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Health & Fitness
Robert Duff, Ph.D.
This is a podcast dedicated to answering your questions about mental health, anxiety, depression, relationships, sex, and life WITHOUT psychobabble BS. I am Dr. Robert Duff, a psychologist from Southern California, but I'm also a regular dude who legitimately wants to help out. I wrote the best selling books Hardcore Self Help: F**k Depression and Hardcore Self Help: F**K Anxiety. Those are available at http://hardcoreselfhelp.com
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Episode 24: Depersonalization, Toxic Friend, Knowing vs Believing

Episode 24: Depersonalization, Toxic Friend, Knowing vs Believing

Before I talk about the episode, get your buns over to http://duffthepsych.com/giveaway so that you can enter to win some awesome free stuff. Ending this week. Anyway, this was another awesome possum question and answer episode. Super pleased with the variety of questions. Nice work and please keep them coming. Here is what we cover in this episode: How do I cope with feeling detached from my body and experiences? What should I do about a toxic friend? What happens when you "know" for a fact that you are bad. Therapy can't help with that, right? As always you can reach my on twitter at http://twitter.com/duffthepsych or email me [email protected]
35:5224/08/2016
Episode 23: Psychologist vs Psychiatrist etc.

Episode 23: Psychologist vs Psychiatrist etc.

This is another deep dive episode where I focus on one topic and give you more in depth information than I typically do on the Q&A episodes. In this one, I talk all about the different terminology related to mental health treatment. I talk about the different terms for treatment itself such as therapy, psychotherapy, and counseling as well as the different people who provide services such as psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, neurologists, and more.  Fair warning- this information is pretty USA based since some of the terminology varies, but I hope it is helpful nonetheless!  Next week will indeed be another Q&A episode, so keep sending your questions into me at [email protected] or http://twitter.com/duffthepsych
23:2317/08/2016
Episode 22: Heather Gray on RE-Choosing a Happy Life

Episode 22: Heather Gray on RE-Choosing a Happy Life

On this episode, I talk with Heather Gray from ChooseToHaveItAll.com about how she has been able to overcome the very difficult speed bumps in her life by being brave and re-choosing to live a happy life. She is a super strong woman and I think that definitely comes through in the interview. We did experience a few little technical issues during the interview, but I tried my best to edit around them. Apologies if I missed anything.  Please check out Heather on twitter at http://twitter.com/HGrayLICSW and visit her website at http://www.choosetohaveitall.com/ Next week is another Q&A so make sure you are sending in your questions! 
51:4510/08/2016
Episode 21: Anxiety vs Normal Teens, Dad with Body Issues, Feeling Guilty for Mental Health

Episode 21: Anxiety vs Normal Teens, Dad with Body Issues, Feeling Guilty for Mental Health

Another FANTASTIC grouping of questions today. This one is a little on the longer side, but I think there is a lot of valuable content to be had here. Above all I think that these questions were very BRAVE. Keep them coming!  Don't forget to check out the NEW AUDIOBOOK for F**k Depression at http://hardcoreselfhelp.com Here are the questions that are covered in this episode: Should I be concerned about my feelings of anxiety and depression or is this just normal for a 14 year old? How can I help my husband be less hard on my daughter about her weight and diet? Should I avoid going into the mental health profession due to my own issues? Don't forget to send your questions in to http://twitter.com/duffthepsych or [email protected]
40:1703/08/2016
Episode 20: Pokemon Go and Mental Health

Episode 20: Pokemon Go and Mental Health

This was a fun one for me. In this episode, I do a "deep dive" into Pokemon Go and mental health. I talk about why the game is so effective and addicting as well as how that can be used in a very real way to combat mental health issues. I also address one particular way that it could cause distress for some. Please continue the conversation on twitter at http://twitter.com/duffthepsych and let me know your thoughts!
32:4627/07/2016
Episode 19: Do My Friends Care?, PTSD from Medical Treatment, and Is it Worth it to Try?

