Your Mental Breakdown

Join Us on Social Media:

YMB on Instagram

YMB on TikTok

109. Drew #89: Trusting the Process Feb 23, 2023

Show notes

Drew is not forcing a change externally to feel better internally, having recently come out of a depressive episode. Doug reflects that he might be feeling better in part because he's allowing himself to be present in the journey not because he reached an end destination. Drew applies this to moving his home right now, and says that he's able to "trust the process" with both the move and the unknown in general in his life. Drew then drops a "banger" on Doug at the tail end of the session related to his thoughts on not wanting to see a doctor about his heart condition.

Join Us on Social Media:

YMB on Instagram

YMB on TikTok

108. Sarah #27: Willful Blindness Feb 16, 2023

Show notes

Sarah explores how impactful it was to not have someone that at least tried to protect her as a child growing up in a cult. Doug reinforces the concept that she's now re-parenting herself when she uncovers old wounds and tends to them. Sarah also protects herself by gathering data, like with her upcoming eye surgery. As a protective measure, data collection helps Sarah feel more in control. It's neither good nor bad; it's just giving herself familiarity with something unknown to reduce feeling anxious, powerless, and not in control.

Doug's Group Practice

Join Us on Social Media:

YMB on Instagram

YMB on TikTok

107. Drew #88: Milemarkers, I Love 'Em! Feb 09, 2023

Show notes

Drew is finding his groove again after a three month depressive episode. We highlight "inter-dependence" in his relationships right now in contrast to the people pleasing and co-dependence that marked most of his previous relationships. Drew is setting his boundaries and not feeling guilty about moving away from the people that have "done me dirty," while leaning into the people that have "done me right."

Join Us on Social Media:

YMB on Instagram

YMB on TikTok

106. Sarah #26: Curiosity vs. Correction Feb 02, 2023

Show notes

Sometimes feeling misunderstood can lead to self-realization. Ouch, Meredith! Sarah sees herself objectively after hearing Mer's reaction to her from an earlier session. This leads Sarah to explore her protective mechanism of correction and hyper vigilance when there is a problem in her life. Doug encourages Sarah to sit with the emotion for a moment and validate the experience before taking an action to fix an issue. He introduces the idea of looking at things with a sense of curiosity versus correction.

Join Us on Social Media:

YMB on Instagram

YMB on TikTok

105. Drew #86-87: Through Turbulence and Safe in the Unknown Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

Doug recaps the lost audio from session #86 with Drew comparing his depressive episode to turbulence on an airplane, and how we can manage our way through it. In the current session #87, Drew reflects on being able to stay present in the day-to-day experience of his life rather than getting caught up with what the next six months, year, or two years will look like – especially in his relationship with his girlfriend.

Join Us on Social Media:

YMB on Instagram

YMB on TikTok

104. Sarah #25: How Does This Hand Turkey Represent You? Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

Sarah attends a memorial for her cousin and is triggered at the service by seeing an abuser from her past in the cult. She is able to compartmentalize in the moment, let it out later with her family, and then process it with Doug in therapy. Sarah could be present in her own experience as it was happening and then acknowledge and process the emotions that came up in a safe space.

Join Us on Social Media:

YMB on Instagram

YMB on TikTok

103. Sarah #24: Stop and Breathe Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

Sarah is feeling overwhelmed with a lot of little things stressing her out and one big thing coming up – her cousin's memorial. Doug helps Sarah stop and breathe, so she can acknowledge and process some of her grief and feelings of guilt. Sarah gains different perspective on the loss of her cousin and her relationship with him. Doug and Meredith break down parts of the grief process that came up during the session.

Join Us on Social Media:

YMB on Instagram

YMB on TikTok

102. Sarah #23: Emotional Data Oct 13, 2022

Show notes

Sarah links her current feeling of powerlessness with her past experiences of powerlessness in the cult and in her previous marriage. Doug helps Sarah go to an emotional place and process from there, rather than go to an intellectualized place, or get anxious and shut down. Sarah uses therapy to help carve new neural pathways in her brain and shape new patterns of behavior by consciously shifting what she does and how she does it.

Join Us on Social Media:

YMB on Instagram

YMB on TikTok

101. Drew #85: Don't Suffer in Silence Sep 29, 2022

Show notes

***Trigger warning*** This episode contains potentially triggering and sensitive topics including suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, please call 988 in the United States. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in English and Spanish in the United States. You can also access resources online at https://988lifeline.org.

In the safe space of a therapy session, Drew is able to verbalize and explore his suicidal thoughts and the feelings of guilt, shame, and embarrassment. They talk about the stress and pressure from the expectations that Drew puts on himself. In the breakdown, Meredith and Doug continue to process what came up in the session and some of what they do professionally and personally when clients have suicidal thoughts.

Join Us on Social Media: