Operation Midnight Climax

This week we sit down with therapist Leah Miller to talk about the TikTok-ification of mental health and why it might be doing more harm than good. The pendulum has swung. Mental health is finally mainstream, which is great, except now everyone is self-diagnosing from 30-second videos and walking away convinced something is deeply wrong with them.
We get into the words that are suddenly everywhere (narcissism, gaslighting, trauma dumping), what they actually mean clinically, and how they're being used in ways that are making people worse, not better. Leah explains the algorithm trap that turns one curious scroll into five days of doom content, the difference between being sad and being depressed, and why "asking for what you need" is not the same as being a narcissist.
She also gets into the bigger idea underneath all of it: the human experience can't be captured in a soundbite. Most of what you think is wrong with you isn't a disorder. It's just being a person.
If you've ever spiraled after a mental health TikTok and walked away convinced something was broken in you, this one's for you. Leah is one of those therapists who can take the most over-used buzzword on the internet and hand you back the actual meaning in a way that feels like a deep breath.
Catch new episodes of Free Therapy every Thursday on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
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When Ian Fleming needed a name for the secret agent at the center of his new novel, he stole one from the cover of a birdwatching book. The real James Bond wasn’t a martini-drinking spy, but a shy American ornithologist who spent decades exploring the Caribbean. Then one surreal day, he finally tracked down the man who stole his identity.
Special thanks to Jim Wright and his excellent book, The Real James Bond: A True Story of Identity Theft, Avian Intrigue, and Ian Fleming.
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Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Dave Roos
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Mixing and Mastering by Chris Childs
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English
Got a very special question? Willing to share your favorite Very Special Episode? You can reach us at [email protected]. And go pick up Dana's new book!
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You can't spell "hero" without JFK. Ok, so you can. But that doesn't take away from the fact that a young John F. Kennedy saved a man's life in WWII — a war he wasn't even supposed to be in!
Bob calls up Alexis Coe, New York Times bestselling presidential historian and author of Young Jack: A Biography of John F. Kennedy, 1917–1957, to uncover the thrilling true story of JFK towing an injured crew mate through shark infested waters (by his teeth!) to safety.
Alexis also helps us understand why JFK fought so hard to serve in WWII, despite serious health problems and a free pass out of the conflict. It's this bravery and selflessness that made JFK a dreamboat to the ladies and ultimately our 35th president.
GUEST: Alexis Coe, author of Young Jack: A Biography of John F. Kennedy, 1917–1957 (to be released in 2026)
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A secret night on the Mekong offers Joseph and Lan a glimpse of the life they want — just as Saigon is shaken by assassination and political terror. As alliances harden and the city tightens around them, survival begins to take precedence over love.
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One city, a divided country, and the war that tore America apart… Saigon is an epic saga of love, blood and revolution starring Kelly Marie Tran and Rob Benedict.
Listen to all episodes of Saigon on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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A championship tennis match becomes a flashpoint between French colonial power and Vietnamese resistance. Newly returned American Joseph Sherman is drawn into a world of old friendships, dangerous loyalties and sudden desire — and by nightfall, one family is shattered.
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One city, a divided country, and the war that tore America apart… Saigon is an epic saga of love, blood and revolution starring Kelly Marie Tran and Rob Benedict.
Listen to all episodes of Saigon on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.