Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads

What happens when losing the life you thought you wanted finally sets you free? G-Rex and Dirty Skittles sit down with Anat Peri to talk about hitting rock bottom, uncovering childhood wounds, learning to feel your feelings, and building the kind of self-love that changes everything.

Awards & Downloads

Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads is a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health), 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), 2026 Podcast Tonight Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), and 2026 NYC Podcast Award Audience Choice Winner (Best Hosts), with over 4.5 million downloads and listened to in over 160 countries.

Feedback

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave us written or voice feedback here:
https://castfeedback.com/67521f0bde0b101c7b10442a

Mental Health Quote

“The only way to feel better is to get better at feeling.” — Anat Peri

Trigger Notice and Crisis Reminder

This episode includes conversations about emotional trauma, anxiety, substance misuse, depression, and suicide rates. Please take care of yourself while listening.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis or considering suicide, call or text 988 in the United States and Canada. For international crisis resources, visit:
https://findahelpline.com

Episode Description

When Anat Peri discovered evidence that her five-year relationship was ending, she felt devastated—but underneath the heartbreak was an unexpected realization: she was finally free. Three weeks later, she boarded a one-way flight to California with $2,000, $40,000 in debt, no car, no job, and no permanent home. That rock-bottom moment became the beginning of her real journey toward self-love.

In this raw and deeply practical conversation, Anat joins G-Rex and Dirty Skittles to explain why personal growth requires more than positive thinking and intellectual breakthroughs. She shares how codependency, emotional disconnection, and an unhealed father wound shaped her relationships, career choices, and belief that she had to work harder to be worthy.

Anat also breaks down what it means to reparent yourself, recognize the childhood scripts still directing your adult life, and safely express emotions instead of judging, suppressing, or analyzing them. She explains why unfamiliar feelings can register as threats to the nervous system—and how giving an emotion your full attention for just 90 seconds can begin building emotional capacity.

This episode is a powerful reminder that healing is not about becoming someone else. It is about letting go of inherited roles, reconnecting with your body, and trusting that you are worthy without hustling, performing, or proving yourself. Your feelings are not the enemy. They are part of the path home.

Keywords: Anat Peri, self-love, emotional healing, inner child healing, reparenting, nervous system regulation, somatic healing, childhood trauma, father wound, codependency recovery, emotional expression, anxiety support, personal transformation, self-worth, generational healing

Meet Our Guest — Anat Peri

Anat Peri is the CEO and Founder of Training Camp for the Soul and the creator and Master Facilitator of the TCS Method, a transformational coaching framework that blends mindset work, somatic healing, and inner-child reparenting. With nearly two decades of experience in developmental and trauma-informed coaching, she helps coaches, healers, and business leaders move beyond survival, break painful patterns, and create lasting emotional freedom.

Website:
https://trainingcampforthesoul.com

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/anat.peri/

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anat-peri

Key Takeaways

Rock bottom can become the moment you finally stop living a life that no longer belongs to you.

Self-love means becoming your own inner best friend, cheerleader, protector, and nurturer.

Many adult relationship patterns are childhood survival strategies playing out in a different setting.

Positive thinking cannot replace the emotional work of grieving, feeling, and healing.

Emotions are not dangerous; they often feel threatening simply because they are unfamiliar.

You do not have to hustle, overperform, or overgive to prove that you are worthy of receiving.

 
Actionable Items

Use an emotion or mood chart to identify exactly what you are feeling instead of defaulting to words such as “sad,” “bad,” or “anxious.”

Set a timer for 90 seconds and allow an emotion to move through your body using sound, facial expression, movement, and breath—without judging or explaining it.

Ask yourself: “Am I choosing this because it is aligned with who I am, or am I repeating a role I learned in childhood?”

References Mentioned

Training Camp for the Soul:
https://trainingcampforthesoul.com

Yale Mood Meter:
https://moodmeterapp.com

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:
https://988lifeline.org

Global Crisis Resources:
https://findahelpline.com

The Chopra Center and the teachings of Deepak Chopra were also discussed as part of Anat’s healing environment and professional journey.

Important Chapters

00:00:37 – Meet Anat Peri
Anat shares how growing up on the East Coast eventually led her to San Diego—and why California always felt like home.

00:02:17 – Arriving at Rock Bottom
With limited money, significant debt, and no job or home, Anat makes the life-changing decision to move across the country.

00:04:06 – Codependency, Heartbreak, and Freedom
Anat reflects on losing herself in relationships and the betrayal that finally gave her permission to leave.

