Life Lived Better

What happens when the person you considered a sister uses your deepest vulnerabilities as social currency to isolate you?

In this episode, Joseph and Paula dive deep into the devastating world of friendship betrayal. Our hosts read a heart-wrenching email from an anonymous listener whose 10-year friendship unraveled through a secret group chat, character assassination, and intense gaslighting.

Together, the co-hosts unpack the psychological mechanics behind why people betray the ones they love, how to spot the warning signs of devaluation, and how to identify the manipulation tactic known as DARVO when confronting a toxic friend. More importantly, they provide a step-by-step roadmap for the aftermath: how to soothe your nervous system, handle the collateral damage of a fractured friend group, and use the "Slow-Pour" method to safely rebuild your self-trust.

If you’ve ever had a foundational relationship reveal itself to be a lie, this episode is your safe space to heal.

Questions? If you have a question, you would like Joseph and Paula to answer during an episode of Questions for Counselors, feel free to reach out through the website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lifelivedbetter.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email them directly at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can find information about this and other episodes on the website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lifelivedbetter.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  

Just a reminder - anything shared by the pair during this and all other episodes is based on personal experiences and opinions. It is not to be viewed as professional counseling or advice and is solely the opinion of the individual and does not represent their employers or profession. 

We would love for you to rate our show and tell others about us. And remember, Knowledge leads to a Life Lived Better.

Resources used to develop this episode: 

Conflict Resolution Skills – HelpGuide.org 

Friendship Betrayal: Emotional Impacts by People We Trust | Psychology Today 

What If You’re Not Ready to Forgive? Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkley

Why Our Friends Should Betray Us and How to Feel Worthy After | Psychology Today 

In this Mental Health Moment, I am discussing - The Connection Between Music & Mental Health.

You can find information about this and other episodes on the website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lifelivedbetter.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Just a reminder - anything shared in this, and all other episodes is based on personal experiences and opinions. It is not to be viewed as professional counseling or advice and is solely the opinion of the individual and does not represent their employers or profession.  

If you have a topic, you would like us to address in a future Mental Health Moment, let us know. Email us at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ 

We would love for you to rate our show and tell others about us. And remember, Knowledge leads to a Life Lived Better.

156

In this Mental Health Moment, I am discussing - Boundaries Vs Ultimatums.

You can find information about this and other episodes on the website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lifelivedbetter.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Just a reminder - anything shared in this, and all other episodes is based on personal experiences and opinions. It is not to be viewed as professional counseling or advice and is solely the opinion of the individual and does not represent their employers or profession.  

If you have a topic, you would like us to address in a future Mental Health Moment, let us know. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ 

We would love for you to rate our show and tell others about us. And remember, Knowledge leads to a Life Lived Better.

True crime has become one of the most popular forms of entertainment, but what happens when our brains spend hours immersed in stories of murder, kidnapping, violence, and betrayal? In this episode of Life Lived Better, Joseph and Paula explore why we’re so fascinated by true crime and what repeated exposure to frightening stories may do to our perception of the world. From morbid curiosity and the availability heuristic they examine the line between being informed about danger and beginning to expect it everywhere.

The conversation also tackles the ethics of turning real human suffering into entertainment, the potential for both empathy and desensitization, and the binge-worthy storytelling techniques that keep us clicking “next episode.” Rather than arguing that people should stop watching true crime, our co-hosts encourage listeners to pay attention to how the content affects them before, during, and after they consume it. Ultimately, the question isn’t whether true crime is inherently “good” or “bad,” but whether what we repeatedly put into our minds is changing how we experience our lives and the people around us.

Questions? If you have questions, you would like Joseph and Paula to address during an upcoming episode of Questions for Counselors, feel free to reach out through the website at www.lifelivedbetter.net or email them directly at [email protected]    

Just a reminder - Anything shared during this and all other episodes is based on personal experiences and opinions. It is not to be viewed as professional counseling or advice - it is solely our opinion. Information shared does not represent our employers or profession.  

We would love for you to rate our show and tell others about us.  

