Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads

What if healing was never supposed to become another full-time job? In Part 2, Mandi Lynne joins G-Rex and Dirty Skittles to talk about leaving survival mode, reconnecting with yourself, refusing to let mental health diagnoses become limitations, and giving yourself permission to live now—not someday when everything finally feels fixed.

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

Trigger Notice + 988 Crisis Reminder

This episode includes conversations about trauma, depression, suicidal crisis, and suicide. Please listen in whatever way feels safest for you.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis in the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:

https://988lifeline.org/

For crisis resources outside the United States:

https://findahelpline.com/

Mental Health Quote

“I kept postponing living until I was done healing.” — Mandi Lynne

Episode Description

What if you stopped treating healing like the admission ticket you have to earn before you are allowed to enjoy your own life?
In Part 2, Mandi Lynne joins G-Rex and Dirty Skittles to explore the philosophy behind ONE | Life and the shift from simply understanding mental health to figuring out how the hell we actually live with everything we know.

After years of helping build MedCircle, Mandi began noticing something important. Mental health education was becoming easier to access, but people still needed help answering the next question: now what?

She talks about going beneath the crisis of the moment to understand the beliefs underneath it, including how her former husband’s infidelity activated old wounds around worth. The conversation expands into boundaries, relationships, self-abandonment, caregiving, personal agency, labels, diagnoses, and why caring about other people should not require disappearing from your own life.

Then things get wonderfully weird.

There are raccoon videos, ADHD superpowers, favorite swear words, Joan Jett, Led Zeppelin, joy folders, squirrels eating McDonald’s cheeseburgers, funeral menus, tequila, mofongo, espresso martinis, glow sticks, and enough inappropriate laughter to keep the USS Shit Show afloat.

Underneath all of it is a powerful reminder: joy belongs in recovery too.

You do not need to become fully healed before you deserve connection, purpose, laughter, and a life that feels like yours.

Keywords: Mandi Lynne, ONE Life, survival mode, trauma recovery, living while healing, mental health recovery, self-worth, boundaries, self-abandonment, CPTSD, anxiety, ADHD, emotional wellness, personal growth, healing journey

Meet Our Guest — Mandi Lynne

Mandi Lynne is the Founder and CEO of ONE | Life and a former executive at MedCircle, where she helped scale one of the world's most recognized mental health education platforms.
A former educator and nonprofit leader with a background in science, education, and leadership, Mandi also holds certifications in Health & Wellness Coaching, Hypnotherapy, NLP, Somatic practices, and Global Leadership & Social Innovation through the United Nations University for Peace.

Her perspective is shaped not only by her professional experience but by rebuilding her own life through trauma, chronic illness, job loss, bankruptcy, divorce, financial hardship, miscarriage, single parenting, OCD, anxiety, CPTSD, and a past eating disorder.

Today, she helps people move out of survival mode and into a life of clarity, confidence, and direction.

Not someday. Now.

Website: https://onelifelivenow.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelifebymedcircle

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MedCircle

Key Takeaways

You do not need to finish healing before you are allowed to start living.

Constantly triaging external problems can keep us from examining the deeper beliefs those problems activate.

Caring for other people should not require abandoning yourself.

Mental health diagnoses can provide information and direction without becoming your identity or limitation.

Healing is allowed to include joy, laughter, music, nature, friendship, and ridiculous moments.

Asking for help does not diminish your strength.

Sometimes one person reminding you of your worth can change the direction of your life.

Actionable Items

Build five minutes of living into your day. Choose something that genuinely makes you feel alive—music, nature, coffee, laughter, animals, creativity—and make space for it before everything feels “fixed.”

Create a joy folder. Whenever something sparks a moment of happiness, take a picture. On the days you feel disconnected from yourself, use that folder as evidence of what still lights you up.

Identify your support people. Write down the names of the people you can contact when you are struggling so you do not have to figure out who to call in the middle of a hard moment.

References Mentioned

ONE | Life: https://onelifelivenow.com/
MedCircle: https://www.youtube.com/@MedCircle

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

 

 

Important Chapters

00:00:46 — What is ONE | Life? Mandi explains her eight years with MedCircle and how mental health education evolved into a bigger question: once we understand what is happening, how do we actually live better?

00:02:31 — When all the distractions disappeared, Mandi reflects on COVID and how suddenly being left alone with ourselves changed the broader conversation around mental health.