00:06:35 – One Hundred Days of Dating Herself
Unable to enjoy her own company, Anat commits to spending 100 days building a relationship with herself.

00:08:35 – Reconnecting With Her Body
She discusses dissociation, plant medicine, stored tension, and realizing how much of her life had been lived inside her head.

00:10:05 – The Relationship That Revealed Her Father Wound
An emotionally significant relationship uncovers childhood grief and introduces Anat to deeper inner child work.

00:12:11 – The Support Behind the Healing
Anat explains how mentorship, meditation, yoga, friendships, and her work environment supported her transformation.

00:15:40 – Recognizing Childhood Relationship Patterns
She examines how her father’s absence shaped beliefs about being invisible, unimportant, and repeatedly chosen second.

00:20:13 – Relationships as Mirrors for Growth
G-Rex and Anat discuss healthy partnerships, vulnerability, and why lasting relationships require ongoing inner work.

00:22:10 – Moving From Survivor to Creator
Anat explains how inherited family scripts and generational learning can quietly control adult decisions.

00:26:08 – Why the Work Never Really Ends
Marriage, entrepreneurship, and reinvention continue to reveal new levels of healing and personal growth.

00:29:47 – Choosing Joy Over External Success
The conversation turns to money, career expectations, social media comparison, and defining success for yourself.

00:34:31 – The Only Way to Feel Better
Anat explains why talking about feelings is different from physically and emotionally expressing them.

00:38:16 – Teaching Children Emotional Safety
Dirty Skittles shares how she helps her son name and process emotions rather than dismissing or suppressing them.

00:40:53 – Building Your Emotional Vocabulary
Anat introduces the Mood Meter and a 90-second practice for making unfamiliar emotions feel safer in the nervous system.

00:44:09 – What Anat Would Tell Her Younger Self
She offers her 12-year-old self a message about intelligence, talent, self-acceptance, and future impact.

00:44:37 – The Cost of Not Believing in Herself
Anat reflects on leadership, business mistakes, overgiving, and learning that she is worthy simply because she exists.

00:46:46 – Anxiety, Alignment, and Letting Go of “Try”
The episode closes with Anat’s reflections on anxiety, her word of the year, and her choice to align with her authentic self.

Closing CTA

Subscribe, Rate, and Review!

Remember to subscribe for more inspiring stories. Rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our Website:
https://goesoninourheads.net/add-your-podcast-reviews

 
#MentalHealthPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness #Grex #DirtySkittles #Podmatch #AnatPeri #SelfLoveJourney #InnerChildHealing #SomaticHealing #EmotionalHealing #FeelYourFeelings #NervousSystemRegulation #Reparenting #CodependencyRecovery #ChildhoodTraumaHealing #GenerationalHealing #SelfWorth #TraumaInformedCoaching #EmotionalFreedom #TrainingCampForTheSoul

***************************************************************************
If You Need Support, Reach Out
If you or someone you know is facing mental health challenges, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline in your area. Remember, it’s OK not to be OK—talking to someone can make all the difference.
United States: Call or Text 988 — 988lifeline.org
Canada: Call or Text 988 — 988.ca
Worldwide: Find a Helpline
Mental Health Resources and Tools: The Help Hub
Stay Connected with G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Official Website: goesoninourheads.net
Facebook: @shltthatgoesoninourheads
Instagram: @grex_and_dirtyskittles
LinkedIn: G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Join Our Newsletter: (https://grexanddirtyskittles.substack.com/)
Merch Store: goesoninourheads.shop
Audio Editing by NJz Audio

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alan Katz spent decades telling other people’s stories while hiding the most painful chapter of his own. In this raw conversation, G-Rex and Dirty Skittles sit down with the former Tales From the Crypt writer and producer to talk about childhood sexual trauma, self-blame, suicidal despair, creativity, and the brutal honesty that finally helped him reconnect with himself.

Awards & Downloads Line

Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads is a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health), 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), 2026 Podcast Tonight Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), and 2026 NYC Podcast Award Audience Choice Winner (Best Hosts), with over 4.5 million downloads and listened to in over 160 countries.

