grief |

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.

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.

Ferguson and the Psychology of Racial Rage November 26, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Ben Starr, Giullian Gioiello

Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Society, Culture & Current Events

The Ferguson grand jury decision not to indict officer Darren Wilson sets off a live call-in discussion on race, anger, and systemic injustice. Armand DiMele and co-hosts Ben Starr and Giullian Gioiello take calls from activists, community members, and everyday listeners grappling with grief, outrage, and whether lasting change is possible.

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.

Feelings Underneath the Surface June 11, 2014

Host: Armand DiMele

Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Feelings are the real work of therapy, Armand argues, and this episode shows that live. After a frank rant about WBAI’s chronic mismanagement, a caller named Donna breaks down on air, revealing a life spent pleasing others at the cost of her own passions. Armand coaxes her into singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and the moment lands with unexpected power.

Hatred Vengeance and the Hateful Self March 25, 2014

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Giullian Gioiello, Linda Vanella

Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Grief & Loss

Hatred is not a demon to be hidden but a feeling to be explored honestly. Armand DiMele and Linda Vanella, LCSW-R, trace hatred from childhood helplessness through jealousy, control, and vengeance, with a moving call from a man who lost his brother on 9/11 and has since been cut off from his nephews and nieces.

Fear and the Compulsive Advice Giver November 6, 2013

Host: Armand DiMele

Category: Anxiety & Fear, Emotions & Inner Life

Childhood entrapment quietly drives adult fears, including fear of flying. Armand DiMele traces a caller’s claustrophobia to her violent, alcoholic home and explores why some people compulsively give advice, linking it to feelings of inadequacy and a need to feel powerful.

Transitional Objects and Unfinished Grief January 30, 2013

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Giullian Gioiello, Lisa Arnone

Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Grief & Loss

When a divorced woman fell into depression the moment her ex-husband removed his things, Armand DiMele recognized a classic pattern: the husband had been buffering unresolved grief over her father’s death. Armand, joined by Lisa Arnone, LCSW, and co-host Giullian Gioiello, explores how people, music, and objects absorb original pain, and why the loss of a substitute can hit harder than the original wound.

Losing Your Mind to Find Resilience November 6, 2012

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Giullian Gioiello, Yo-Yo Ma

Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Reality is hard, and humans escape it through sex, rage, drugs, romance, and lies. Armand DiMele argues this is understandable but costly, then pivots to Hurricane Sandy as a case study in forced clarity. Co-host Giullian Gioiello shares his firsthand experience as an NYU student in the East Village during the storm, grounding a practical discussion of how to build resilience through pain rather than around it.