The Support & Kindness Podcast

Greg Shaw
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🌟 The Support & Kindness Podcast – With Greg and Rich Life with mental health challenges, brain injury, TBI, chronic pain, or simply the weight of everyday struggles can feel overwhelming. That’s why we created The Support & Kindness Podcast — a space where compassion, community, and real conversations come together. Each week, Greg and Rich share stories, insights, and practical tools that remind you you’re not alone. From personal experiences to uplifting interviews, we explore how kindness and support can transform lives — one story, one act, one conversation at a time. Expect heartfelt talks, simple steps you can take to spread kindness in your world, and encouragement to keep going, even on the hardest days. Whether you’re seeking hope, healing, or just a gentle reminder that what you do matters, this is your place. 👉 New episodes weekly. Subscribe and join us in building a kinder, more supportive world.

  1. 3d ago

    Episode 45: Are People Really Getting Ruder? Public Etiquette in a Distracted World

    Episode 45: Are People Really Getting Ruder? Public Etiquette in a Distracted World Nearly half of Americans say people have gotten ruder since the pandemic — but 84% say they personally know exactly how to behave. Both can’t be true. This week Greg, Rich, and Sarah ask whether people are really getting ruder, or whether “rude” is mostly about perception, expectation, and capacity. We reframe rudeness as a gap — the space between what you expected and what you got — then walk through six everyday “Is it rude?” scenarios where hidden context flips the verdict every time: the waiting-room speakerphonethe bus seatbeing filmed in publicthe dog in the grocery cartthe friend who cancels by textand the loud “correction.” Along the way: what invisible disability looks like from the outside, why most rudeness is overwhelm rather than malice, and the one thing you can always control - your own reaction. In this episode: - Why “rude” is a gap, not a fixed behavior - The 47% / 84% paradox from Pew’s rudeness survey - Capacity vs. character: why overwhelm drives most rudeness - Six “Is it rude?” scenarios — and how context changes each one - Extending grace (to others and yourself) Chapters: (00:00) Welcome & intro (01:47) Defining rudeness: “face” and the numbers (05:49) What does “rude” first bring to mind? (09:41) The post-pandemic shift (13:44) Capacity, sensory needs & being misjudged (24:20) Fading etiquette: phones, holidays, meals (30:50) Common Questions: six “Is it rude?” scenarios (45:22) Extending grace (51:14) What’s on your heart: Liam’s 50th (53:23) Closing & weekly challenge This episode featured Greg, Rich, and Sarah. 💜 Free weekly peer support groups: Brain Injury (Mon 1PM ET)Chronic Pain (Tue 12PM ET)Mental Health (Wed 7:30PM ET) Sign up / RSVP: https://kindnessrx.org/groups Help keep the groups free: https://buymeacoffee.com/kindnessrx Connect: https://kindnessrx.org Newsletter: https://kindnessrx.org/newsletter

    Episode 45: Are People Really Getting Ruder? Public Etiquette in a Distracted World