And remember, Knowledge leads to a Life Lived Better.   

Resources used to create this episode: 

Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases - PubMed 

Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency - Healthy Sleep Habits | NHLBI, NIH 

The Scary World Syndrome: News Orientations, Negativity Bias, and the Cultivation of Anxiety 

In this Mental Health Moment, I am discussing - Therapy Hangovers.

You can find information about this and other episodes on the website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lifelivedbetter.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Just a reminder - anything shared in this, and all other episodes is based on personal experiences and opinions. It is not to be viewed as professional counseling or advice and is solely the opinion of the individual and does not represent their employers or profession.  

If you have a topic, you would like us to address in a future Mental Health Moment, let us know. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ 

We would love for you to rate our show and tell others about us.

And remember, Knowledge leads to a Life Lived Better.

In this episode of Life Lived Better, Joseph and Paula explore one of the most promising and controversial developments in addiction and mental health treatment: psychedelic-assisted therapy. They examine the history and emerging science behind psilocybin, MDMA, ibogaine, and ayahuasca, discussing what researchers are learning about their potential to address addiction, trauma, depression, and other behavioral health concerns. Special attention is given to ibogaine, including its unusual history in addiction treatment, potential effects on withdrawal and cravings, and the serious medical risks that make careful screening and supervision essential.

Rather than presenting psychedelics as miracle treatments or dismissing them because of their controversial history the episode focuses on what the evidence actually tells us. Our co-hosts explain the important differences between carefully controlled clinical research and underground treatment settings, who may not be appropriate candidates for these therapies, and why preparation, medical oversight, therapy, and follow-up matter. Ultimately, they consider whether psychedelic-assisted therapies could someday become another evidence-based pathway to recovery while emphasizing a central message: good clinical practice requires curiosity, caution, and a willingness to follow the evidence wherever it leads.

Questions? If you have questions, you would like Joseph and Paula to address during an upcoming episode of Questions for Counselors, feel free to reach out through the website at www.lifelivedbetter.net or email them directly at [email protected]    

Just a reminder - Anything shared during this and all other episodes is based on personal experiences and opinions. It is not to be viewed as professional counseling or advice - it is solely our opinion. Information shared does not represent our employers or profession.  

We would love for you to rate our show and tell others about us.  

And remember, Knowledge leads to a Life Lived Better.   

Resources used to create this episode: 

Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research 

Psychedelic and Dissociative Drugs | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) 

Psychedelic Drugs: Considerations for Clinical Investigations | FDA

In this Mental Health Moment, I am discussing - Life Transitions.

You can find information about this and other episodes on the website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lifelivedbetter.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Just a reminder - anything shared in this, and all other episodes is based on personal experiences and opinions. It is not to be viewed as professional counseling or advice and is solely the opinion of the individual and does not represent their employers or profession.  

If you have a topic, you would like us to address in a future Mental Health Moment, let us know. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ 

We would love for you to rate our show and tell others about us. And remember, Knowledge leads to a Life Lived Better.

In this Mental Health Moment, I am discussing - The Benefits of Taking a Vacation!

You can find information about this and other episodes on the website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lifelivedbetter.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Just a reminder - anything shared in this, and all other episodes is based on personal experiences and opinions. It is not to be viewed as professional counseling or advice and is solely the opinion of the individual and does not represent their employers or profession.  

If you have a topic, you would like us to address in a future Mental Health Moment, let us know. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ 

We would love for you to rate our show and tell others about us. And remember, Knowledge leads to a Life Lived Better.

In this Mental Health Moment, I am discussing - The mental health benefits of Taking a Vacation!

You can find information about this and other episodes on the website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lifelivedbetter.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Just a reminder - anything shared in this, and all other episodes is based on personal experiences and opinions. It is not to be viewed as professional counseling or advice and is solely the opinion of the individual and does not represent their employers or profession.  

If you have a topic, you would like us to address in a future Mental Health Moment, let us know. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ 

We would love for you to rate our show and tell others about us. And remember, Knowledge leads to a Life Lived Better.