Feedback Link Line

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave us written or voice feedback here:
https://castfeedback.com/67521f0bde0b101c7b10442a

Mental Health Quote

“You’ve got to be brutally honest with yourself about yourself. Then you can maybe find happiness.” — Alan Katz

Trigger Notice + 988 Crisis Reminder

This episode includes candid conversations about childhood sexual abuse, suicidal thoughts, self-blame, depression, and emotional trauma. Please take care of yourself while listening.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 in the United States or visit:
https://988lifeline.org/

For crisis resources outside the United States, visit:
https://findahelpline.com/

Episode Description

For most of his life, Alan Katz was a professional storyteller who could build characters, write dark comedy, and help shape iconic projects like HBO’s Tales From the Crypt. But beneath the success was a story he could not fully tell himself.

At 14, Alan was sexually abused by a religious authority figure. After the abuse happened a second time, he began carrying a devastating belief: when something bad happens, it must be his fault. That belief became a lifelong pattern of self-blame, disconnection, rage, and emotional pain.

In this honest conversation with G-Rex and Dirty Skittles, Alan shares how he reached the lowest point of his life just before Christmas in 2016, when he came within inches of ending it. Choosing to seek immediate help became the first step toward stabilizing his mental health, confronting the truth of his trauma, and reconnecting with the 14-year-old version of himself who had carried the blame for far too long.

Alan also takes us behind the scenes of his Hollywood career, from his arrival in Los Angeles to his role in developing the Crypt Keeper’s unforgettable personality. He explains how creative success can become its own mountain—and how painful it can be when identity, purpose, and career begin to fall apart.

This episode is about more than survival. It is about speaking up, releasing shame, reclaiming creativity, and discovering that the truth really can set you free.

Keywords: Alan Katz, childhood trauma, childhood sexual abuse, emotional freedom, trauma recovery, suicidal thoughts, depression recovery, self-blame, mental health healing, emotional honesty, inner child healing, storytelling, Tales From the Crypt, creative identity, suicide prevention

Meet Our Guest — Alan Katz

Alan Katz is a writer, producer, storyteller, and podcaster whose entertainment career includes work on HBO’s iconic Tales From the Crypt. After decades of professional storytelling, Alan confronted the childhood trauma and self-blame that had disconnected him from himself, transforming his personal healing into a deeper purpose: making the world better through honest storytelling.

He is also the co-founder of Costard and Touchstone, a podcast production company named after two Shakespearean “wise fools” known for speaking truth to power.

Website:
https://costardandtouchstone.com

Key Takeaways

Childhood trauma can quietly create patterns of shame and self-blame that last for decades.

What happened to you is not automatically your fault, even when trauma convinces you otherwise.

Speaking the truth about your own story can rebuild your connection to yourself.

Medication can be a valuable part of mental health treatment when used with informed medical support.

Career success cannot heal emotional wounds that have never been acknowledged.

Creativity can return with greater depth when it is grounded in honesty and purpose.

Actionable Items

Write a compassionate note to the younger version of yourself who carried blame that never belonged to them.

Identify one painful belief you have treated as fact, then ask: “Is this actually true, or is this something trauma taught me?”

Tell one safe, trusted person what you are going through instead of trying to carry it alone.

Important Chapters

00:00:57 – Meeting Alan Katz
Alan describes himself as the final product of a remarkable story—one that proved the truth could set him free.

00:01:42 – Success, identity, and falling off “Showbiz Mountain”
Alan explains why staying successful in Hollywood can be more emotionally damaging than reaching the top.

00:05:00 – Finding purpose through truthful storytelling
He shares how reconnecting with himself helped him discover a deeper mission behind the work he had already been doing.

00:06:40 – The childhood trauma Alan kept from himself
Alan reveals that he was sexually abused at 14 and explains how the second incident created a lifelong pattern of self-blame.

00:08:12 – Coming within inches of suicide
Alan recounts the crisis he experienced three days before Christmas in 2016 and the decision to seek immediate medical help.

00:10:39 – Finding a medication that helped stabilize him
He describes how a mood stabilizer interrupted overwhelming rage and gave him space between emotion and reaction.

00:14:38 – Reconnecting with his 14-year-old self
Alan talks about embracing the younger version of himself who had carried guilt and shame for decades.

00:16:02 – How emotional healing changed his creativity
Truth gave Alan access to a wider emotional range and helped him evolve from a strong writer into a purposeful storyteller.

00:17:15 – Leaving acting behind and becoming a writer
Alan shares how a rough audition helped redirect him toward screenwriting and, eventually, Hollywood.

00:20:42 – Meeting creative partner Gil Adler
He explains how their shared belief in solving production problems through creativity shaped their partnership.