00:03:20 — Stop spending every therapy session triaging the surface. Mandi explains how repeatedly focusing only on external crises can keep us from reaching the deeper beliefs those situations trigger.

00:04:00 — Infidelity, self-worth, and getting to the root. Mandi shares how her former husband’s affairs hurt so deeply because they reinforced something she already feared about her own worth.

00:05:05 — Stop postponing your life until you are healed. Mandi describes realizing that she had turned healing into a prerequisite for living and why that needed to change.

00:05:49 — Raccoon videos count as mental health care around here G-Rex explains the therapeutic value of starting the day with ridiculous raccoon videos, and somehow it makes perfect sense.

00:06:46 — Service without self-abandonment. Mandi talks about caring for others while recognizing that giving should not constantly come at your own expense.

00:07:16 — Relationships without betraying yourself. Mandi explores healthy connection, attachment wounds, authenticity, and finding people who cherish you for being who you actually are.

00:08:57 — G-Rex on masking depression: G-Rex reflects on how completely she hid her depression while caring for everyone around her and why she refuses to put that mask back on.

00:10:05 — Humor as a mental health pressure valve Mandi, G-Rex, and Dirty Skittles explain why sometimes the thing that keeps heavy experiences bearable is laughing at shit you probably should not laugh at.

00:11:47 — Living while you are still healing: G-Rex talks about traveling, setting boundaries, and continuing to experience life even while recovery was still unfolding.

00:14:42 — Introverts confess they kind of loved lockdown. Dirty Skittles and Mandi bond over the unexpected freedom of canceled obligations, while G-Rex, the extrovert, strongly disagrees.

00:16:32 — The evolution from MedCircle to ONE | Life Mandi describes creating a more experiential, inclusive approach focused on practical living rather than only diagnosis and education.

00:18:26 — Your diagnosis is not your personality. Mandi explains why labels should provide information and direction—not become evidence that you cannot do something.

00:20:32 — ADHD as a superpower: G-Rex talks about working with her ADHD instead of treating it solely as a limitation.

00:22:06 — What Mandi would tell her seven-year-old self: Mandi returns to the childhood trauma discussed in Part 1 and gives her younger self the message she needed most: it was not your fault.

00:23:49 — The hardest lesson: You do not have to do everything yourself. Mandi talks about responsibility, caregiving, parenting, enabling, and the value of letting others learn to stand on their own.

00:26:03 — If anxiety had a theme song, Joan Jett and Led Zeppelin enter the chat as Mandi shares the music that helps her interrupt anxiety and release control.

00:27:19 — Mandi’s favorite word is exactly what you think it is. The versatility and emotional range of the word “fuck” receive the appreciation it deserves.

00:30:38 — Mandi turns the questions on G-Rex and Dirty Skittles. The conversation shifts as Mandi asks the hosts about the life-changing realizations that altered their own mental health journeys.

00:31:01 — Dirty Skittles realizes she has been living in fight mode. Dirty Skittles shares how therapy helped her recognize chronic hypervigilance and begin discovering what peace actually felt like.

00:32:10 — The 988 call that changed G-Rex’s life. G-Rex describes the crisis call that reminded her of her worth, helped her ask for help, and became a pivotal moment in her survival.

00:33:10 — Kevin Hines and the power of human connection: Mandi reflects on conversations with Golden Gate Bridge survivor Kevin Hines and why acknowledging another human being can matter more than we realize.

00:35:02 — Healing outside therapy: Nature, joy folders, photography, and small moments of happiness become examples of tools that can help us reconnect with ourselves.

00:37:41 — When caregiving disconnects you from yourself: Mandi and Dirty Skittles talk about losing pieces of identity inside roles like parent, partner, and caregiver.

00:38:40 — The squirrel, the cheeseburger, and unexpected joy. Mandi shares one of those completely ridiculous moments that instantly remind you of how healing laughter can be.

00:39:14 — Music and activating the experience of being alive: Mandi discusses using playlists, sensory experiences, nature, and emotion to reconnect with what it feels like to be fully present.

00:40:25 — Planning the ultimate funeral party: Tequila, mofongo, meatloaf, espresso martinis, glow sticks, walkers, and Depends close the conversation in exactly the way you would expect from this crew.

00:42:04 — Where to find Mandi and ONE | Life Mandi shares how listeners can connect with ONE | Life and MedCircle and reminds everyone to find the approach that works for them.

