practical corrective.

The Roots of Human Violence June 18, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Amy, Dr. Carol Dweck, Giullian Gioiello, Jaime, John Pelletieri, Rinaldo, Terry Jones
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Society, Culture & Current Events

Why do human beings turn violent, against themselves or others? Armand DiMele and co-host Giullian Gioiello survey the scope of violence, from suicide and child firearms deaths to intimate partner abuse and collective atrocities like the Cambodian killing fields, urging listeners to look inward rather than only outward at the problem.

The Roots of Human Violence June 17, 2014

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Trauma & Healing

Violence lives inside everyone, and Armand DiMele traces its origins from brain chemistry (serotonin, testosterone, adrenaline) to childhood trauma to personality type. Callers share firsthand accounts of growing up with domestic violence, and Armand examines how givers, perfectionists, and competitors each carry hidden aggression.