Interfering Neurotic

By Ash King

Join an aussie psychologist and a midwest mindfulness coach as they navigate a life lived with the curses and blessings of big feelings. Together Dr Ash King and Daron Larson explore the neurotic live... more

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FAQs about Interfering Neurotic:

How many episodes does Interfering Neurotic have?

The podcast currently has 15 episodes available.

Interfering Neurotic episodes:

August 19, 2025Wanna Feel Less? Become A Rock! with Mark Freeman
When big feelings arise, it’s natural to want to shrink and shirk them - but these instincts can lead us into dangerous territory, ballooning into habits and compulsions that can dominate and destroy our lives.
In this episode, we welcome Mark Freeman, author of You Are Not A Rock. Together, we discuss:
Building mental health skills like we develop physical fitness
Approaching a ‘Values-Led’ life like we make good cookies
And what sorts of communities are important in our growth and recovery
——

Show notes:
We love hearing from you! We’re active on Instagram @ashking & @daronlarson (find us, DM us!)
Be part of the conversation via our Instagram Channel here:
https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaBFH6hH-ALvmgB/?igsh=cHQwcDIwOWRidTZv
You can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter/X and TikTok
Or reach us via email: [email protected] & [email protected]
Subscribe to Daron’s Substack: https://daronlarson.substack.com/
Check out Ash’s shop (with mental health and mindfulness goodies. Heavy Mental merch and any upcoming courses or workshops): https://www.heavymental.com.au/shop
Jingle by @nikitakarmen
—
You Are Not A Rock: A Step-By-Step Guide to Better Mental Health - Mark Freeman (Book) https://www.markfreeman.ca/books/
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Film) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0359950/
...more
41min
July 10, 2025The Dopamine Delusion with Dr Anastasia Hronis
Big feelings can pull us here and there, but often in the direction of pleasure and away from discomfort. Dopamine has a part to play, but what exactly does it do for us and how can we be wise and mindful when following its pull?

In this episode, we welcome our first ever guest, Dr Anastasia Hronis, author of The Dopamine Brain. Together, we discuss:
The horrible inevitability of sitting with discomfort
Our pursuit of feeling good and where it might lead us astray
And why values are essential on our path to live rich & meaningful lives.
——

Show notes:
We love hearing from you! We’re active on Instagram @ashking & @daronlarson (find us, DM us!)
Be part of the conversation via our Instagram Channel here:
https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaBFH6hH-ALvmgB/?igsh=cHQwcDIwOWRidTZv
You can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter/X and TikTok
Or reach us via email: [email protected] & [email protected]
Subscribe to Daron’s Substack: https://daronlarson.substack.com/
Check out Ash’s shop (with mental health and mindfulness goodies. Heavy Mental merch and any upcoming courses or workshops): https://www.heavymental.com.au/shop
Music by @nikitakarmen
—
• The Dopamine Brain - Dr Anastasia Hronis (Book)
More on Anastasia here: https://www.anastasiahronis.com.au/
...more
39min
June 11, 2025Making Peace With The Plot Twist
Plot twist are an exciting feature of our favourite stories but can be the most harrowing experiences of our actual lives.
In this episode, we reveal:
The major plot twists of our lives and how we survived them
The painful exercise in pushing through when life shoves us into the unknown
How to exist in the story before growth, closure or resolution
And why resilience looks much messier, sloppier and tear-stained than we ever expected
——

Show notes:
We love hearing from you! We’re active on Instagram @ashking & @daronlarson (find us, DM us!)
Be part of the conversation via our Instagram Channel here:
https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaBFH6hH-ALvmgB/?igsh=cHQwcDIwOWRidTZv
You can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter/X and TikTok
Or reach us via email: [email protected] & [email protected]
Subscribe to Daron’s Substack: https://daronlarson.substack.com/
Check out Ash’s shop (with mental health and mindfulness goodies. Heavy Mental merch and any upcoming courses or workshops): https://www.heavymental.com.au/shop
Music by @nikitakarmen
—
The Plot - Jean Hanff Korelitz (Book)
The Sequel - Jean Hanff Korelitz (Book)
I Who Have Never Known Men - Jacqueline Harpman (Book)
"Yes---what the American public always wants is a tragedy with a happy ending." William Dean Howells
“Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” Søren Kierkegaard
"End Effects of Rated Life Quality: The James Dean Effect" by Ed Diener, Derrick Wirtz, and Shigehiro Oishi, published in Psychological Science in 2001. This research explores how the ending of a life influences the perceived desirability of that life.
...more
52min
May 20, 2025The Trouble With Experts
Existing as a flawed human creature is a messy, unpredictable and imperfect art, so how are people setting themselves up as experts on the matter?

