BABS

Amanda Chang

Just two best friends who just turned 40 talking about their struggles--everything from relationships, to not feeling good enough, to dealing with depression and anxiety--in hopes of normalizing things and making people feel less alone. Welcome to Bay Area Brats Struggling (BABS)! If you find yourself saying, “This is not what I thought my life would look like at this point,” you might be able to relate to this podcast. Raised as Asian Americans who were promised successful lives if they just studied hard and focused on school, Amanda and Sam found themselves on the cusp of checking all the boxes. Careers. Marriage. Homeowners. Kids.  Amanda got married to her college sweetheart, had twin girls after dealing with infertility, and lived a seemingly perfect life. Sam graduated law school, achieved her aspirations of working at a big law firm, and got engaged to her longtime boyfriend. But then Amanda asked for a divorce and blew up her life. Sam called off her engagement and got a cat. They had career identity crises. They had to start using dating apps in their 30s. They suffer from anxiety and depression. And while they can recognize their complaints can seem bratty at times, they’re also realizing the common precedent leading up to their meltdowns is that they were struggling in silence for too long. In trying to live life defined by other people’s standards, they lost themselves—or rather, they realized they never took the time to figure out who they were and what they wanted in the first place. So join them as they struggle through life, and hopefully you’ll realize you don’t have to struggle in silence… even if people call you a brat. Disclaimer:  We are NOT mental or physical health specialists. If you believe you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety, depression, or suicidal ideation, or any other mental health challenges we encourage you to contact your doctor or a medical professional. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, call 911, or go to your local emergency room. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1월 23일

    Struggling with knowing love isn't enough, people not doing the work, and the state of the world

    After a crazypants October, your girls Sam and Amanda are burnt out and back to randomly crying at work. Amanda's fighting with her co-parent about books and softball through her daughters' therapists, Sam moved in with her boyfriend and broke up a day later. Plus, the state of the world is so bleak and depressing, it only makes them feel even more weary and heavy. But this is one of those conversations where you might not fix anything or come to any revelations, but just talking about it with your best friend makes you feel a bit better. *Trigger Warning / Disclaimer: This episode does contain comments that may sound like suicide ideation, so please listen with extreme care or skip this episode if you are triggered and take care of yourself. The comments and this episode are not meant to promote it or make light of it--rather Sam and Amanda talk about how those types of comments have been Sam's way of coping since college, and instead of turning away from them because they made her uncomfortable, Amanda's learned to lean in and recognize them as a signal that Sam needs an extra check-in and support. Sam and Amanda have previously talked at length about what those comments mean when Sam brings them up, and how to keep one another safe and supported. Disclaimer: We are NOT mental or physical health specialists. If you believe you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety, depression, or suicidal ideation, or any other mental health challenges we encourage you to contact your doctor or a medical professional. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, call 911, or go to your local emergency room. For resources on eating disorders, visit https://edrcsv.org/get-help/. For a great resource to help with understanding depression and anxiety, and advice on how to help and what to say, check out one of our favorites, @realdepressionproject on Instagram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32분
  2. 2025. 11. 05.

    Struggling, with a guest star (!) who invites BABS to a live show and shares why she wants everyone to know We Are Enough

    This is a super special episode (!!) because Amanda and Sam invite their first ever guest onto the podcast. Gail, owner of the event planning business Spoonful of Sunshines, invited BABS to speak at their first ever live show (!!), taking place at a festival in Palm Springs in January 2026 called We Are Enough (https://www.spoonfulofsunshines.com/weareenough). In return, Gail shares her story in this episode and how it birthed the idea for the We Are Enough festival. Gail went to college with Amanda and Sam and even planned Amanda's wedding (oop!). But unbeknownst to college Amanda and Sam who saw Gail as a literal ray of sunshine and positivity, Gail was struggling to live up to her immigrant parents' dreams as she stared at an F on her midterm in the pouring rain and realized she wasn't going to be pre-med. She turned to partying to try and hide how lost she felt. Post-graduation, Gail followed her love of food into the hospitality industry, but a couple pivotal moments - including the tragic loss of her cousin - changed the course of Gail's life and helped her discover her purpose in life... to help people talk about emotions, destigmatize mental health, and help everyone realize that We Are Enough. *Trigger warning: This episode does talk about suicide, so please listen with extreme self-care or avoid if those thoughts are triggering.* Disclaimer:  We are NOT mental or physical health specialists. If you believe you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety, depression, or suicidal ideation, or any other mental health challenges we encourage you to contact your doctor or a medical professional. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, call 911, or go to your local emergency room. For resources on eating disorders, visit https://edrcsv.org/get-help/. For a great resource to help with understanding depression and anxiety, and advice on how to help and what to say, check out one of our favorites, @realdepressionproject on Instagram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    40분

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Just two best friends who just turned 40 talking about their struggles--everything from relationships, to not feeling good enough, to dealing with depression and anxiety--in hopes of normalizing things and making people feel less alone. Welcome to Bay Area Brats Struggling (BABS)! If you find yourself saying, “This is not what I thought my life would look like at this point,” you might be able to relate to this podcast. Raised as Asian Americans who were promised successful lives if they just studied hard and focused on school, Amanda and Sam found themselves on the cusp of checking all the boxes. Careers. Marriage. Homeowners. Kids.  Amanda got married to her college sweetheart, had twin girls after dealing with infertility, and lived a seemingly perfect life. Sam graduated law school, achieved her aspirations of working at a big law firm, and got engaged to her longtime boyfriend. But then Amanda asked for a divorce and blew up her life. Sam called off her engagement and got a cat. They had career identity crises. They had to start using dating apps in their 30s. They suffer from anxiety and depression. And while they can recognize their complaints can seem bratty at times, they’re also realizing the common precedent leading up to their meltdowns is that they were struggling in silence for too long. In trying to live life defined by other people’s standards, they lost themselves—or rather, they realized they never took the time to figure out who they were and what they wanted in the first place. So join them as they struggle through life, and hopefully you’ll realize you don’t have to struggle in silence… even if people call you a brat. Disclaimer:  We are NOT mental or physical health specialists. If you believe you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety, depression, or suicidal ideation, or any other mental health challenges we encourage you to contact your doctor or a medical professional. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, call 911, or go to your local emergency room. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.