00:22:38 – Joining HBO’s Tales From the Crypt
Alan reveals how he became the show’s story editor when the series was originally expected to end.

00:27:21 – Saving the show from cancellation
Alan and Gil helped revive the series by protecting the rebellious spirit of the original comic books.

00:28:53 – Creating the Crypt Keeper’s personality
Alan explains how he gave the Crypt Keeper a character, a voice, and a twisted sense of humor, based in part on his own personality.

00:32:31 – Moving Tales From the Crypt into feature films
The conversation turns to Demon Knight, Hollywood expectations, and the fear of being pigeonholed creatively.

00:34:20 – When a dream project was suddenly killed
Alan recounts how Universal shut down a deeply personal film project and replaced it with Bordello of Blood.

00:37:23 – The mental health cost of creative loss
He reflects on how one devastating professional decision became a turning point in his emotional decline.

00:38:11 – The advice Alan would give his younger self
His message to his 14-year-old self is simple and powerful: “Speak up.”

00:38:32 – The hardest lesson he has learned
Alan explains why brutal honesty with yourself is essential to healing and happiness.

00:39:24 – Alan’s work today
He introduces Costard and Touchstone and shares how the company uses podcasting and storytelling to speak truth to power.

Closing CTA

Subscribe, Rate, and Review!

Remember to subscribe for more inspiring stories. Rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our Website:
https://goesoninourheads.net/add-your-podcast-reviews

#MentalHealthPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness #Grex #DirtySkittles #Podmatch #AlanKatz #ChildhoodTrauma #TraumaRecovery #EmotionalFreedom #InnerChildHealing #SuicidePrevention #DepressionRecovery #TruthTelling #EmotionalHealing #MentalHealthMatters #SelfBlame #CreativeHealing #TalesFromTheCrypt #StorytellingHeals #HealingJourney #Bleav
***************************************************************************
If You Need Support, Reach Out
If you or someone you know is facing mental health challenges, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline in your area. Remember, it’s OK not to be OK—talking to someone can make all the difference.
United States: Call or Text 988 — 988lifeline.org
Canada: Call or Text 988 — 988.ca
Worldwide: Find a Helpline
Mental Health Resources and Tools: The Help Hub
Stay Connected with G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Official Website: goesoninourheads.net
Facebook: @shltthatgoesoninourheads
Instagram: @grex_and_dirtyskittles
LinkedIn: G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Join Our Newsletter: (https://grexanddirtyskittles.substack.com/)
Merch Store: goesoninourheads.shop
Audio Editing by NJz Audio

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In Part 2, Michael Caprio’s story moves beyond survival and into the messy, beautiful work of rebuilding a life with purpose. G-Rex and Dirty Skittles talk with Michael about mental health after surgery, living with FAP long-term, family genetics, advocacy, gratitude, and why helping even one person makes the whole damn story worth telling.

Awards & Downloads Line

Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads is a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health), 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), 2026 Podcast Tonight Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), and 2026 NYC Podcast Award Audience Choice Winner (Best Hosts), with over 4.5 million downloads and listened to in over 160 countries.

Feedback Link Line

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave us written or voice feedback here:
https://castfeedback.com/67521f0bde0b101c7b10442a

Mental Health Quote

“If my story helps one person feel less alone, then it was worth telling.” — Michael Caprio

Episode Description

In Part 2 of Michael Caprio’s conversation with G-Rex and Dirty Skittles, the story shifts from diagnosis and surgery to what happens after survival. Because surviving the scary thing is one chapter. Learning how to live again is a whole different road.

Michael opens up about life after FAP surgery, including diet changes, bathroom anxiety, ongoing medical monitoring, and the everyday realities of living without a large intestine. He talks honestly about how a rare disease affects planning for the future, relationships, travel, family conversations, and the possibility of having children when a hereditary condition is involved.

This episode also explores the emotional power of legacy. Michael shares how his grandmother’s courage shaped his understanding of perseverance, how his family’s “club” fostered connection rather than shame, and how writing A Bump in the Road helped him turn pain into purpose. One of the most moving parts of the conversation is Michael’s story about connecting with a woman in Australia who also lives with FAP and finally felt seen through his book.

Through humor, honesty, and a whole lot of heart, Michael reminds us that rare disease advocacy is not about pretending everything is fine. It is about telling the truth, building community, and showing someone else that life can still be beautiful after the thing that almost broke you.

