429: Coping with the Cruel World & Enduring Heartbreak
The Hardcore Self Help Podcast with Duff the Psych
Robert Duff, Ph.D.
4.6 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 31 January 2025
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this solo Q&A episode of the Hardcore Self Help Podcast, I answer two deeply personal and important listener questions. The first comes from a trans man struggling with the impact of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, fear for his safety, and overwhelming feelings of hopelessness. We talk about tangible ways to navigate the stress of doomscrolling, finding community, and taking back control in uncertain times.
The second question dives into the pain of heartbreak—specifically, the loss of a best friend after unrequited love. I discuss how to process grief, handle regret, and move forward when a relationship changes in ways you didn’t expect. Whether you're facing fear, loss, or uncertainty, this episode offers support, validation, and practical steps to help you through it.
Chapters:
00:00 — Intro: You Are Seen, You Are Valid
02:00 — Shoutout to the Finch App: A Fun Self-Care Tool
03:00 — Coping with Fear & Uncertainty as a Trans Person in a Hostile Climate
10:30 — Managing Doomscrolling & Social Media Overwhelm
14:00 — The Importance of Community & Seeking Safe Spaces
18:00 — Mental Health Resources & Seeking Support
19:00 — Handling Unrequited Love & The Pain of Heartbreak
22:30 — Why You’re Not to Blame for How Things Changed
24:00 — Navigating Grief & Loss in Relationships
27:30 — The Power of Solo Time & Rebuilding Your Life
29:00 — Closing Thoughts & Next Episode Preview
Resources & Links:
• Finch App – A self-care companion that makes mental health a little more fun! Download here
• Trans Lifeline – www.translifeline.org | (877) 565-8860
• The Trevor Project – www.thetrevorproject.org | Crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth
• Find a Therapist – www.psychologytoday.com
About the Podcast
I’m Dr. Robert Duff, a clinical psychologist and the host of the Hardcore Self Help Podcast. My goal is to break down mental health topics into real, relatable, and actionable advice. Whether it's tackling anxiety, navigating personal challenges, or discussing the latest in psychology, I’m here to help you thrive.
Connect With Me:
🌐 Website: www.duffthepsych.com
📷 Instagram: @duffthepsych
🎥 YouTube: Dr. Duff’s Channel
💙 If this episode resonates with you, please rate & review the podcast, and share it with someone who might need it. You are not alone.
#MentalHealth #LGBTQSupport #Heartbreak #CopingSkills #SelfCare #Doomscrolling #HardcoreSelfHelp
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I see you. Your existence is valid and I am so fucking sorry that this is the world you have to live in. |
| 0:16.6 | Hello, friends. This is the hardcore self-up podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Robert Duff. Today, we are going to do a |
| 0:22.3 | question and answer. As a reminder, you can always send me questions, topics you'd like me to talk about, |
| 0:28.1 | guest suggestions, anything like that, to Duff the Syke at gmail.com, or you can go to my website, |
| 0:33.7 | duffthepsych.com. There you find everything, including a contact page, and you can send |
| 0:38.1 | me questions on there, too. Today I'm going to be doing just a regular Q&A, no ads or anything |
| 0:44.2 | like that, so it should be pretty short and sweet. I did want to give a little bit of a shout |
| 0:47.7 | out at the top here to an app. No affiliation to this app. It's called Finch, and I think |
| 0:53.8 | it's probably on, you know, |
| 0:55.2 | Google Play and the app store for iPhone. |
| 0:57.9 | But it's a really fun app. |
| 0:59.5 | I'm not using it myself, |
| 1:00.7 | but a lot of my loved ones and friends are using it. |
| 1:03.6 | And they've really benefited from it. |
| 1:06.5 | Essentially, it's like a tomogachi. |
| 1:09.3 | So you have like a little virtual pet. And the way that you are |
| 1:13.1 | able to get new clothes or different sort of experiences for your pet is by doing habits. So it has a |
| 1:21.3 | method to basically track habits. And it could be simple things like I brushed my teeth today, |
| 1:25.6 | or it can be big things like I made a call |
| 1:27.6 | to a doctor's office that I needed to call. And when you do those things, you get to, you know, |
| 1:32.4 | raise your pet and it grows and you get to do fun things with it. And it also has a lot of built-in |
| 1:37.5 | tools for like meditation and other self-care related things. And so I think it's something that a lot of you guys would probably enjoy. So it's |
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