Hi Duff, I just found your podcast and am really enjoying it. I was diagnosed as bipolar I in college and have had a few major episodes, but not as many later in my life (34 now). For the past 3 years I have had this thing where I have a constant paranoid script in my mind — people always judging me and talking about me. It’s debilitating and never shuts off. I have used every anti-psychotic to no avail. I published a book around the time it started, I was also heavily using marijuana, and it’s pretty much like having a bad, paranoid marijuana trip constantly. I just want to know, could I have permanently altered my brain from using marijuana? Or is this a trauma thing? I have had so many different doctors weigh in and they have no idea what to think about it. Just curious if you do…

Question 2:

Hi Dr. Robert!

Love the podcast! I was wondering if you have any strategies to navigate a hostile work environment with anxiety-inducing coworkers. For example: gossiping, racial biases, political biases, and sabotage of others work is the behavior experienced of my coworkers.

The environment is heavily based on performance and judgment of others which is not an environment in which I thrive or feel comfortable. I am a non-confrontational person and have trouble voicing my issues to my coworkers and even my boss.

I’m not sure if this is something that’s controllable by me since it’s so heavily based on actions and personalities of others, but it is affecting my anxiety when approaching my day-to-day work.

Any tips or advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time and such helpful resources, don’t know where I’d be without your podcast!