Episode 19: Do My Friends Care?, PTSD from Medical Treatment, and Is it Worth it to Try?

This episode fought back! My computer crashed when I recorded it the first time and I lost everything. Oh well. No biggie. Re-recorded it for you here and I don't mind at all because the questions were so great! Here's what we cover: -Why don't my friends notice when I don't show up? -How can I help my patients who seem traumatized from their medical treatment? -Is it worth it to keep trying when I'm so depressed?  As always you can send me your questions on twitter at http://twitter.com/duffthepsych or through email at [email protected]
28:4020/07/2016
Episode 18: Avoiding Panic, Resilience, and Repressed Memories

Episode 18: Avoiding Panic, Resilience, and Repressed Memories

I'm not sick anymore! Yayyyy! This is another Q&A episode with some of my favorite questions yet. Don't forget to check the new merch at: http://duffthepsych.com Here are the questions covered: -Is it ever smart to just avoid situations that might trigger anxiety? -How can I help a teen with a rough upbringing? -Are my repressed memories of abuse real? Don't forget to send me questions on twitter at http://twitter.com/duffthepsych or via email at [email protected] 
27:2913/07/2016
Episode 17: Audiobook Chapter from F**k Depression

Episode 17: Audiobook Chapter from F**k Depression

I'm sick! Therefore I am going to save my voice and skip the Q & A this week. Instead, I have a treat for you. This is a full chapter from my upcoming audiobook for Hardcore Self Help: F**k Depression. It is chapter 8 entitled Be Nice To The Future You. I talk all about setting yourself for success instead of self-sabotaging like usual.  Enjoy! Please consider following me on twitter at http://twitter.com/duffthepsych or join my email list at http://www.duffthepsych.com/subscribe/ so you can be the first to know when the audiobook drops! 
29:0706/07/2016
Episode 16: Anonymous on Overcoming Childhood Sexual Abuse and Self-Harm

Episode 16: Anonymous on Overcoming Childhood Sexual Abuse and Self-Harm

So this is interesting. I have my first Anonymous guest on the show. This person offered to come on and talk about their experiences with many different topics such as self-harm, childhood sexual abuse, and learning to take chances with the support of ongoing psychotherapy. She also generously offered to take follow up questions through email at [email protected]. Feel free to shoot her a message to say thanks for sharing her story!  Next week will be another Q&A episode, so send me your questions on twitter at http://twitter.com/duffthepsych or through email at [email protected]
49:1329/06/2016
Episode 15: Binge Eating, Panic Attacks, and Firing Therapy Clients

Episode 15: Binge Eating, Panic Attacks, and Firing Therapy Clients

Welcome to another question and answer episode. Some really fantastic questions this time around. Thank you so much for sending them in. I also give a little update about my next audiobook! Here's what is covered in this episode: -How to deal with binge eating as a man -How to reduce panic attacks  -How to "fire" a therapy client As always, you can reach me on twitter at http://twitter.com/duffthepsych or email me at [email protected]
31:0222/06/2016
Episode 14: Andrea on Overcoming Self-Harm

Episode 14: Andrea on Overcoming Self-Harm

This week is another fantastic interview. I got the chance to sit and talk with a friend of mine, Andrea Gustafson, about her experiences with self-harm. More specifically, we talk about non-suicidal cutting, which means slicing yourself with a razor while NOT intending to kill yourself. It was super brave of Andrea to put herself out there and be honest in this episode, so please consider dropping her a line over on twitter at http://twitter.com/ajgus83 to say thank you!  Next week will be another Q & A episode, so as always send your questions to me on twitter http://twitter.com/duffthepsych or through email [email protected]
50:0515/06/2016
Episode 13: Daughter with Anxiety, Sex Addiction, and Therapy Terminology

