A Little Help For Our Friends

This episode is a conversation with Dr. Jonathan Avery about why addiction has so much stigma and how that has stopped patients and families from getting real help.

Most people still view addiction through a lens of shame and judgment, yet experts like Dr. Jonathan Avery are transforming how we understand and support those struggling. Dr. Avery is Vice Chair for Addiction Psychiatry and Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine, known for pioneering efforts to reduce stigma and elevate evidence-based care. His work has transformed lives and inspired a new approach to addiction globally.He also founded the SAFE Program (Support, Advocacy, and Family Education) to provide evidence-based support to families affected by addiction.

Dr. Kibby sits down with Dr. Avery to talk about how his personal experience with family addiction led him to develop groundbreaking programs and research to dismantle stigma, empower families, and open new pathways to recovery. In this episode, we break down:
How addiction affects the brain and why stigma persists despite medical advances
The innovative SAFE program supporting families affected by addiction
Dr. Avery’s insights on challenging societal judgment and fostering compassion
The role of advocacy, policy, and personal understanding in changing the narrative around substance use
His upcoming book "Thriving with Addiction" and what it reveals about resilience and hope
Whether you’re supporting a loved one or seeking deep understanding, this episode is essential listening. This is your chance to hear from one of the most influential voices in addiction psychiatry who shares insights that could change the way you see and support those affected by addiction.

Resources:
Thriving with Addiction book and podcast with Dr. Jonathan Avery

In this deeply personal episode, Dr. Kibby shares her transformative experience at a healing retreat for breast cancer survivors, centered around a special plant medicine.

Can alternative forms of mental health treatment heal wounds that even therapy can't touch? In this episode, Dr. Kibby recounts journey of deep healing through plant medicine, facilitated by a supportive community of women and guided by expert facilitators. Alternative treatments like plant medicine (of all different types) offer new ways of addressing deep trauma. Dr. Kibby participated in a plant medicine healing retreat for breast cancer survivors, organized by The Survivorship Collective. What she thought was going to be just a fun week turned into a life-changing experience.

Dr. Kibby talks about the insights she gained about trauma, self-compassion, and the power of collective healing. She delves into the emotional aftermath of her cancer treatment, the unexpected connections between past traumas, and the unique healing potential of plant medicine within a sacred tradition practiced for generations. Dr. Kibby reflects on the importance of setting intentions, embracing vulnerability, and trusting the body's innate ability to heal.

Of course, as the field of psychiatry and clinical psychology are excited about the new treatment options- Dr. Kibby also discusses the need for caution. It's important to only engage in treatments that are legal, safe, regulated, evidence-based and monitored by careful medical supervision. Consult with your doctor or other medical provider before making treatment decisions for yourself.

Resources:
The Survivorship Collective

This episode describes what complex Post Traumatic Stress disorder (cPTSD) is, how it's diagnosed, and how it's different to similar disorders like PTSD and borderline personality disorder. This episode was inspired by the angry comments on Dr. Kibby's latest reel on spotting emotion dysregulation in borderline personality disorder.
When someone has a history of childhood trauma and they struggle with intense emotions, self-esteem issues, and relationship problems- what disorder do they have? In this episode, Dr. Kibby delves into the criteria for complex PTSD, which is still not an official disorder in the DSM-V. Yet, so many people struggle with symptoms from long, painful histories of trauma that has shaped their entire lives and personalities.

Dr. Kibby also discusses the nuanced differences between Complex PTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder, revealing how trauma shapes self-esteem, relationships, and emotional regulation in surprising ways. If you've ever wondered why these disorders often overlap—and how understanding their distinctions can transform healing—you’ll want to hear this.
Dr. Kibby shares her own experiences with online criticism around trauma representation, sparking a deeper conversation about stigma and bias in mental health. She dives into the hidden intricacies of CPTSD, explaining why it’s often overlooked in the DSM-5 but recognized worldwide, and how prolonged trauma affects the brain’s ability to process memories, dissociate, and regulate emotions.
She also talks about how how trauma, whether overt or subtle, can lead to complex self-protection mechanisms that impact every aspect of life. Then she finishes with listing the best evidence-based treatments, from prolonged exposure to cognitive processing therapy and DBT, tailored for each disorder’s unique challenges.
She emphasizes the power of compassion and personalized treatment over stigma, advocating for a mental health field that treats all disorders with empathy and respect. Why diagnosis isn’t about labels- it's a pathway to personalized healing and recovery.

Resources:
Sarr, R., Quinton, A., Spain, D., & Rumball, F. (2024). A Systematic Review of the Assessment of ICD‐11 Complex Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) in Young People and Adults. Clinical psychology & psychotherapy, 31(3), e3012.

Simon, J. J., Spiegler, K., Coulibaly, K., Stopyra, M. A., Friederich, H. C., Gruber, O., & Nikendei, C. (2025). Beyond diagnosis: symptom patterns across complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16, 1668821.

This episode is an interview with Mike Meaney, CEO and founder of One Small Step that provides peer support to people with mental health and addiction crises. He discusses his own personal recovery journey that inspired him to become a certified peer.

Most of us underestimate how critical peer support can be in mental health and addiction recovery- until we hear stories like Mike’s, who turned his personal struggles into a groundbreaking platform that saves lives during nights and weekends when traditional help is scarce.
In this powerful episode, Mike Meaney shares his deeply personal journey from blackout drinking at 16 to building a platform for certified peer support that’s transforming mental health care. Dr. Kibby and Mike discuss how lived experience combined with innovative technology is closing gaps in access, especially when emergency services aren’t the right answer.
Failing to recognize the power of peer support leaves millions vulnerable in their darkest hours, missing out on an accessible, stigma-reducing lifeline. For anyone battling addiction, mental health challenges, or supporting someone who is, this episode reveals a hopeful path forward, grounded in authenticity and innovation.
If you’re tired of the same old approaches and want to see how empathy combined with tech can revolutionize mental health care, this conversation is essential listening.
Mike Meaney is CEO of One Small Step, a platform dedicated to on-demand peer support supported by clinical supervision, revolutionizing how people access help in their most vulnerable moments.

Resources:
One Small Step website

In this episode, Dr. Kibby breaks down the psychology behind the "Man-Child Syndrome," when men stay emotionally immature and avoid real responsibility.

Do you know a grown man who clearly wants to stay a boy forever? Maybe he's fun, charismatic, adventurous and creative but...he runs away from adulthood. He's afraid of commitment, avoids responsibilities, and expects everyone else to take care of him. If so, you're familiar with the Man-Child Syndrome.

Dr. Kibby analyzes the "Man-Child" (also called the "Peter Pan Syndrome") and discusses the tell-tale signs of a man-child, what's underneath the boyish behavior, and how psychological theories explain why he refuses to grow up. At the core of this type of toxic immaturity is the avoidance of the hardships of adult life: the tedious work of building a career, the mundane problems of a serious relationship, and the pain of going out of our comfort zones. The Man-Child runs away from any limitations to his freedom and fun, but that usually means he's taking advantage of someone in the process.

This episode also discusses how the Man-Child syndrome is a growing form of narcissism: Men lost in fantasies, too special to suffer like ordinary people, and avoidant of accountability. All of these tendencies point to traits of narcissistic personality disorder, even if it's hard to spot at first.

If you're struggling with a man-child and need support, check out KulaMind for real skills and community for dealing with this toxic relationship.
Tell us in the comments what you think of the "Man-Child Syndrome"!