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.
Armand DiMele breaks down what ‘crazy’ actually means, separating neurotic repetition (doing the same thing and expecting different results) from chemical and psychological states where a person loses touch with themselves entirely. He traces how fear of danger drives paranoia, withdrawal, and self-destruction.
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.
Coming to a new country often means carrying trauma, losing language fluency under stress, and navigating a system that can feel hostile or invisible. Armand DiMele and Gestalt therapist and immigration psychologist Didem Atahan examine the psychological toll of displacement, the barriers immigrants face seeking help, and the legal protections many don’t know they have.
Drug company payments to psychiatrists are surging, and Armand DiMele connects that corruption to broader questions about antidepressants, teen prescription drug abuse, and suicidal ideation. The day after a live debate with Dr. Kent Robertshaw, MD and Dr. Alan Lanz, Psychiatrist, a New York Times report lands confirming Armand’s concerns almost word for word.
Thinness is socially prized but psychologically understudied. Armand DiMele and nutritionist Roberta Maria dig into the BMI research linking low body weight to higher suicide risk and lower serotonin, then argue that extreme thinness is a ‘being disorder’ as much as an eating disorder, one that rarely gets the clinical attention it deserves.
Andrew Solomon, author of ‘The Noonday Demon,’ joins Armand DiMele to explore how depression escalates across repeated episodes, why agitated depression is especially dangerous, what cortisol does to brain cells over time, and why our screen-saturated, sleep-deprived culture may be quietly fueling an epidemic.
Blushing is just the visible tip of shame, but Armand DiMele argues that shame runs deep enough to drive suicide across cultures, from Afghan women to Japanese workers to returning soldiers. Callers share their own experiences of shame, self-attack, and the spiritual breakthroughs that finally allowed them to feel worthy.