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 #MandiLynne #OneLife #SurvivalMode #TraumaHealing #LivingWhileHealing #SelfWorth #BoundariesMatter #CPTSDRecovery #AnxietyRecovery #ADHDAwareness #HealingJourney #SelfDiscovery #EmotionalWellness #MentalHealthRecovery #JoyInHealing

***************************************************************************
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.

How much of the way we see ourselves was shaped before we were old enough to understand what was happening? Mandi Lynne joins G-Rex and Dirty Skittles for a deeply honest conversation about childhood trauma, shame, self-worth, perfectionism, and the work of separating who you are from what happened to you.

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

Trigger Notice + 988 Crisis Reminder

This episode includes conversations about childhood sexual trauma, eating disorders, alcohol use, shame, and suicide. Please take care of yourself while listening and step away if you need to.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis in the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:

https://988lifeline.org/

For crisis resources outside the United States:

https://findahelpline.com/

Mental Health Quote

“When we learn to see something differently, that is where most of the healing is.” — Mandi Lynne

Episode Description

Mandi Lynne has spent years working in mental health education, but long before becoming the Founder and CEO of ONE | Life, she was trying to understand the shit going on inside her own head.
In Part 1, Mandi sits down with G-Rex and Dirty Skittles to talk about the childhood sexual trauma she experienced at seven years old and how it shaped her understanding of love, safety, responsibility, and self-worth. She opens up about the shame and confusion that followed, including what she later came to understand as moral injury.

That early trauma became tangled with perfectionism, OCD, anxiety, eating disorders, alcohol use, attachment wounds, and the exhausting belief that if she could just become good enough, perfect enough, or controlled enough, she might finally feel safe.

Mandi also shares what began changing when she found the right therapist. The conversation explores cognitive behavioral therapy, EMDR, expressive therapies, equine-assisted work, nature, and why healing does not always happen by thinking harder about the problem.

G-Rex and Dirty Skittles share their own therapy experiences, including one of their favorite pieces of advice: speed-date your therapist. The right connection matters.

This episode is heavy, funny, compassionate, and deeply human. Your past may explain parts of you, but it does not have to dictate the rest of your life.

Keywords: Mandi Lynne, childhood trauma, trauma recovery, self-worth, shame healing, moral injury, OCD, anxiety, eating disorder recovery, EMDR therapy, attachment wounds, inner child healing, mental health recovery, expressive therapy, trauma-informed healing

Meet Our Guest — Mandi Lynne

Mandi Lynne is the Founder and CEO of ONE | Life and a former executive at MedCircle, where she helped scale one of the world's most recognized mental health education platforms.
A former educator and nonprofit leader with a background in science, education, and leadership, Mandi also holds certifications in Health & Wellness Coaching, Hypnotherapy, NLP, Somatic practices, and Global Leadership & Social Innovation through the United Nations University for Peace. Her professional work is deeply informed by lived experience with trauma, chronic illness, job loss, bankruptcy, divorce, financial hardship, miscarriage, single parenting, OCD, anxiety, CPTSD, and a past eating disorder.

Her work is grounded in one powerful belief: you do not have to wait to be fully healed to start living well.

Website: https://onelifelivenow.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelifebymedcircle

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MedCircle

Key Takeaways

Childhood trauma can shape self-worth before we are developmentally able to understand what happened.

Adult logic can know something was not your fault while a younger, wounded part of you still struggles to believe it.

Shame and moral injury can create deep emotional residue that requires patience, compassion, and support.

Perfectionism, control, disordered eating, and other coping mechanisms can become attempts to create safety.

Finding the right therapist matters. One poor therapeutic relationship does not mean therapy cannot work for you.

Healing is not always intellectual. EMDR, art, animals, movement, nature, and other experiential approaches can reach parts of us that conversation alone may not.

Actionable Items

Speed date your therapist. Pay attention to whether you feel safe, understood, and able to be honest. If the connection is not right, you may keep looking.

Try a form of healing that does not require talking. Paint without a plan, spend time outside, listen to music, move your body, or engage with animals and notice what comes up.

Offer yourself the compassion you would give a child. When shame appears, ask: “If this happened to a seven-year-old I loved, would I blame them?”

 
Important Chapters

00:01:02 — Who is Mandi Lynne? Mandi starts with a simple answer: a regular person. She explains why accepting who we are matters before we start chasing some supposedly better version of ourselves.