Keywords: Michael Caprio, rare disease advocacy, FAP, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, mental health, colorectal cancer awareness, gratitude, survivorship, chronic illness, hereditary cancer, patient advocacy, medical trauma recovery, emotional wellness, family genetics, life after surgery

Meet Our Guest — Michael Caprio

Michael Caprio is an Author, rare disease advocate, and speaker who draws on his personal experience with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis to help others feel less isolated in their medical journeys. He is the author of A Bump in the Road: My Medical Journey over Potholes, Detours, and the Bridge to Gratitude, a memoir that blends vulnerability, humor, and gratitude while shining a light on the emotional side of rare disease, surgery, and survivorship.

Website: https://www.mikecaprioauthor.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikecaprio_author/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/A-Bump-in-the-Road/100076302759044/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-caprio/

Key Takeaways

Life after survival still comes with anxiety, adjustments, and big emotional questions.

A rare disease can affect everything from travel plans to relationships to future family planning.

Advocacy does not require perfection; it starts with telling the truth.

Family history can carry pain, but it can also carry strength, wisdom, and a blueprint for survival.

Gratitude can grow beside grief, fear, and uncertainty.

Helping one person feel less alone can turn a painful story into a powerful mission.

Actionable Items

If you live with a chronic or rare condition, make a “real life” plan for travel, food, bathrooms, appointments, and support instead of pretending your needs do not exist.

Share your story with one safe person or support group. Connection can break the shame spiral.

Replace “I can’t” with “What support or information would make this possible?”

Important Chapters

00:00:00 – Welcome to Part 2
G-Rex opens the second half of Michael’s story, bringing the conversation back to mental health, recovery, and life after diagnosis.

00:00:39 – Was therapy offered?
G-Rex asks whether anyone offered Michael therapy during diagnosis or treatment, and Michael reflects on not being ready for help at the time.

00:01:30 – Life with FAP now
Michael explains what day-to-day life looks like in his 30s, including diet adjustments, stomach sensitivity, and future medical monitoring.

00:04:24 – Planning life around the body you have
Dirty Skittles asks how FAP affects life experiences, and Michael talks about travel, bathrooms, crowded places, and learning not to feel ashamed.

00:07:01 – Family planning and hereditary risk
Michael discusses the emotional complexity of having children when FAP can be passed down genetically.

00:08:50 – Nothing in life is guaranteed
Michael shares his family’s perspective: every family has something, and FAP is theirs.

00:10:47 – His grandmother’s courage and the butterfly effect
Michael tells the powerful story of his grandmother, early medical procedures, and how her decision to keep going helped make his whole family possible.

00:15:13 – Advocacy and helping others feel less alone
G-Rex reflects on Michael’s courage in putting his story out there and helping others understand that FAP is not a death sentence.

00:16:35 – Reaching someone across the world
Michael shares the story of connecting with a woman in Australia who found comfort and validation through his book.

00:20:57 – The family “club” and deeper connection
Michael talks about how FAP brought his family closer and created a stronger bond through shared understanding.

00:23:31 – Advice to his younger self
Michael says he would go back to his 18-year-old self and tell him that life after surgery would be okay, and that there would be a future worth living.

00:25:43 – The hardest lesson
Michael shares that one of the hardest lessons has been accepting that some people cannot handle illness or hardship and may walk away.

00:28:30 – Anxiety’s theme song
Michael answers G-Rex’s question with humor and heart, landing on “My Way” by Frank Sinatra.

00:29:37 – Favorite word: Attitude
Michael explains why “attitude” matters so much to him and his family, sharing a quote that shaped his recovery mindset.

00:31:34 – Least favorite word: Can’t
Michael talks about why he dislikes the word “can’t” and how he pushes back against limitations.

00:32:28 – Where to find Michael
Michael shares where listeners can learn more about his book, his story, and his advocacy work.

00:34:12 – Final reflections
G-Rex and Dirty Skittles thank Michael for sharing his story and helping listeners understand rare disease, resilience, and hope.