In this episode, we:
Call bullshit on self-proclaimed experts in the wellbeing scene
We tackle Imposter syndrome when you’re a mental health professional whose life is falling apart
And we celebrate the power and skill of truly witnessing someone (which doesn’t require a certification)
——

Show notes:

We love hearing from you! We’re active on Instagram @ashking & @daronlarson (find us, DM us!)

Be part of the conversation via our Instagram Channel here:
https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaBFH6hH-ALvmgB/?igsh=cHQwcDIwOWRidTZv

You can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter?X and TikTok

Or reach us via email: [email protected] & [email protected]

Subscribe to Daron’s Substack: https://daronlarson.substack.com/

Check out Ash’s shop (with mental health and mindfulness goodies. Heavy Mental merch and any upcoming courses or workshops): https://www.heavymental.com.au/shop

Music by @nikitakarmen

—
The book Ash refers to is Sorrow & Bliss, by Meg Mason
"Don't preach from your wounds. Preach from your scars." - Nadia Bolz-Weber, a Lutheran pastor
“The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.” – Bertrand Russell
...more
33min
April 23, 2025Dating While Neurotic
It’s a jungle out there for functional neurotics looking for love. Dating demands you bring your best self to the table, but what truths do we disguise in our effort to make ourselves more appealing and palatable to others?
Coming up, we explore:
What it means to be passionate and intense when men want laid back and easy going
Going with your gut when a dynamic doesn’t feel right
Why it feels risky to put your big-feelings on display too soon
And why it’s alright to be an acquired taste
——

Show notes:

We love hearing from you! We’re active on Instagram @ashking & @daronlarson (find us, DM us!)

Be part of the conversation via our Instagram Channel here:
https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaBFH6hH-ALvmgB/?igsh=cHQwcDIwOWRidTZv

You can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter?X and TikTok

Or reach us via email: [email protected] & [email protected]

Subscribe to Daron’s Substack: https://daronlarson.substack.com/

Check out Ash’s shop (with mental health and mindfulness goodies. Heavy Mental merch and any upcoming courses or workshops): https://www.heavymental.com.au/shop

Music by @nikitakarmen
...more
32min
April 13, 2025The Severance Strategy
Do you routinely cut yourself off from feeling? Do you bristle at the act of having to perform a “work-friendly” version of yourself? There are many ways we compartmentalise ourselves and our emotions.
Coming up, we explore:
The themes of Severance, and what they mean for authenticity and emotional truth
Taking a break from the “performance of identity”
Emotional pain avoidance and why its not a workable strategy
And the healing power of feeling in concert with others
——

Show notes:
We love hearing from you! We’re active on Instagram @ashking & @daronlarson (find us, DM us!)

Be part of the conversation via our Instagram Channel here:
https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaBFH6hH-ALvmgB/?igsh=cHQwcDIwOWRidTZv

You can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter?X and TikTok

Or reach us via email: [email protected] & [email protected]

Subscribe to Daron’s Substack: https://daronlarson.substack.com/

Check out Ash’s shop (with mental health and mindfulness goodies. Heavy Mental merch and any upcoming courses or workshops): https://www.heavymental.com.au/shop

Music by @nikitakarmen

—

Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions (book by Todd Rose)
https://www.amazon.com.au/Collective-Illusions-Conformity-Complicity-Decisions/dp/0306925680

Severance (TV series directed by Ben Stiller)

The Substance (film directed by Coralie Fargeat)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Substance

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (film directed by Michel Gondry)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_Sunshine_of_the_Spotless_Mind

“Emotions are like children - You don't want them driving the car, but you shouldn't stuff them in the trunk either."
...more
42min
March 25, 2025Perfecting the Silent Treatment
Are you an expert at the sulk and serving up the silent treatment? It can be hard enough managing our own big feelings but what about when we need to let our loved ones in on our emotional chaos in a way that won’t leave them running for the hills?

In this ep, we chat about:
Pre-gaming emotional tiffs before they blow out
Growing out of the allure of the soulmate and having grown-up conversations
Sharing observations, feelings and stating what we need in our relationships
And what happens when we say what we want, but we still don’t get it
——

Show notes:

We love hearing from you! We’re active on Instagram @ashking & @daronlarson (find us, DM us!)