Episode 13: Daughter with Anxiety, Sex Addiction, and Therapy Terminology

First off - super sorry about the technical glitches this past week. Had to switch to a new webhost because my old one (rhymes with shmost shmator) was being incredibly unhelpful in getting my site back up. That said, we should be in the clear now! This is a Q&A episode. You all send in some fantastic questions this week and I am super excited to share them. Here's what I cover in this episode: -How can I help my daughter who seems to have anxiety like mine?  -Do I have sexual addiction or is my conservative background blowing things out of proportion? -How do you deal with differing terminology in therapy?    As always, you can reach my on twitter at http://twitter.com/duffthepsych or through email at [email protected] 
32:1908/06/2016
Episode 12: Angel Giuffria - Amputee, Actress, Bionic Badass

Episode 12: Angel Giuffria - Amputee, Actress, Bionic Badass

This week I interview the lovely, talented, and down to earth Angel Giuffria. Angel is a congenital amputee who is missing a large portion of her left arm. She has used prosthetics all throughout her life and currently uses a bionic arm, which allows her to grip and rotate her hand. We cover all sorts of interesting topics, so please enjoy our wide-ranging interview.  Currently Angel is keeping quite busy by working as an actress, informing the masses through public speaking, and grinding out the rest of her graduate school program. Find more of Angel on twitter at https://twitter.com/aannggeellll or on her imdb page at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm6262260/?ref_=nmmd_md_nm
01:00:0701/06/2016
Episode 11: Impostor Syndrome, Codependency, and Upset Stomach

Episode 11: Impostor Syndrome, Codependency, and Upset Stomach

I really liked the questions in this episode. Quite a variety here. Please forgive my more subdued voice - I had a long day full of talking. Anyway, here are the questions that I cover: 1 - How to overcome the impostor syndrome (feeling like you are a fraud). 2 - How to have good relationships when you have intense, codependent tendencies. 3 - What you can do about upset stomach with anxiety.  As always you can send your questions to http://twitter.com/duffthepsych or email [email protected] 
33:4125/05/2016
Episode 10: Shannon McFarlin on Talkspace and Internet Therapy

Episode 10: Shannon McFarlin on Talkspace and Internet Therapy

This is a super interesting interview! I got a chance to speak to Shannon McFarlin who is a therapist from Talkspace. Talkspace is one of the biggest platforms for internet-based psychotherapy for an affordable price. I do private online therapy, but I was not familiar with larger platforms like Talkspace, so this was totally enlightening for me. I walked away with a very positive impression. If you or a loved one is thinking about trying out online therapy, check out http://talkspace.com and be sure to visit Shannon and say thank you over at http://shannonmcfarlin.com.  
34:4818/05/2016
Episode 9: Touch in Therapy, Bringing up Baggage, and Changing Therapists

Episode 9: Touch in Therapy, Bringing up Baggage, and Changing Therapists

Got another episode full of very thought provoking listener questions for you today. If you would like to add any thoughts to my answers, tweet me @duffthepsych and I will retweet you! The questions in this episode are: 1. Is it okay to hug your therapist? 2. When should I bring up my bumpy relationship history with my new partner? 3. Should I change therapists?    As always you can send me questions on twitter at http://twitter.com/duffthepsych or you can email me at [email protected]  
32:0811/05/2016
Episode 8: Lindsay Istace on Rage Yoga and Being Zen as F**k

Episode 8: Lindsay Istace on Rage Yoga and Being Zen as F**k

In this episode, I interview Lindsay Istace who is the creator or Rage Yoga (http://rageyoga.com). You have probably heard of Rage Yoga already since it blew up on the news and social media. It is an alternative approach to yoga that strips away the BS and encourages you to release your inner tension through the use of a few choice expletives and "fist unicorn" additions to your normal yoga poses. This was a really insightful interview and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.  Please take a minute to check out all things rage yoga: http://rageyoga.com http://twitter.com/rageyoga https://www.facebook.com/rageyoga   As a reminder, you can always reach me with feedback or questions at http://twitter.com/duffthepsych or [email protected]
32:0504/05/2016
Episode 7: Spouse with Depression, Breaking Down Walls, and Getting Over a Breakup