Closing CTA

Subscribe, Rate, and Review!
Remember to subscribe for more inspiring stories. Rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our Website:
https://goesoninourheads.net/add-your-podcast-reviews

#MentalHealthPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness #Grex #DirtySkittles #Podmatch #MichaelCaprio #RareDiseaseAdvocacy #FAPAwareness #FamilialAdenomatousPolyposis #ColorectalCancerAwareness #PatientAdvocacy #ChronicIllnessLife #Survivorship #MedicalTraumaRecovery #GratitudePractice #MentalHealthRecovery #HereditaryCancerAwareness #LifeAfterSurgery #BumpInTheRoad #HealingOutLoud
***************************************************************************
If You Need Support, Reach Out
If you or someone you know is facing mental health challenges, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline in your area. Remember, it’s OK not to be OK—talking to someone can make all the difference.
United States: Call or Text 988 — 988lifeline.org
Canada: Call or Text 988 — 988.ca
Worldwide: Find a Helpline
Mental Health Resources and Tools: The Help Hub
Stay Connected with G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Official Website: goesoninourheads.net
Facebook: @shltthatgoesoninourheads
Instagram: @grex_and_dirtyskittles
LinkedIn: G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Join Our Newsletter: (https://grexanddirtyskittles.substack.com/)
Merch Store: goesoninourheads.shop
Audio Editing by NJz Audio

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

At 18 years old, Michael Caprio was handed a diagnosis that changed everything: Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, a rare genetic condition tied to colorectal cancer risk. In this powerful Part 1 conversation, G-Rex and Dirty Skittles talk with Michael about fear, surgery, anxiety, family history, and what it really takes to keep going when life smacks you sideways.

Awards & Downloads Line

Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads is a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health), 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), 2026 Podcast Tonight Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), and 2026 NYC Podcast Award Audience Choice Winner (Best Hosts), with over 4.5 million downloads and listened to in over 160 countries.

Feedback Link Line

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave us written or voice feedback here:
https://castfeedback.com/67521f0bde0b101c7b10442a

Mental Health Quote

“Sometimes the bump in the road becomes the bridge that gets you back to yourself.” — Inspired by Michael Caprio

Trigger Notice + 988 Crisis Reminder

This episode includes discussion of serious illness, surgery, medical trauma, anxiety, depression, and moments of feeling like life was no longer worth living. Please listen with care.

If you or someone you love is in crisis or thinking about self-harm, call or text 988 in the United States to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You are not a burden. You are not alone. Help is available right now.

Episode Description

At 18, Michael Caprio should have been worrying about senior year, friends, and what came next after high school. Instead, he was facing a rare genetic diagnosis called Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, or FAP, a condition that causes precancerous polyps to grow in the large intestine and dramatically raises colorectal cancer risk. What followed was fear, bloodwork, colonoscopies, life-changing surgery, an ostomy, and the emotional punch of realizing his body would never be the same.

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Michael joins G-Rex and Dirty Skittles to talk honestly about what it felt like to be diagnosed so young, how his family history shaped his understanding of FAP, and why Googling symptoms can send your brain straight into a horror movie. He opens up about having his large intestine removed, living with an ostomy during recovery, and struggling with the mental health side of healing.

This episode gets real about medical trauma, anxiety, identity, and the moments when Michael felt like a burden to the people who loved him most. But it also shows the power of support, honesty, perspective, and choosing to stay in the fight one painful day at a time.

Keywords: Michael Caprio, FAP, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, colorectal cancer awareness, rare disease, medical trauma, anxiety, ostomy recovery, colectomy, J pouch surgery, mental health, chronic illness, hereditary cancer, surgery recovery, emotional wellness

Meet Our Guest — Michael Caprio

Michael Caprio is an Author, advocate, and rare disease warrior who was diagnosed with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis at just 18 years old. He is the Author of A Bump in the Road: My Medical Journey over Potholes, Detours and the Bridge to Gratitude, a memoir about surviving serious illness, navigating medical trauma, and finding gratitude after life-changing surgery.

Website: https://www.mikecaprioauthor.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikecaprio_author/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/A-Bump-in-the-Road/100076302759044/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-caprio/

Key Takeaways

A rare diagnosis can change your body, your future, and your mental health all at once.

Medical trauma is not just physical; it can shake your identity, independence, and sense of safety.

Support systems matter, especially when your brain tells you that you are a burden.

Friends may show you who they really are during hard seasons, and that truth can hurt.

Gratitude does not erase pain, but it can help you rebuild after it.

Healing takes honesty, patience, and the courage to keep showing up.

Actionable Items

If you are facing a scary diagnosis, write down your questions before appointments so fear does not steal your voice in the room.

Build a support circle that includes medical professionals, loved ones, and people who understand your condition.

When your thoughts get dark, tell someone. You do not have to carry the heavy stuff alone.

Important Chapters

00:00:00 – Welcome to Part 1
G-Rex opens the episode and lets listeners know this is the first half of Michael’s two-part story.