00:02:06 — Self-worth, perfectionism, and learning to feel proud. Mandi talks about growing up with messages about humility and confidence, and how easy it became to default to seeing herself through a negative lens.

00:04:34 — Learning to receive praise without shrinking: G-Rex opens up about becoming more comfortable with recognition and learning that confidence and generosity can exist at the same time.

00:08:53 — Childhood trauma and the beginning of survival patterns. Mandi shares her experience of sexual trauma at seven years old and explains the confusion, secrecy, attachment wounds, and self-blame that followed.

00:12:41 — When knowing “it wasn’t your fault” still isn’t enough. Mandi explains the difference between intellectually understanding what happened and getting the brain and body to believe it.

00:13:17 — Understanding moral injury and shame: Mandi discusses the guilt she carried from being forced into situations as a child that conflicted deeply with her values.

00:15:27 — Avoidance, eating disorders, alcohol, and control. Mandi talks about the ways she tried to outrun what happened and how perfectionism became an attempt to make herself feel safe.

00:17:44 — Pregnancy becomes a turning point. An unexpected pregnancy becomes a major catalyst for Mandi to take her mental health seriously and seek the right support.

00:18:46 — CBT, reframing, and recognizing thought patterns. Mandi describes learning that catastrophizing and black-and-white thinking were patterns rather than unavoidable truths.

00:19:05 — EMDR and healing beyond the thinking brain: Mandi explains why EMDR helped her access insights that talk therapy alone had not reached.

00:20:12 — Changing perspective without minimizing pain. Mandi talks about accepting that some experiences simply suck while refusing to remain mentally tied to them forever.

00:22:11 — Why you should “speed date” your therapist: G-Rex and Dirty Skittles share their own experiences finding therapists who were—and were not—the right fit.

00:25:30 — Painting without a plan: Dirty Skittles shares a therapy assignment that challenged her need for control and unexpectedly helped her feel free.

00:26:50 — Healing through photographs, horses, and experience. Mandi talks about expressive work, life timelines, equine therapy, and helping people access emotions through experience rather than forced conversation.

00:29:15 — Nature as medicine for the nervous system: G-Rex and Mandi connect over nature, grounding, winter weather, and the very real impact seasonal changes can have on mental health.

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 #MandiLynne #ChildhoodTrauma #TraumaRecovery #HealingTrauma #SelfWorth #ShameHealing #InnerChildHealing #EMDR #TherapyWorks #OCDRecovery #AnxietyRecovery #AttachmentHealing #CPTSDRecovery #MentalHealthHealing #HealingJourney

 

 

***************************************************************************
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.

What changes when you stop looking outside yourself for permission to feel whole? In Part 2, Rocio Aquino and Angel Orengo return with G-Rex and Dirty Skittles for a powerful conversation about breaking generational patterns, choosing yourself, letting go of emotional weight, healing old wounds, and building a life around joy instead of someone else’s definition of success.

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

“Choose yourself. When you stop giving away your power, you finally have something real to give back to the people you love.” — Inspired by Rocio Aquino & Angel Orengo

Trigger Notice + 988 Crisis Reminder

This episode includes conversations about childhood abuse, abandonment, suicide attempts, trauma, and emotional pain. Please listen with care.
If you or someone you love is experiencing a mental health crisis in the United States, call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You do not have to be suicidal to reach out for support.

https://988lifeline.org/

Episode Description

What happens after you recognize your wounds? How do you make sure you aren’t unknowingly handing them to the next generation?
In Part 2, Rocio Aquino and Angel Orengo join G-Rex and Dirty Skittles to continue their conversation about healing, self-awareness, and the lessons behind The Orchid: The Secret Code of Modern Goddesses.

Rocio and Angel explore the stories society teaches women and men, why empathy and compassion matter, and how the media and stories we consume can shape how we understand ourselves and the world.

Rocio reveals that the five women at the center of The Orchid carry pieces of her own experiences, trauma, and transformation. Angel shares one of the biggest lessons of his healing journey: we have more control over where our emotional energy goes than we realize.

The conversation becomes deeply personal as Angel discusses childhood abuse and Rocio shares losing her mother, attempting suicide at 20, and what she would tell that younger version of herself today: go play the game, because you are going to be okay.

