Keyword: fight or flight

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The Physiology of Anxiety and Fear with Dr. William Astwood March 19, 2013

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Dr. William Astwood
Category: Anxiety & Fear, The Mind & Neuroscience

Anxiety, excitement, and fear are physiologically identical. Armand DiMele and Dr. William Astwood break down the fight-or-flight response in plain language, explaining how the sympathetic nervous system drives panic, phobias, obsessions, and social anxiety, and how understanding the body’s mechanics can restore a sense of control.

Fear and Its Many Forms August 9, 2011

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Anxiety & Fear, Emotions & Inner Life

Fear sits in the body and shapes behavior in ways most people never examine. Armand DiMele breaks down the spectrum from everyday apprehension to phobia, terror, and paranoia, exploring how distrust functions as a form of fear, how the mind recreates the very dangers it dreads, and why common fears like public speaking and rejection can quietly run a life.

The Roots of Belligerence December 1, 2010

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Communication & Conflict, Emotions & Inner Life

Beneath belligerence lies fear, not rage. Armand DiMele and co-host Linda trace the signs of belligerent behavior from nervous hyperactivity through verbal attacks, explaining the hormonal drivers and why people cannot think their way out of the state. Callers share real conflicts, and yoga is offered as a practical path back to calm.

My Mind Is Not Always My Friend with Stephen Fogle September 30, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Stephanie D'Ambra, Stephen Fogle
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

The mind evolved to keep us safe, but its habit of replaying the past can turn it into an enemy. Armand DiMele sits down with author Stephen Fogle and co-host Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW to examine how mislabeled memories trigger overreactions, why reason rarely wins against a fired amygdala, and how body awareness can break the cycle.

Why We Are Drawn to Violence April 28, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Lauren Sykes, Sherri Siegel
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, The Mind & Neuroscience

Why do some people crave violent spectacle while others look away? Armand DiMele and Dr. Sherry Siegel, M.D. trace the neurochemistry behind attraction to violence, from adrenaline and cortisol surges to serotonin genetics, and propose that the real draw is not violence itself but the primal flight response and the thrill of imagined escape.

The Art of Confrontation July 1, 2009

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Sherri Siegel
Category: Communication & Conflict, Emotions & Inner Life

Confrontation can connect or destroy depending on how it is used. Armand and co-host Dr. Sherry Siegel, M.D., a neurologist, trace confrontation from childhood power dynamics to workplace disputes, examining what makes it skillful or destructive, how body chemistry fuels anger, and why finding common ground often works better than open conflict.

Smiling Your Way to Calm July 3, 2007

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

The vagus nerve, not exercise or meditation, may be the most direct route to calming stress. Armand DiMele draws on neuroscientist Stephen Porges’s polyvagal theory to argue that a genuine smile, social engagement, and facial muscle activation can switch the brain from threat mode to rest faster than a workout.

Fear Behind Every Difficult Behavior Undated

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Maria Atti
Category: Anxiety & Fear, Emotions & Inner Life

Almost all erratic, confusing, or harmful human behavior traces back to fear. Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti walk through the evolutionary roots of fear, its biochemistry, and how recognizing that someone is frightened rather than attacking changes everything about how we respond to them.