  2. Jul 19

    Episode 44: Can a Chatbot Support Your Mental Health

    Episode 44 Content note: This episode discusses suicidal thinking and the ways some AI tools have responded poorly to people in crisis, including young people. If you're struggling, you're not alone. In the US, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. International listeners: please contact your local crisis line.It's 2 a.m. Your chest is tight, your mind is racing, everyone you love is asleep — and the phone on your nightstand will answer you right now. It won't sigh. It won't judge. More and more people are reaching for that glowing screen. So we asked an honest question: can a chatbot really help your mental health?Greg, Rich and Liam talk it through with no script and no sales pitch — the real promise, the real limits, and the risks nobody's regulating yet. We go back to 1966 and the MIT scientist who built the first therapy chatbot and then spent the rest of his life warning people about it. We look at what the research actually found, both the hopeful and the alarming. And we land somewhere practical: a journal that talks back is not a therapist, and it should never be your crisis plan.WHAT WE COVERELIZA (1966), the "ELIZA effect," and why this debate is almost 60 years old Dartmouth's Therabot trial: depression symptoms down ~51%, anxiety ~31%, eating disorder concerns ~19% Stanford's 2025 findings — chatbots that stigmatized schizophrenia and alcohol dependence, and one that answered a crisis question with a list of tall bridges Nearly 1 in 5 young people ages 12–21 have used an AI chatbot for mental health advice — and most haven't told a single person Why a bot built to be agreeable is the opposite of what real support sometimes requires The privacy question: who owns your most private thoughts? The APA's November 2025 advisory — a tool, not a replacement Warm lines: a free, human alternative when you're not in crisis but you are lonelyCHAPTERS(00:00) The 2 a.m. phone(01:13) What an AI therapy chatbot actually is(02:03) The numbers, and why cost drives this(03:01) ELIZA, 1966 — and the man who warned us(05:47) Rich and Liam on trust, machines and the ELIZA effect(11:19) The promising side: Dartmouth's Therabot trial(14:20) WebMD, Google, and shame-free searching(18:09) Stanford's findings and the bridge question(23:56) When "always agreeable" turns dangerous(28:14) What the APA actually says(32:12) What careful use looks like(36:13) What's on your heart this week(41:15) Your challenge and closingTHIS EPISODE: Hosted by Greg Shaw with co-hosts Rich and Liam.YOUR CHALLENGE THIS WEEK: Take one thing you'd normally type into a screen — a worry, a win, a "today was hard" — and say it to an actual human instead. A machine can hold your words. A person can hold you.💜 Free weekly peer support groups: Brain Injury (Mon 1PM ET) Chronic Pain (Tue 12PM ET) Mental Health (Wed 7:30PM ET). Sign up / RSVP: https://kindnessrx.org/groups☕ Our groups are free and always will be. Help keep them that way: https://buymeacoffee.com/kindnessrxCONNECT WITH KINDNESSRXWebsite: https://kindnessrx.orgListen to every episode: https://kindnessrx.org/listenNewsletter: https://kindnessrx.beehiiv.com/YouTube & social: @KindnessRXCrisis support: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988 (US). https://988lifeline.org

    Episode 44: Can a Chatbot Support Your Mental Health

  3. Jul 13

    Episode 43: A Fireside Chat

    This week we skipped the script for a real fireside chat. Greg, Rich, and Liam talk about what it actually takes to get by when money is tight — and why needing help is nothing to be ashamed of. With costs climbing and grocery budgets shrinking, more of us are leaning on food pantries, benefits, and community help than ever. Liam shares how treatment for alcohol quietly changed his life and connected him to a disability attorney, SNAP, and food pantries. Rich brings years of food-pantry volunteering — and a story about being treated like a checklist instead of a person. Together they land on peer support specialists, then drift into soccer, coaching kids, drums, and why a healthy hobby can quietly save a life. What we get into:Why asking for help is not a stigma — you're not alone in itHow recovery and treatment can open unexpected doors to resourcesWhere to actually start looking: mental health agencies, rehabs, churchesOhio's PIPP for utility bills, and Dress for Success for interview clothingPeer support specialists: lived experience as a strengthHealthy hobbies as a protective factor — sports and music Chapters:(00:00) Welcome & who's here today(02:00) Getting help is not a stigma(03:00) The cost-of-living squeeze(03:47) Liam's recovery story & finding resources(06:25) PIPP & help with utility bills(08:00) Food pantries & where to start looking(11:37) Peer support specialists(13:27) Seen as a person, not a checklist(17:05) Grassroots sports, music & healthy hobbies(31:42) Warm lines, 988 & closing This episode featured Greg, Rich, and Liam. Not in crisis but need to talk? Call or text 988, or search NAMI's warmline directory. 💜 Free weekly peer support groups: Brain Injury (Mon 1PM ET) Chronic Pain (Tue 12PM ET) Mental Health (Wed 7:30PM ET) Sign up / RSVP: https://kindnessrx.org/groupsKeep the groups free: https://buymeacoffee.com/kindnessrxConnect: kindnessrx.org · Newsletter: kindnessrx.beehiiv.com