00:01:33 – Michael introduces his book
Michael shares the title of his memoir, A Bump in the Road, and explains how his medical journey became the foundation of his writing.

00:01:48 – Understanding FAP
Michael explains Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, a rare genetic condition that causes precancerous polyps to grow in the large intestine.

00:03:00 – Family history and “the club”
Michael talks about his mom, aunt, and grandmother living with FAP, and how he slowly began to understand the family connection.

00:05:19 – The diagnosis conversation
Michael remembers being told he had FAP and how the seriousness of the diagnosis slowly started to sink in.

00:06:39 – The danger of Googling symptoms
After searching online, Michael found terrifying stories that made his fear and anger spike.

00:08:30 – Being 18 and trying to process everything
G-Rex and Michael talk about the emotional weight of facing a life-changing diagnosis while still figuring out who you are.

00:10:05 – Surgery, colectomy, ostomy, and J pouch recovery
Michael explains the surgery to remove his large intestine, the temporary ostomy, and the J pouch procedure that helped him regain quality of life.

00:13:43 – The emotional toll of recovery
Michael shares how difficult recovery became, including bathroom challenges, pain, frustration, and regret over how he treated people trying to help him.

00:14:56 – Friends, support, and painful distance
Michael reflects on friends who disappeared and others who showed up in ways he never expected.

00:18:11 – A perspective shift after illness
Michael describes how losing everyday freedoms made him more grateful for small things like coffee, exercise, and time with friends.

00:22:29 – Rock bottom and the fight to keep going
Michael opens up about feeling like a burden and the painful family conversation that helped snap him out of a dangerous mental spiral.

00:26:10 – Closing reminder
G-Rex and Dirty Skittles close with a reminder that it is okay to be not okay, as long as you are talking to someone.

Closing CTA

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If You Need Support, Reach Out
If you or someone you know is facing mental health challenges, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline in your area. Remember, it’s OK not to be OK—talking to someone can make all the difference.
United States: Call or Text 988 — 988lifeline.org
Canada: Call or Text 988 — 988.ca
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In Part 2, Michelle Petties returns with G-Rex and Dirty Skittles to talk about body trust, self-care, fear-based eating, and what it really means to live after diet culture. This conversation is honest, practical, and full of reminders that healing does not require perfection — it requires support, awareness, and the courage to keep getting back up.

Awards & Downloads Line

Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads is a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health), 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), 2026 Podcast Tonight Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), and 2026 NYC Podcast Award Audience Choice Winner (Best Hosts), with over 4.5 million downloads and listened to in over 160 countries.

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Mental Health Quote

“Once you learn how to trust your body, your voice, and your choices, you do not have to crawl back into the old story.” — Inspired by Michelle Petties

Episode Description

In Part 2 of this two-part episode, Michelle Petties takes the conversation deeper into body trust, emotional healing, self-care, and life after diet culture. G-Rex opens up about her type 2 diabetes diagnosis, the fear that came with it, and the changes she made to support her health. Dirty Skittles shares something many people silently carry: the fear of gaining weight back and losing the version of yourself you worked so hard to become.

Michelle meets that fear with compassion, lived experience, and no-nonsense wisdom. She explains why transformation is not about white-knuckling your way through cravings. It is about belief, writing, visualization, affirmations, community, and learning to listen when your body says, “This does not work for me anymore.”

The conversation also delves into grocery-store triggers, food packaging, advertising, social pressure, and why self-care is not selfish. Michelle reminds us that people are not failing because they are weak. They are often trying to heal in a world that keeps pushing them back toward old habits.

She also shares powerful lessons about falling down, getting back up, and learning to trust yourself the way a child trusts that walking is possible. It is not about never messing up again. It is about knowing you can recover, reset, and keep choosing the life and body you want to live in.

Keywords: Michelle Petties, body trust, emotional healing, diet culture recovery, food addiction recovery, emotional eating, self-care, food freedom, weight regain anxiety, body image healing, mindful eating, self-compassion, mental health recovery, trauma healing, personal transformation

Meet Our Guest — Michelle Petties

Michelle Petties is a TEDx speaker, author, Food Story coach, and experiential eating expert whose work helps people answer the question, “What are you really hungry for?” Through speaking, coaching, writing, and her online community, Michelle supports people in moving away from shame-based dieting and toward sustainable, compassionate transformation.