Be part of the conversation via our Instagram Channel here:
https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaBFH6hH-ALvmgB/?igsh=cHQwcDIwOWRidTZv

You can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter?X and TikTok

Or reach us via email: [email protected] & [email protected]

Subscribe to Daron’s Substack: https://daronlarson.substack.com/

Check out Ash’s shop (with mental health and mindfulness goodies. Heavy Mental merch and any upcoming courses or workshops): https://www.heavymental.com.au/shop

Music by @nikitakarmen

—

Essays In Love - Alain de Botton (Book)

Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication - Oren J. Sofer (Book)

Gottman’s Four Horsemen: Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling
https://www.gottman.com/blog/the-four-horsemen-recognizing-criticism-contempt-defensiveness-and-stonewalling/
...more
42min
March 05, 2025Remedy to Rumination
We finish off our two-parter on overthinking and take a deep dive into the emotions we’re ignoring when we retreat into rumination.

We explore:
Whether complex emotions are the culprits luring us into overthinking
Why “why” is a fraught question to ask ourselves when we’re feeling vulnerable
How to get out of our heads and into our bodies with mindfulness-based inquiry
And the challenge smart people face in stepping away from the intellectual into something more poetic and slippery
——

Show notes:

We love hearing from you! We’re active on Instagram @ashking & @daronlarson (find us, DM us!)

Be part of the conversation via our Instagram Channel here:
https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaBFH6hH-ALvmgB/?igsh=cHQwcDIwOWRidTZv

You can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter?X and TikTok

Or reach us via email: [email protected] & [email protected]

Subscribe to Daron’s Substack: https://daronlarson.substack.com/

Check out Ash’s shop (with mental health and mindfulness goodies. Heavy Mental merch and any upcoming courses or workshops): https://www.heavymental.com.au/shop

Music by @nikitakarmen

—

Reel: Gary from Connecticut, "We don’t need your “under-thinking” thoughts"
https://www.instagram.com/p/DGJMg0tRcKV/

Loving Kindness With Self-Compassion. Kristin Neff
https://insig.ht/r7J9wfOY4Nb

Edie Brickell, Me By The Sea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XqoeyLwiX4
...more
37min
February 10, 2025The Feeling of Overthinking
Overthinking is the plight of many of us big feelers - but if it leaves us feeling worse, why do we do it at all? and what might we do instead?

Coming up, we chat about:
Greys Anatomy as a tool of emotional catharsis
Whether rumination is the same as a compulsive behaviour
The itchiness of emotionally-charged 2am thoughts
How we can mindfully intervene when we’re lured by the siren song of overthinking

——

Show notes:

We love hearing from you! We’re active on Instagram @ashking & @daronlarson (find us, DM us!)

Be part of the conversation via our Instagram Channel here:
https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaBFH6hH-ALvmgB/?igsh=cHQwcDIwOWRidTZv

You can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter?X and TikTok

Or reach us via email: [email protected] & [email protected]

Subscribe to Daron’s Substack: https://daronlarson.substack.com/

Check out Ash’s shop (with mental health and mindfulness goodies. Heavy Mental merch and any upcoming courses or workshops): https://www.heavymental.com.au/shop

Music by @nikitakarmen

—

Article: Anger and Catharsis: Myth, Metaphor or Reality? [Psychology Today]
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/evil-deeds/200909/anger-and-catharsis-myth-metaphor-or-reality

Book: You Are Not A Rock - Mark Freeman
https://www.markfreeman.ca/books/

TV Series: Greys Anatomy
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0413573/

Movie: Freaky Friday
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0322330/

Article: Why Do I Get So Hot When I Sleep? [Sleep Foundation]
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-faqs/why-do-i-get-so-hot-when-i-sleep

Article: Elevated body temperature is associated with depressive symptoms: results from the TemPredict Study [Nature]
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-51567-w
...more
46min
January 05, 2025How To Talk So Non-Neurotics Will Listen
When big feelings are a huge feature of your life, how do you understand the people in your life who experience their emotions in different ways? And how might we communicate better so they can understand the weird emotional ways we operate?

We chat about:
Needing responsible role models of people who feel big feelings
Questions to ask the non-neurotics in your life when you’re tearing your hair out wondering what’s going on for them
The illusion of empathy and how making assumptions about other people’s emotional states can be a slippery slope
Our desperation for resolution, and learning to sit with uncertainty

Show notes:
We love hearing from you! We’re active on Instagram @ashking & @daronlarson (find us, DM us!)
Be part of the conversation via our Instagram Channel here:
https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaBFH6hH-ALvmgB/?igsh=cHQwcDIwOWRidTZv
You can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter?X and TikTok
Or reach us via email: [email protected] & [email protected]
Subscribe to Daron’s Substack: https://daronlarson.substack.com/
Check out Ash’s shop (with mental health and mindfulness goodies. Heavy Mental merch and any upcoming courses or workshops): https://www.heavymental.com.au/shop
Music by @nikitakarmen
...more
47min

FAQs about Interfering Neurotic:

How many episodes does Interfering Neurotic have?

The podcast currently has 15 episodes available.