The Spin Cycle

Mary Laura Philpott, award-winning writer and Anxiety Sister extraordinaire, is our guest on today's episode. Listen to our discussion about Mary Laura's latest memoir as well as how she manages her anxiety and perfectionism. We do a lot of laughing, but there are some really poignant moments, such as when Mary Laura shares her struggles as a parent of a child with a chronic illness and our conversation about being caregivers for both aging parents and young children. We dare you not to fall in love with Mary Laura's warmth and sense of humor!

Meet Cali Werner, award winning collegiate distance runner, licensed clinical social worker, and fellow Anxiety Sister who has been diagnosed with OCD. Her areas of expertise include perfectionism, burnout, anxiety, and obsessive thinking; we dive into these topics and more during our conversation which is searingly honest and revelatory. If you've ever lived with (or wondered what it's like to live with) debilitating anxiety, this podcast is for you!

For those of us who suffer from anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses, romantic partnerships can be real minefields. This episode features Allison Raskin, an expert in the intersection between anxiety and relationships and author of the book Overthinking About You: Navigating Romantic Relationships When You Have Anxiety, OCD and/or Depression. Listen in as we chat about real world ways to help yourself and your partner manage your anxiety disorder. We even tackle our own personal romance disasters and what we now know in hindsight.

This is absolutely one of our favorite episodes we've ever recorded because we are joined by our friend and fellow mental health advocate Gabe Howard, host of the podcast Inside Mental Health. Having suffered from bipolar disorder since he was a child, Gabe definitely walks the walk. He understands what it is like to live with persistent mental illness and also how to manage it and live well anyway. Gabe does not sugar-coat anything--he tells it like it is and we love him for it. Do not miss this informative and often hysterical conversation.

In our first episode of Season 6, Abs & Mags chat about the anxiety superstorm that comes with parenting. This BFF-cast focuses specifically on launching children (into daycare, kindergarten, college, a new job or whatever life transition crosses their paths) and how to manage all that surrounding anxiety. Do we hear the whirring of helicopter blades????

Our discussion in this episode is with Dr. Pauline Boss, the researcher who coined the term "ambiguous loss" in order to study unresolved grief--which is so anxiety-provoking and difficult to manage. Listen in as we talk about the pitfalls of resilience, the myth of closure, and how the pandemic has shaped our view of grief and anxiety. We also discuss concrete ways to process ambiguous loss and the anxiety it creates.

If you are a people-pleaser like Abs, this is such an important podcast for you. This episode features special guest Susie Pettit, a certified life and wellness coach and boundary expert. What's a boundary? We didn't know either, but now we do and boy does it help with anxiety management! And relationships. And communication. Really, setting and keeping clear boundaries may just be the answer to everything so be sure to listen in and learn all about it with us.

In our last BFF-cast of Season 5, Mags and Abs tackle shame and its effect on our mental health. We talk about how shame and anxiety are related and what to do to manage both. As usual, we get up close and [too] personal...? You be the judge!

Meet Dr. Ellen Vora--holistic psychiatrist, yoga teacher, acupuncturist, self-proclaimed "witch" and all-around fantastic human. If only all of our psychiatrists (and doctors) thought like she does! You do not want to miss this episode in which we discuss her own healing journey as well as her new book, The Anatomy of Anxiety. Our convo is funny, poignant, and very thought-provoking.

Join us as we talk with two of our favorite anxiety sisters: Colleen Rosenblum and Bridgett Biagi Garratt--the women behind the popular podcast Hot Flashes & Cool Topics, which focuses on women in midlife and beyond. We learned so much that our doctors never told us such as the difference between peri-menopause, menopause, and post- menopause and the surprising factors that influence happiness in midlife. Colleen and Bridgett are smart, caring, and funny. And they have so much expertise to share.