Website: https://LeavingLarge.com
Website: https://MichellePetties.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambrandnewnow/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Iambrandnewnow
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iambrandnewnow
X: https://x.com/iambrandnewnow
Email: michelle@michellepetties.com
Media/Booking Email: iambrandnewnow@gmail.com

Key Takeaways

Self-care is not selfish. Ignoring your own health can cost you and the people who love you.

Fear of gaining weight back is real, but it does not have to control your choices.

Writing, affirmations, visualization, and community can help reinforce a new identity.

Grocery stores, packaging, and advertising are designed to trigger impulse decisions.

Falling down does not make you a failure. It means you are learning a new way to live.

Body trust grows when we stop confusing emotion, desire, and actual hunger.

Actionable Items

When fear shows up, write this down: “What am I afraid will happen, and what support do I need right now?”

Practice Michelle’s pause before eating: “Is this hunger, or is this the desire to eat?”

Pick one self-care habit this week — water, sleep, writing, or rest — and treat it like a non-negotiable appointment.

References Mentioned

Leaving Large – The Stories of a Food Addict by Michelle Petties
https://LeavingLarge.com

Michelle Petties’ Food Story work
https://MichellePetties.com

Michelle Petties YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@iambrandnewnow

Important Chapters

00:00:00 — Welcome to Part 2
G-Rex introduces Part 2 of Michelle Petties’ conversation and brings listeners back to the show's mental health mission.

00:00:40 — G-Rex Shares Her Type 2 Diabetes Wake-Up Call
G-Rex talks about being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, taking Metformin, working with a nutritionist, and changing her relationship with food.

00:04:09 — Michelle Explains Why We Are Pushed Into the Trap
Michelle talks about food marketing, diet advice, and why people are not given enough tools to fight daily messaging around food.

00:06:36 — Grocery Stores, Packaging, and Food Triggers
The group discusses how even “healthy” areas in stores are surrounded by temptation, labels, and emotional triggers.

00:10:16 — Self-Care Is Not Selfish
Michelle reframes self-care as necessary and explains why neglecting ourselves affects the people who depend on us.

00:12:02 — Dirty Skittles Shares Her Fear of Gaining Weight Back
Dirty Skittles opens up about holding on tightly to her new version of herself and worrying that old patterns could return.

00:12:16 — Visualization, Affirmations, and Writing
Michelle explains how invisible work can rewire the brain and help create long-term transformation.

00:14:23 — The Caterpillar and the Child Learning to Walk
Michelle shares powerful metaphors for transformation, belief, and getting back up after setbacks.

00:21:27 — Hunger vs. Desire to Eat
Michelle explains the difference between real hunger and eating out of emotion, pleasure, or conditioning.

00:28:50 — Advice to Her Younger Self
Michelle says she would tell her younger self to listen to her grandmother, especially around rest, water, food, and wisdom.

00:30:22 — The Hardest Lesson
Michelle shares that staying focused, choosing one thing, and remaining present are ongoing lessons in her life.

00:31:53 — Anxiety Theme Song and Favorite Words
Michelle talks about control, overwhelm, her favorite word “perfect,” and why she cannot stand the phrase “it is what it is.”

00:34:16 — How to Find Michelle
Michelle shares where listeners can connect with her, buy her book, and join her community.

Closing CTA

Subscribe, Rate, and Review!
Remember to subscribe for more inspiring stories. Rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our Website:
https://goesoninourheads.net/add-your-podcast-reviews

#MentalHealthPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness #Grex #DirtySkittles #Podmatch #MichellePetties #BodyTrust #DietCultureRecovery #FoodFreedom #EmotionalHealing #FoodAddictionRecovery #MindfulEating #SelfCareMatters #EmotionalEatingRecovery #BodyImageHealing #WeightLossMindset #MentalHealthRecovery #SelfCompassion #LeavingLarge #WomenAndWellness

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If You Need Support, Reach Out
If you or someone you know is facing mental health challenges, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline in your area. Remember, it’s OK not to be OK—talking to someone can make all the difference.
United States: Call or Text 988 — 988lifeline.org
Canada: Call or Text 988 — 988.ca
Worldwide: Find a Helpline
Mental Health Resources and Tools: The Help Hub
Stay Connected with G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Official Website: goesoninourheads.net
Facebook: @shltthatgoesoninourheads
Instagram: @grex_and_dirtyskittles
LinkedIn: G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Join Our Newsletter: (https://grexanddirtyskittles.substack.com/)
Merch Store: goesoninourheads.shop
Audio Editing by NJz Audio

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.