They also talk about generational trauma, parenting, letting go, intuition, self-love, nature, emotional energy, and why taking care of yourself first is not selfish. G-Rex brings it home with one hell of a reminder: stop chasing somebody else’s definition of happiness and start chasing your joy.

Healing yourself can change more than your own life. It can change what the people who come after you have to carry.

Keywords: generational trauma, choosing joy, self-love, emotional healing, breaking generational cycles, intentional living, childhood trauma, personal empowerment, mental health recovery, letting go, self-worth, emotional wellness, healing family patterns, self-compassion, finding purpose

Meet Our Guests — Rocio Aquino & Angel Orengo

Rocio Aquino and Angel Orengo are the storytellers and creators behind The Orchid, a book and growing community dedicated to healing, self-discovery, purpose, and intentional living. Their work blends personal experience, honest reflection, storytelling, and meaningful conversation to encourage people to look inward, challenge inherited beliefs, and create healthier emotional patterns for themselves and future generations.
Website: https://www.theorchidbook.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rocioangel__/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rocioangel.social

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rocioangel.theorchid

Key Takeaways

Healing your own wounds can change what gets passed down to the next generation.

Loving yourself does not take love away from your family; it can increase your capacity to show up for them.

You have a choice about where you spend your emotional energy.

Letting go is not weakness—it is deciding that something no longer deserves your peace.

Happiness tied only to possessions or achievements can be temporary; joy can live in ordinary moments.

Family, cultural, and societal stories can shape you, but they do not have to control the rest of your life.

Actionable Items

Do an energy audit. Identify one person, argument, resentment, or expectation receiving more of your emotional energy than you want to give it.

Spend ten minutes outside without your phone and notice something small that genuinely brings you joy.

Identify one belief, behavior, or emotional pattern from your family history that you do not want to pass forward, then choose one small way to respond differently.

 
 

Important Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to Part 2 + Why Healing Stories Need a Bigger Stage
G-Rex opens by asking how stories like The Orchid can help people better understand women's emotional experiences and normalize talking about mental health.

03:34 – Rocio’s Mission to Create Stories That Help People Heal
Rocio talks about dedicating her life to stories that allow people—especially women—to see themselves through a different lens.

05:39 – Strengthening Women, Men, and the Human Experience
Angel discusses the importance of empathy, kindness, compassion, and strengthening qualities historically labeled as feminine.

08:06 – How the Stories We Consume Shape Us
Angel explores the influence of film, television, video games, and storytelling—and why he wants more stories showing people how to heal and survive.

09:45 – Rocio Reveals Herself in The Orchid’s Five Women
Rocio shares that she sees parts of her own trauma and healing journey in all five central characters.

10:58 – Closing Your Wounds and Reclaiming Your Power
Angel uses The Matrix as a metaphor for reaching a place where another person’s insults no longer have the same power over you.

15:45 – Take Care of Yourself Before Trying to Save Everybody Else
Angel explains why healing yourself first allows you to show up differently for your family and everyone around you.

17:53 – What Angel Would Tell His Six-Year-Old Self
Angel reflects on childhood abuse and the lessons about personal power and self-belief he wishes he could have learned before experiencing trauma.

20:21 – Rocio on Losing Her Mother and Attempting Suicide at 20
Rocio talks about reaching one of the lowest moments of her life and the message she would now give her younger self: you are not alone, and this will not last forever.

22:11 – Their Hardest Lessons: Abandonment and Letting Go
Rocio reflects on surviving abandonment while Angel explains why letting go has been one of the most difficult and rewarding lessons of his life.

25:13 – “The Person I Love the Most Is Me”
Angel shares the realization that taking responsibility for his own happiness actually allows him to love his wife, daughters, and family more freely.

27:02 – Choosing the Story You Tell Yourself
Rocio and Dirty Skittles discuss how self-belief becomes a daily practice and why compassionate thoughts matter.

29:00 – Stop Chasing Happiness. Chase Your Joy.
G-Rex shares why joy has become more meaningful than material success and encourages listeners to stop building their lives around somebody else’s dream.

32:22 – Anxiety Theme Songs and Remembering to Breathe
Angel and Rocio share the reminders they use when anxiety kicks in and life starts feeling overwhelming.

35:50 – Healing as a Couple and a Family
Rocio talks about investing in personal growth, growing together as partners, and watching those lessons ripple through their children and extended family.