    Episode 43: A Fireside Chat

  4. Jul 6

    Episode 42: The Many Faces of Kindness

    Hold a door. Wave a car in. Text an old friend out of nowhere. Small kindnesses — but that same gesture can mean something completely different three time zones away. In Episode 42, we travel the world to ask one question: does kindness look the same everywhere? The heart of it does. The shape of it doesn't. Greg, Rich, Liam, and Sarah trace the word for kindness through six faith traditions, and a few languages English never gave a name to, then look at the research showing the world is measurably kinder than the news makes it seem. Along the way: tipping and fair wages, why we brace for cold strangers, where religion and people part ways, and how to be kind to someone whose customs you don't share. What you'll take away:The pull to help is universal — how we show it is local.Every tradition has its own word: mettaagapechesedsadaqahsevaubuntu.A tip that says “thank you” here can read as an insult elsewhere. People are about twice as kind as we expect.Assume good intent, stay curious, ask instead of guess. Chapters:(00:00) Introduction — kindness around the world(01:47) Every faith's word for it(03:13) The numbers: how kind the world really is(04:35) Tipping, suspended coffee, and shifting shapes(06:00) Faith traditions: tzedakah, zakat, langar(07:53) Roundtable(16:19) Common questions(32:24) Free-form sharing(37:10) What's on your heart(41:33) Challenge & closing This episode featured Greg, Rich, Liam, and Sarah. 💜 Free weekly peer support groups: Brain Injury (Mon 1PM ET)Chronic Pain (Tue 12PM ET)Mental Health (Wed 7:30PM ET) Sign up / RSVP: kindnessrx.org/groups Help keep the groups free: buymeacoffee.com/kindnessrx Connect: kindnessrx.org Newsletter: kindnessrx.beehiiv.com

    Episode 42: The Many Faces of Kindness

  5. Jun 28

    Episode 41: RSD: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

    Content note: this episode discusses rejection, shame, and self-harm. If you are struggling, you are not alone. In the US, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. That sinking feeling when one small piece of feedback lands like a punch? There is a name for it: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, or RSD. In Episode 41, Greg, Rich, Liam, and Sarah talk plainly about what RSD is, why it can feel physical, and what actually helps, with no quick fixes. We get into why one criticism can drown out ten compliments, why the rejection does not even have to be real to hurt, how this connects to ADHD without being limited to it, and the small tools that genuinely help in the moment. In this episode: What RSD is, and what it is not Why your brain treats one harsh comment as a survival threat "Too sensitive" versus something more than that Grounding, breathing, and a cold-water bottle on the neck The one-pause challenge to try this week Chapters: (00:00) What RSD really is (03:22) How common is it? (05:49) Why one criticism outweighs ten compliments (10:34) When rejection hurts (12:43) Real or just too sensitive? (21:09) Do you need ADHD to feel it? (23:35) What helps when the sting hits (27:32) Free-form sharing (31:40) What is on your heart this week (40:09) Recap, challenge, and close Featured this episode: Greg (host), with Rich, Liam, and Sarah. Free weekly peer support groups: Brain Injury (Mon 1PM ET) Chronic Pain (Tue 12PM ET) Mental Health (Wed 7:30PM ET) Sign up or RSVP: kindnessrx.org/groups Help keep the groups free: buymeacoffee.com/kindnessrx Website: kindnessrx.org Newsletter: kindnessrx.beehiiv.com

    Episode 41: RSD: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

  6. Jun 20

    Episode 40: The Cost of Kindness

    Episode 40: The Cost of Kindness Content note: One segment includes a personal story of childhood family violence. If you’re struggling, you’re not alone: In the US call or text 988, or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. We almost always hear “the cost of kindness” as a warning. This episode flips it: the real cost isn’t being kind — it’s holding kindness back. Greg and the panel make the case with research and a lot of honest, everyday stories. In this episode: Why kindness lowers stress — and lifts productivity by about 12% What unkindness really costs a workplace (the numbers are rough) How to be kind without getting walked on — boundaries and advocacy Kindness vs. people-pleasing — the honest difference Why you have to save some kindness for yourself, too Chapters: 00:00 Why “kindness costs” is backwards 02:16 The research: cortisol, blood pressure, productivity 04:24 Is kindness a weakness at work? 05:15 Everyday kindness, the small stuff 06:10 What kindness does in the brain 07:43 Turning kindness inward 08:32 The cost of kindness at work 11:54 Getting taken advantage of + people-pleasing 24:26 Staying kind when you’re running on empty 39:40 Recap, challenge & support groups This episode featured Greg with co-hosts Rich, Derek, Liam, and Sarah. 💜 Free weekly peer support groups: Brain Injury (Mon 1PM ET), Chronic Pain (Tue 12PM ET), Mental Health (Wed 7:30PM ET). Sign up / RSVP: https://luma.com/calendar/cal-oyT0VPlVTKCPxBw Keep the groups free: https://buymeacoffee.com/kindnessrx Web: https://kindnessrx.org  Newsletter: https://kindnessrx.beehiiv.com/

