Are you doomscrolling… or just staying informed?

In this episode of Deciphering Growth, Tiffany Graves, LPCC-S, and Eric Stone explore the psychology behind doomscrolling — what it is, why it happens, and how today’s algorithms are designed to keep you engaged far longer than you intended.

What starts as a quick check-in with the news or social media can quietly turn into emotional overload, nervous system activation, and hours lost in the scroll. And often, we don’t even notice the physiological stress response happening in our bodies.

In this conversation, we unpack:

• The clinical definition of doomscrolling• How algorithms, advertising, and parasocial relationships influence behavior• Why your nervous system reacts even when you think you’re “fine”• The connection between doomscrolling and process addiction• Trauma-informed concerns in digital spaces• Realistic digital boundaries (without going all-or-nothing)• How to evaluate whether social media is helping or harming your mental health

This episode isn’t about demonizing technology. Social media can offer connection, community, and education. But without awareness and boundaries, it can also impact mood, anxiety levels, focus, and emotional regulation.

If you’ve ever looked up from your phone feeling overwhelmed, tense, or unsure where the last hour went — this conversation is for you.

🎧 Listen now and join us next week as we dive deeper into process addictions and behavioral patterns in the digital age.

🚨 SPOILER ALERT 🚨

If you haven’t finished the latest Stranger Things finale, this episode will spoil it.

In this episode of Deciphering Growth, Tiffany Graves and Eric Stone go full nerd mode to unpack Stranger Things through a trauma-informed lens: nostalgia as comfort, why some wounds get processed (and some mutate), and what

Vecna represents when pain gets intellectualized instead of healed.

New year. Same pressure to “do better.”

In this episode of Deciphering Growth, we unpack why New Year’s resolutions often fall apart—and what actually helps change stick.

We talk about momentum over motivation, why setbacks are part of growth (not failure), and how treating mental health like a productivity checklist quietly fuels burnout and shame.

If you’ve felt behind, discouraged, or stuck restarting the same goals every year—this episode is for you.

New Year’s resolutions often fail—not because you lackdiscipline, but because shame and pressure don’t create sustainable change.

In this week’s episode of Deciphering Growth, we unpack why resolution culture burns people out, how all-or-nothing thinking keeps us stuck, and what actually supports long-term growth from a trauma-informed lens.

If you’re tired of “new year, new you” messaging and ready for realistic, nervous-system-safe change—this one’s for you.

The holidays don’t just bring joy — they can reactivate parentification, attachment patterns, and nervous-system survival responses we’ve carried since childhood.

In this season-ending episode of Deciphering Growth,we explore:• Why parentified children feel exhausted during family gatherings• How attachment styles show up under holiday stress• The neuroscience behind emotional labor, hypervigilance, and “keeping thepeace”• What it actually means to choose peace over performance

The holidays can be loud, overwhelming, and emotionallycomplicated — and that doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong.

In this week’s episode of Deciphering Growth, we break down:• Why holiday stress hits your nervous system so hard• What doesn’t help (over-committing, people-pleasing, pushing through)• Practical, trauma-informed ways to protect your peace

In this week’s Deciphering Growth, Tiffany and Eric unpack what happens when ACA subsidies change, healthinsurance costs rise, and therapy starts to feel like a luxury instead of a basic need. We talk about the real mental health impact, why so many of us are scared about coverage, and some practical options and coping strategies if you’re worried about losing access to care.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app — and get early access + extra soapbox episodes by joining our Patreon!

👉 Join our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/cw/DecipheringGrowth198

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In this week’s Soapbox, we’re digging into toxic productivity, hustle culture, and how the “what do you produce?” mindset has seeped into mental health care. From community mental health and private practice to neurodivergence, KPIs, and burnout—we’re unpacking all of it.

🎧 This episode is available publicly on all major platforms.

🌿 If you love our Soapbox episodes, we have more bonus Soapbox conversations available exclusively on Patreon—plus early releases, behind-the-scenes content, and extra discussions we don’t publish anywhere else.

Come grow with us. 👉 Join our Patreon community for deeper dives + extra Soapboxes.

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