37:23 – Breaking Generational Trauma
Angel recalls the moment he and Rocio decided that the painful patterns carried through their family line would stop with them.

39:08 – “Yes, I Can” vs. “You Can’t”
Rocio and Angel share their favorite and least favorite words, ending the episode with a reminder to stop allowing other people to define what is possible for you.

40:06 – Where to Find Rocio, Angel, and The Orchid
Rocio and Angel share where listeners can connect with their work and leave one final reminder: one of the greatest resources you have is yourself.

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 #GenerationalTrauma #BreakTheCycle #ChooseJoy #SelfLove #EmotionalHealing #IntentionalLiving #HealingJourney #PersonalGrowth #SelfWorth #SelfCompassion #TraumaRecovery #LettingGo #FindYourJoy #TheOrchid #RocioAndAngel

***************************************************************************
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.

What happens when you finally realize the pain you’ve been carrying doesn’t have to define the rest of your life? In Part 1, G-Rex and Dirty Skittles sit down with Rocio Aquino and Angel Orengo, creators of The Orchid: The Secret Code of Modern Goddesses, for a raw conversation about forgiveness, trauma, self-awareness, relationships, and learning how to choose yourself.

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

“Forgiveness isn’t about giving your power back to someone else. It’s about releasing what you no longer need to carry.” — Inspired by Rocio Aquino

Trigger Notice + 988 Crisis Reminder

This episode includes conversations about trauma, abuse, suicidal thoughts, and a suicide attempt. Please take care of yourself while listening.
If you or someone you love is experiencing a mental health crisis in the United States, call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You do not have to be suicidal to reach out. Support is available for anyone experiencing emotional distress or crisis.

https://988lifeline.org/

Episode Description

What if forgiveness isn’t really about the person who hurt you?
In Part 1 of this powerful two-part conversation, Rocio Aquino and Angel Orengo join G-Rex and Dirty Skittles to talk about the experiences that shaped their personal healing and eventually inspired The Orchid: The Secret Code of Modern Goddesses.

Rocio opens up about carrying shame, guilt, trauma, and the belief that life was happening against her. After a painful financial loss left her feeling betrayed, defeated, and responsible, curiosity pushed her toward a life-changing question: How do I forgive?

What began as a search for relief became a deeper journey into psychology, self-awareness, acceptance, and understanding the beliefs she had been taught about herself. Rocio explains that forgiveness eventually stopped being about the person who hurt her and became about releasing the emotional weight she was carrying inside.

Angel shares what it was like witnessing Rocio’s transformation while discovering his own understanding of personal power. Together, they explain why awareness is the starting point for change and why gratitude, forgiveness, acceptance, and intention became central lessons behind The Orchid.

G-Rex also shares openly about her own suicide attempt, calling 988, and how therapy, self-forgiveness, and choosing to live changed her life. Dirty Skittles reflects on living in fight mode after childhood trauma and the process of becoming her own best friend.

This episode is a reminder that healing doesn’t erase what happened. It changes how much power the past gets to have over what comes next.

Keywords: forgiveness, trauma healing, self-forgiveness, self-awareness, emotional healing, childhood trauma, mental health recovery, inner child healing, self-discovery, intentional living, personal transformation, women’s mental health, gratitude, acceptance, overcoming shame

Meet Our Guests — Rocio Aquino & Angel Orengo

Rocio Aquino and Angel Orengo are the storytellers and creators behind The Orchid, a book and growing community dedicated to healing, self-discovery, purpose, and intentional living. Their work blends lived experience, honest reflection, storytelling, and meaningful conversation to help people better understand themselves, question inherited beliefs, and recognize their capacity for transformation.
Website: https://www.theorchidbook.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rocioangel__/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rocioangel.social

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rocioangel.theorchid

Key Takeaways

Forgiveness can be less about the person who hurt you and more about freeing yourself from what you are still carrying.

Curiosity can become the first step out of survival mode and into genuine self-awareness.

Trauma, shame, guilt, and old family stories do not have to determine your identity forever.

Understanding why you think the way you think creates space to make different choices.

Gratitude, forgiveness, acceptance, awareness, and intention can become practical tools for personal transformation.

Becoming your own best friend can completely change how you experience yourself and the world around you.

Actionable Items

Ask yourself: “Why do I believe what I believe about myself?” Write down whatever comes up without immediately judging or correcting it.

Identify one resentment, painful memory, or old story that still takes up emotional energy and ask what releasing some of that weight could give back to you.

