At just 10 years old, Cedar walked into her doctor's office asking for weight loss recommendations, despite being dangerously underweight. Her perception of herself, together with her desperate need for control, marked the beginning of a decade-long battle with anorexia nervosa.

In this episode of PSYCHEDUP, Dr. Diane McIntosh pulls back the curtain on eating disorders, exposing how these devastating illnesses have little to do with food and everything to do with control and trauma.

Dr. McIntosh teams up with psychologist Dr. Randy Mackoff to explore the complex treatment landscape for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. They debunk myths around eating disorders, examine social media's role in exacerbating body image issues, and explain why psychological inflexibility and rigid thoughts about self-worth create dangerous patterns. This episode offers hope for those trapped in any cycle involving food restriction, over exercising, and binging and purging, while providing essential guidance for the families desperately trying to support them.

You'll Discover:

• How eating disorders are rooted in control and trauma, rather than diet or appearance, and why the thoughts feel "almost abusive" to those experiencing them.
• Why anorexia has the second-highest death rate of any mental illness due to heart complications and suicide, and how individuals can be at risk of sudden death.
• How eating disorders thrive on secrecy and dishonesty, destroying trust with parents, friends and partners, while affecting every aspect of their lives.
• Why managing co-existing depression, anxiety, OCD, or ADHD is essential in finding a path to recovery.
• Why eating disorders have been wrongly considered female illnesses, and why family therapy and support systems are absolutely critical, especially when disorders start in childhood.

Resources:

Additional information and support resources are available here.

Join Dr. Diane McIntosh as she explores social anxiety disorder, a condition that goes far beyond normal shyness and can rob people of life's most important moments. This episode features Hannah's powerful story of missing her graduation and struggling through high school, plus expert insights from Dr. McIntosh and psychologist Dr. Randy Mackoff on effective treatment approaches.

• What is Social Anxiety Disorder? Understanding the difference between shyness and a clinical diagnosis that affects up to 10% of adults
• Real-Life Impact: How fear of judgment and scrutiny leads to avoidance, missed opportunities, and isolation
• Social Media's Role: how constant comparison effects self-esteem anxiety
• How using alcohol or cannabis as a "social lubricant" creates more problems than it solves
• Treatment Options: CBT, exposure therapy, medication management, and when each approach works best

Additional information and support resources are available here.

Imagine trying to go about your day with angry voices saying awful things at you. Or trying to concentrate in a meeting while you’re convinced the smell of rotting meat was coming from you.

Welcome to John’s world. In this episode of PSYCHEDUP, Dr. Diane McIntosh explores the complex and distressing symptoms of psychosis through his personal story.

Dr. McIntosh is joined by Dr. Randy Mackoff to discuss the roles of medication and talk therapy in managing psychosis.

You’ll Discover:

• What psychosis really is and how it shows up across disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.
• What it’s like to live with psychosis: John’s reality of hearing voices and believing delusions.
• The different types of psychotic symptoms, from hallucinations to delusions.
• How psychosis is treated, including medication, therapy, and the role of family support.
• Why stigma makes recovery harder and how empathy, education, and advocacy can change lives.

• Explore Dr. Diane McIntosh’s psychosis page for more information, including a downloadable and shareable guide to psychosis.
• Visit the BC Schizophrenia Society’s website for support.
• Learn about bipolar disorder