    Episode 40: The Cost of Kindness

  7. Jun 14

    Episode 39: Adult ADHD — What You Need to Know

    You wrote the plan down. You even put it on your phone. By 10 a.m. you’d started four things and finished none — and that same old voice was asking what’s wrong with you. If that’s familiar, this one’s for you. In Episode 39, Greg and Rich have an honest, personal conversation about adult ADHD: what it actually is, why it’s so easily missed, and what real support looks like. ADHD isn’t the kid who can’t sit still, and it doesn’t disappear at eighteen. It’s a difference in how the brain manages attention, impulse, and follow-through — and for many adults it’s been there all along, just unrecognized. Both hosts share their own late-diagnosis stories and land where the show always does with hope. What we cover: Why adult ADHD looks like internal restlessness and exhaustion, not hyperactivityWhy more than half of adults with ADHD aren’t diagnosed until adulthood — and why women are so often missedWhy “lazy” is almost always the wrong word (Rich’s duck-on-the-water metaphor)Treatment that actually helps — medication, therapy, lifestyle, structure, communityThe reframe: your brain isn’t working against you on purposeChapters: (00:00) Introduction & what adult ADHD really is(03:00) By the numbers: who’s been missed(04:18) Ferrari engine, bicycle brakes(05:24) Why “lazy” gets it wrong: the duck on the water(07:04) Childhood vs. adult ADHD & late diagnosis(11:10) Symptoms: hyperfocus and 500 browser tabs(14:11) Getting diagnosed as an adult(15:54) Is ADHD real? Treatment options(18:41) Rich & Greg’s stories + what’s on your heart(24:04) Summary, challenge & closingThis episode featured Greg Shaw and Rich. RESOURCES MENTIONED Books: Driven to Distraction — Edward Hallowell & John RateyADHD 2.0 — Edward Hallowell & John RateyTaking Charge of Adult ADHD — Russell BarkleyOrganizations: CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD)ADDitude MagazineTalks: “Failing at Normal” — Jessica McCabe (How to ADHD)“Recognizing ADHD in Adults” — Dr. Heather Brannon💜 Free weekly peer support groups: Brain Injury (Mon 1 PM ET) Chronic Pain (Tue 12 PM ET) Mental Health (Wed 7:30 PM ET). Details: https://kindnessrx.org Keep the groups free: https://buymeacoffee.com/kindnessrx | Website: https://kindnessrx.org | Newsletter: https://kindnessrx.beehiiv.com/

    Episode 39: Adult ADHD — What You Need to Know

  8. Jun 7

    Episode 38: What You Can Actually Control

    It’s late, you’re scrolling, and there’s a low hum under everything — the headlines, the economy, the things you can’t fix. You’re not upset about one thing; you’re just heavy, tired, and small. Episode 38 is about that feeling, and about finding where your power actually lives. Greg, Rich, Derek, and Sarah define agency (the felt belief that what you do shapes what happens next), name the difference between agency and controlling everything, and talk honestly about reclaiming the small, controllable corners of a life — because the brain that can learn helplessness can also learn controllability. In this episode: Why “nothing I do matters” is so common right now — and what it actually is The science: an internal sense of control, less depression and anxiety Why “control” isn’t a dirty word — a noun and a verb Where agency really lives: body, attention, time, relationships, the next small action Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:00 Defining agency & locus of control 03:30 The numbers & the science 07:00 Roundtable: staying grounded 12:23 Is “control” a dirty word? 17:58 Common questions 41:20 Free-form sharing 44:42 What’s on your heart 47:32 Closing & weekly challenge 50:04 Support groups & resources This episode featured Greg with Rich, Derek, and Sarah. 💜 Free weekly peer support groups: Brain Injury (Mon 1PM ET), Chronic Pain (Tue 12PM ET), Mental Health (Wed 7:30PM ET). Details: https://kindnessrx.org Help keep the groups free: https://buymeacoffee.com/kindnessrx Connect: kindnessrx.org · YouTube @KindnessRX · Newsletter: https://kindnessrx.beehiiv.com/ If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 (US Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).

    Episode 38: What You Can Actually Control
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About

🌟 The Support & Kindness Podcast – With Greg and Rich Life with mental health challenges, brain injury, TBI, chronic pain, or simply the weight of everyday struggles can feel overwhelming. That’s why we created The Support & Kindness Podcast — a space where compassion, community, and real conversations come together. Each week, Greg and Rich share stories, insights, and practical tools that remind you you’re not alone. From personal experiences to uplifting interviews, we explore how kindness and support can transform lives — one story, one act, one conversation at a time. Expect heartfelt talks, simple steps you can take to spread kindness in your world, and encouragement to keep going, even on the hardest days. Whether you’re seeking hope, healing, or just a gentle reminder that what you do matters, this is your place. 👉 New episodes weekly. Subscribe and join us in building a kinder, more supportive world.

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