Choose one small decision this week based on what you genuinely want instead of what you believe other people expect from you.

 
References Mentioned

The Orchid: The Secret Code of Modern Goddesses
https://www.theorchidbook.com/
The Matrix — referenced by Rocio as an early catalyst for questioning limitations, reality, and personal possibility.

Important Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to Part 1 + Meet Rocio and Angel
Rocio and Angel introduce The Orchid and explain why the orchid became the symbol at the center of their story.

03:13 – Why They Chose Storytelling Over a Traditional Self-Help Book
Rocio and Angel explain how their lived experiences and entertainment backgrounds inspired them to teach healing concepts through story.

06:17 – Rocio’s Transformation Begins
Angel reflects on watching Rocio change after years of carrying shame, self-doubt, pain, and the feeling that she was never enough.

08:26 – Betrayal, Financial Loss, and the Search for Forgiveness
A failed investment becomes a major turning point that sends Rocio searching for a practical way to forgive and move forward.

11:08 – G-Rex on Suicide, 988, and Choosing to Live
G-Rex shares how calling 988 became part of her own turning point and how therapy, forgiveness, and doing the work changed her life.

18:13 – What Forgiveness Really Means
Rocio explains how she realized forgiveness was ultimately for her—not for the person who hurt her.

22:03 – Learning to Understand Yourself
Rocio discusses studying psychology, reading extensively, and recognizing how family, society, and old beliefs had shaped the way she saw herself.

24:58 – Curiosity, Travel, and Discovering Different Ways to Live
Angel shares how traveling around the world helped them see that many of the “rules” we live by are not the only options available.

27:53 – Hope, Healing, and Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop
G-Rex reflects on how life changed after her darkest moment and what it feels like to experience genuine happiness after years of pain.

30:18 – What Humans Around the World Have in Common
Rocio and Angel talk about traveling to more than 70 countries and discovering how much people share across cultures.

33:00 – Angel’s Aha Moment: Recognizing His Own Power
Angel describes realizing that many limitations are learned stories and that alignment between thoughts, feelings, words, and actions can change everything.

35:13 – Rocio, The Matrix, and Becoming “Neo”
Rocio explains how seeing The Matrix in 1999 sparked questions about possibility, programming, and the life she could create.

37:02 – Becoming Your Own Best Friend
Dirty Skittles and Rocio reflect on learning to love yourself, listen to yourself, and recognize what you actually need.

42:15 – The Five Lessons Behind The Orchid
Angel breaks down the core framework woven into the book: awareness, gratitude, forgiveness, acceptance, and intention.

Closing CTA

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#MentalHealthPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness #Grex #DirtySkittles #Podmatch #TraumaHealing #Forgiveness #SelfForgiveness #EmotionalHealing #SelfDiscovery #InnerChildHealing #IntentionalLiving #PersonalGrowth #SelfAwareness #HealingJourney #OvercomingTrauma #ChooseYourself #TheOrchid #RocioAndAngel #MentalHealthRecovery

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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
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Audio Editing by NJz Audio

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What happens when anxiety, creative pressure, and everyday stress leave you feeling five minutes from completely losing your shit? G-Rex and Dirty Skittles sit down with Author David Meyer for a funny, thoughtful conversation about burnout, overthinking, empathy, self-care, and why making art can remind us that we’re not alone.

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.

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Mental Health Quote

“If it touches one person, make the art.” — David Meyer

Episode Description

David Meyer knows what it feels like to live five minutes from a meltdown. The author, screenwriter, poet, and cooking-show producer joins G-Rex and Dirty Skittles for a brutally relatable conversation about anxiety, burnout, creative pressure, and the strange little habits that keep us functioning when our brains refuse to calm the hell down.
David shares how a collection of hundreds of comedic poems became his book, Five Minutes From a Meltdown, and why humor has always helped him acknowledge emotions that might otherwise stay buried. For David, laughter is more than entertainment. It creates connection, offers relief, and reminds us that someone else has probably felt the exact same messy thing.

The conversation also gets real about the basics of mental health care: eating, sleeping, drinking water, exercising, resting, and admitting that the annoying advice often works. David opens up about balancing a demanding creative career with his well-being, managing the fear of disappointing people, and learning to create without waiting for perfect confidence.

