Deciphering Growth

Tiffany Graves and Eric Stone
  • 5.0 (2)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Deciphering Growth is a mental health podcast that aims to clear up misunderstandings and mysteries surrounding mental health. Our goal is to provide information and insights that can help people grow their understanding of this important issue. We cover a wide range of topics related to mental health, from anxiety and depression to trauma. Our hope is that by shedding light on these topics, we can help people feel more informed and empowered to take charge of their own mental health.​ Join Tiffany Graves and Eric Stone as we dive into the wonders of Mental Health!

  1. Financial Trauma: How Money Stress Impacts Your Mental Health

    APR 15

    Financial Trauma: How Money Stress Impacts Your Mental Health

    In this episode of Deciphering Growth, Tiffany Graves and Eric Stone explore the often overlooked topic of financial trauma — how past experiences with money can shape anxiety, scarcity mindset, shame, and the way we navigate everyday decisions. From growing up with financial insecurity to navigating the stress of today's economy, many people carry invisible wounds related to money. Even when bills are paid and life looks stable on the outside, the nervous system may still be stuck in survival mode. In this conversation we explore:• What financial trauma actually is• Why money can carry intense shame and stigma• How scarcity mindset develops• Why financial stress impacts mental health• The connection between survival responses and money behaviors• Compassionate ways to begin addressing financial trauma This episode opens the door to a conversation many people avoid — because money is deeply personal.

    33 min
  2. Burnout, Boundaries, and Being Human: A Real Conversation About Mental Health

    APR 1

    Burnout, Boundaries, and Being Human: A Real Conversation About Mental Health

    This week, we’re having a real and honest conversation about burnout, emotional exhaustion, stress, self-care, boundaries, and what it means to be human even when you’re struggling. We talk about the pressure to keep going, the guilt that can come with slowing down, and why burnout is not a personal failure. If you’ve been feeling weary, overwhelmed, stretched too thin, or disconnected from yourself, this episode is for you. We also explore how to move forward without toxic positivity, how to be honest about your limits, and why realistic self-care often looks different than the polished version we see online.

    34 min
  3. Process Addiction Explained: Gambling, Gaming & Dopamine in the Trauma Brain

    MAR 18

    Process Addiction Explained: Gambling, Gaming & Dopamine in the Trauma Brain

    What is a process addiction — and how is it different from substance addiction? In this episode of Deciphering Growth, Tiffany Graves, and Eric Stone explore behavioral addictions including gambling, gaming, social media, shopping, pornography, and work addiction. We break down: • The neuroscience of dopamine and reward circuitry• How trauma dysregulates the nervous system• Why unpredictable rewards hook the brain• The shame–stress–behavior cycle• How tolerance and withdrawal show up without substances• Why process addictions are often socially rewarded before they’re punished• The role of neuroplasticity in recovery Process addictions aren’t moral failures. They are nervous systems trying to regulate. But when coping becomes compulsive, it can impact relationships, finances, identity, and mental health. Trigger warning for discussion of gambling and behavioral addiction. Subscribe for more trauma-informed mental health conversations and join our Patreon for early access and exclusive content.

    37 min
  4. Doomscrolling & Mental Health: How Social Media Hijacks Your Brain

    MAR 4

    Doomscrolling & Mental Health: How Social Media Hijacks Your Brain

    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.

    35 min
  5. The Monster Inside Avoidance: Trauma Lessons From Stranger Things

    FEB 18

    The Monster Inside Avoidance: Trauma Lessons From Stranger Things

    🚨 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.

    34 min
  6. Why Treating Mental Health Like a Checklist Is Making It Worse

    FEB 4

    Why Treating Mental Health Like a Checklist Is Making It Worse

    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.

    25 min
  7. New Year, Same You: Letting Go of Shame-Based Resolutions

    JAN 21

    New Year, Same You: Letting Go of Shame-Based Resolutions

    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.

    40 min
  8. Choosing Peace Over Performance: Parentification & Attachment During the Holidays

    JAN 7

    Choosing Peace Over Performance: Parentification & Attachment During the Holidays

    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

    43 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Deciphering Growth is a mental health podcast that aims to clear up misunderstandings and mysteries surrounding mental health. Our goal is to provide information and insights that can help people grow their understanding of this important issue. We cover a wide range of topics related to mental health, from anxiety and depression to trauma. Our hope is that by shedding light on these topics, we can help people feel more informed and empowered to take charge of their own mental health.​ Join Tiffany Graves and Eric Stone as we dive into the wonders of Mental Health!

Information

  • Creator
    Tiffany Graves and Eric Stone
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    71
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Tiffany Graves and Eric Stone
  • Show Website
    Deciphering Growth

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