Episode 7: Spouse with Depression, Breaking Down Walls, and Getting Over a Breakup

In this episode, I answer three super awesome questions that all have to do with different aspects of relationships. 1- How to cope with a severely depressed spouse when you are prone to depression and anxiety yourself. 2- How to break down the walls that prevent you from truly connecting with other people. 3- How to "get over" the loss of a relationship.    As always, you can reach my at http://twitter.com/duffthepsych or via email at [email protected]  
39:0127/04/2016
Episode 6: Mike Billstrom on Unexpected Mentors, Overcoming Adversity, and Becoming Obsessed with Self-Improvement

Episode 6: Mike Billstrom on Unexpected Mentors, Overcoming Adversity, and Becoming Obsessed with Self-Improvement

This episode features a great interview with a new friend, Mike Billstrom from http://theartofgrowth.com. Mike talks about how he had to grow up very quickly to overcome an extremely turbulent upbringing. He found himself in the throes of depression, anxiety, and terrible self-esteem. That is until he found inspiration in the most unlikely of places...   
53:1120/04/2016
Episode 5: Social Anxiety, Recovering from Sexual Abuse, and Migraine Hallucinations

Episode 5: Social Anxiety, Recovering from Sexual Abuse, and Migraine Hallucinations

Another awesome episode full of listener questions. Don't forget to send in your questions to me on twitter (http://twitter.com/duffthepsych) or via email ([email protected]). In this episode, I cover these really interesting questions: 1- What can I do about my social anxiety when I have to interact with important people? 2- Is there hope for me in recovering from my sexual abuse? 3- Should I worry about hallucinations that come along with my migraines?
29:0413/04/2016
Episode 4: Ryan on Male Depression, Body Image, and Gaming

Episode 4: Ryan on Male Depression, Body Image, and Gaming

This is an awesome episode. I welcome my very first guest, Ryan, to the show. He is a buddy of mine from college and we talk about his experiences with depression. I am really happy with this interview because Ryan was so willing to talk candidly and openly about things that just don't seem to be talked about enough in every day life. He has an awesome personal blog and I reference a particular post that he wrote about depression, which you can find here: https://trecenti.wordpress.com/2016/03/18/depression/ As always, you can send me your questions, thoughts, feedback, suggestions etc. via twitter at http://twitter.com/duffthepsych or email them to me at [email protected] Check out my books at http://hardcoreselfhelp.com and shoot me an email if you can't afford them for any reason (you don't need to tell me why). 
53:2106/04/2016
Episode 3: Anxiety Awareness, Panic Attacks, and Pets

Episode 3: Anxiety Awareness, Panic Attacks, and Pets

In this episode I ask you for your reviews and take some wonderful listener questions. You can send your questions to http://twitter.com/duffthepsych or email them to [email protected]. First question: What if I am too aware of my anxiety? Second question: How to deal with panic attacks aside from medication? Third question: Are pets actually beneficial to your mental health? As always, check out my books at http://hardcoreselfhelp.com
27:0930/03/2016
Episode 2: Anger, Low Cost Resources, and Cigarettes

Episode 2: Anger, Low Cost Resources, and Cigarettes

In this episode, I make a few short announcements and then take a fewawesome questions from listeners. You can send your questions tohttp://twitter.com/duffthepsych or email them [email protected] question: How to avoid explosive anger like my dad?Second question: How can I find services without insurance?Third question: Can quitting cigarettes lead to depression?As always, check out my books at http://hardcoreselfhelp.com
29:4223/03/2016
The Hardcore Self Help Podcast Episode 1

The Hardcore Self Help Podcast Episode 1

In this episode I introduce you to the new podcast and take two Twitter questions and one Reddit question. You can find me on twitter at http://twitter.com/duffthepsych.  First question: Is seven medications for anxiety and depression just crazy? Second question: What's the point of getting extensive testing for dementia? Third question: How to help a family member who has slid back into depression?    As always, check out my books at http://hardcoreselfhelp.com
24:5217/03/2016