He also introduces the idea of “sonder”—the realization that every person is living a life as complicated and meaningful as our own. That awareness can be overwhelming, but it can also make us kinder, more patient, and less likely to judge someone based on one difficult moment.

This episode is funny, thoughtful, and deeply human. It’s a reminder that nothing has to be perfect to have value—and sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is laugh, make the art, drink some water, and keep going.

Keywords: David Meyer, Five Minutes From a Meltdown, anxiety, burnout, mental health, emotional wellness, creative pressure, humor and healing, overthinking, self-care, empathy, resilience, perfectionism, stress management, creative confidence

Meet Our Guest — David Meyer

David Meyer is the author of Five Minutes From a Meltdown, a candid and funny exploration of stress, resilience, and life near the edge of burnout. A writer and producer based in Los Angeles, David uses poetry, screenwriting, storytelling, and sharp observation to help people find humor, meaning, and connection inside life’s everyday chaos.
Website: https://davidmeyerwriter.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cubsdem

Email: david@davidmeyerwriter.com

Key Takeaways

Humor can help us acknowledge difficult emotions without letting them completely take over.

Burnout often gets worse when basic needs such as food, sleep, movement, water, and rest are ignored.

You don’t need perfect confidence to make something meaningful.

Creative work can help people feel seen, understood, and less alone.

Remembering that everyone has a full, complicated life can build empathy and reduce judgment.

Your work does not need to change the entire world to matter to one person.

Actionable Items

Before labeling yourself unmotivated or overwhelmed, check the basics: Have you eaten, slept, moved your body, rested, and had enough water?

Create something imperfect this week—a poem, journal entry, voice note, sketch, or story—and resist the urge to judge it.

When someone frustrates you, pause and imagine one compassionate explanation for what they may be experiencing.

Important Chapters

00:00:37 – Meet David Meyer
David joins G-Rex and Dirty Skittles to talk about writing, producing, books, movies, and the creative work that keeps him busy.

00:06:00 – From Buying Groceries to Producing a Cooking Show
David explains how a short six-week job turned into a major production role and what he has learned from working with a small, driven creative team.

00:08:01 – Becoming a Writer and Accidental Published Poet
David shares how he started writing as a child, discovered screenwriting in college, and turned hundreds of comedic poems into a published collection.

00:11:41 – Humor as Mental Health Medicine
The conversation shifts to laughter, emotional release, and why art can make people feel recognized and less alone.

00:15:38 – A Good Childhood and an Anxious Brain
David talks honestly about having a loving upbringing while still experiencing mental health challenges—and why pain does not always need a dramatic origin story.

00:17:23 – Creative Pressure, Burnout, and Basic Self-Care
David describes the demands of producing a show and the frustrating truth that sleep, food, water, exercise, and rest really do help.

00:22:37 – What David Wants to Write Next
From serious poetry and plays to screenplays and horror-comedy, David discusses his creative ambitions and the uncertainty of building a career in a changing industry.

00:24:48 – Confidence, Mortality, and Making the Art Anyway
David explains how accepting that life is temporary helps him take risks, release perfectionism, and create work that may connect with even one person.

00:29:17 – Building a Sustainable Writing Practice
David reflects on being an inspiration-driven writer and why he is learning to treat creativity as a skill that requires routine and consistent effort.

00:33:20 – Advice for His Younger Self
David shares the message he would give his younger self: people probably see more value in you than you currently see in yourself.

00:35:20 – Sonder, Empathy, and Everyone Else’s Full Life
David explores the realization that every stranger is the main character of a complex life—and how that awareness can make us kinder.

00:39:48 – The Theme Song for David’s Anxiety
David chooses Johnny Cash’s version of “Hurt” and opens up about his fear of disappointing or emotionally hurting other people.

00:41:48 – Favorite Words, Swearing, and the Mental Load of AI
David explains why “fuck” is his favorite word, why AI is currently his least favorite, and how language reflects the pressures of modern life.

00:44:33 – David’s Book and Charitable Mission
David shares how listeners can find his work and explains that proceeds from his remaining books support charitable causes.

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 #DavidMeyer #FiveMinutesFromAMeltdown #BurnoutRecovery #AnxietySupport #CreativeMentalHealth #HumorHeals #EmotionalWellness #StressManagement #Overthinking #SelfCareMatters #CreativeConfidence #EmpathyMatters #Resilience #MentalHealthConversations #WritersMentalHealth

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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.