Drew is feeling depressed. Things are going good, but he’s not feeling good. During this period of time, Drew feels like something internal is missing – he’s not enjoying anything on his own and pushes back whenever Doug looks at his connection to others. Drew gets emotional and they are able to sit with the feelings of just being “in the grey.”

Pineapple Juice is my safe word:

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As a sign of vulnerability, trust, and the safe space of therapy, Sarah allows herself to cry in session and feel the loss of her cousin. She connects this with the loss of her dad nearly a decade ago. Doug helps her stay with the feelings and express what is coming up for her in these initial stages of grief. 

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Drew is feeling lukewarm, anhedonia, and meh rather than being in the high highs or the low lows. He’s understanding what it’s like being somewhere in the middle and not being at 0 or at 100. Drew recognizes that he used to need a partner or his parents to validate his experience. Now he's experiencing being alone and not lonely. He’s embracing having an experience on his own then sharing that with others - as long as he's not misunderstood...

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Doug and his mom open with a discussion about multiple personality disorder and her previous work in therapy with clients coming out of cults. In the session, Sarah acknowledges never allowing herself to fully feel the anger she’s held onto from her own upbringing in a cult. She is able to drop her protective armor in this session and show trust in herself, her therapist, and the process. Sarah is learning what it means to metaphorically put the oxygen mask on herself first.

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Doug helps Drew go deeper to explore the concept of a safety net by processing his all-in, all-out mentality. Drew goes to an emotional place when they talk about feeling abandoned, betrayed, and neglected by the inconsistency of his parents not being there for him.

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For this episode, we check in with Drew, the client from Season 1. Drew wants to be doing more to do less, as he copes with the stress of his recent heart attack. Drew processes his parents not showing up to support him the way he needs and wants them. Speaking of which, Doug is supported on the breakdown by a special guest therapist – his mom!

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Drew explores the idea of his parents as a safety net without dependence or co-dependence in their relationship. Doug and Drew look at the concept of allowing someone to do something supportive for you, rather than depending entirely on somebody that could let you down. Mer digs into whether Drew's girlfriend is really his girlfriend or not.

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In this special Holiday mini-sode (extra-mini-stravaganza), Meredith nurses her freshly broken toe and Doug serves up his usual cup of tea. They read through some listener thoughts and feelings about the holidays this year - for some it’s got a bit of a blue hue to it. If you think you’re enlightened, go home for the holidays… How are your holidays treating you? Let us know! IG: @your.mental.breakdown, FB: @your.mental.breakdown.podcast

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Drew comes in with a high level of anxiety after going to the emergency room for a heart event. Doug helps Drew process the anxiety in the session. Drew is able to bring his level of anxiety down over the course of the session. Doug and Drew explore getting support from his “family of choice” while processing the disappointment he feels from his family of origin.

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Sarah describes taking herself through worst-case scenarios to prepare herself for a situation, so she can avoid the shock and broken heart that might otherwise overwhelm her. That protective mechanism once served her, but now creates a disconnect from her actual emotional experience of life. Doug helps Sarah reconnect to her emotional self after seeing her cousin in the hospital and being triggered by her mom’s reactions. Doug explains how she can use her favorite tv shows and books to experiment with expressing the emotions that come up, rather than locking them down because it’s not safe to show her feelings.  

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