Quelling anxiety and relaxing are common reasons people give for smoking or vaping. But is that really possible? Will nicotine help relieve anxiety or other mental health conditions?
Robin Koval, CEO and President of Truth Initiative, discusses the nuances between vaping and smoking and their impact on mental health and anxiety. We also delve into some commo ... Show More
Nov 20
Why They Drank the Kool-Aid: Psychology of Cults
Most of us think we’d never fall for a cult. We imagine the followers of Jim Jones as naïve, brainwashed, or broken people who “drank the Kool-Aid.” But what if that’s not the truth at all?In this eye-opening episode, host Gabe Howard speaks with the award-winning author of “Deat ... Show More
29m 46s
Nov 13
Rock & Roll, ADHD, and Anxiety with Musician Harley Olivia
What happens when a neurodivergent flight attendant trades jet lag for guitar riffs and finds better mental health in the process? In this inspiring and wildly relatable episode, Canadian alt-rock singer-songwriter Harley Olivia joins Gabe Howard to share how embracing her creati ... Show More
32 m
Nov 6
Race, Madness & the Complex History of a Jim Crow Asylum
What can the history of a Jim Crow–era mental asylum teach us about race and mental health today? MSNBC journalist Antonia Hylton joins Gabe Howard to discuss her powerful book “Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum,” a deeply researched look at Crownsville Hospital, on ... Show More
27m 47s
Apr 2024
Vaping, Alcohol Use & Other Risky Youth Behaviors | Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher
In this episode, my guest is Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD, FSAHM. She is a professor of pediatrics and adolescent medicine and a developmental psychologist at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Halpern-Felsher is a world expert in adolescent decision-making and risk-t ... Show More
2h 27m
Nov 2019
How did teen vaping become an epidemic?
<p>It unfolded right under our noses, in classrooms, on school buses, in locker rooms after sports practice—millions of kids got addicted to nicotine within the span of just a few years, thanks to the spread of vaping devices like Juul. This fall, the scope of the issue came into ... Show More
45m 12s
Sep 2022
Nicotine’s Effects on the Brain & Body & How to Quit Smoking or Vaping
In this episode, I explain how nicotine impacts the brain and body, including its potent ability to enhance attention, focus, and alertness, increase blood pressure and metabolism and reduce appetite. I discuss nicotine’s ability to increase the action of neurochemicals, includin ... Show More
1h 50m
Jan 2022
Quitting Smoking, Over-Practicing, Bill Nye on Believing Science
Learn how quitting smoking helps mental health; how to avoid over-practicing; and how to get people to believe science.Quitting smoking is good for your mental health, too by Steffie DruckerCochrane Review finds stopping smoking is linked to improved mental health. (2021). EurekA ... Show More
13m 41s