Mental Health Hot Takes #4

Dr Kirk Honda reacts to mental health hot takes from the listeners. November 21, 2025

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/KIRK to get 10% off your first month.

00:00 Intro01:16 Self-care culture can cause undue pressure
03:42 Teachers should be banned from using mental health terms
11:04 Autistic individuals are frequently misdiagnosed with Borderline
18:04 Humor is the best coping mechanism
18:13 Those in the US are prone to exaggeration
19:27 Excessive screen time impacts our mental health
25:21 We don't all suddenly have ADHD
27:33 People with personality disorders shouldn't be politicians
30:10 Frequent trauma reflection can become unhealthy wallowing
40:16 People use diagnosis as an excuse for bad behaviors
41:00 It's OK to use Borderline language without a diagnosis
42:33 Authenticity with clients is not about full transparency

46:35 Narcissism is both over and under diagnosed
47:10 Shame isn't always bad
50:05 Medication doesn't work for everyone
52:08 People with psychosis can benefit from talk therapy
55:28 You can cut out those that negatively impact your life
56:36 Therapists only validate their clients
1:00:20 Romantic love is unethical
1:00:58 Trauma dumping is a quick way of rescinding empathy
1:01:10 It is too much work to become a mental health professional
1:08:13 There's too many types of psychotherapy
1:14:38 Boundaries are just a way to be avoidant
1:15:50 Understanding mental illness is still in infancy
1:22:12 Embrace being average
1:26:10 DID is a trauma response not a personality disorder
1:30:31 Mental health issues come from family of origin trauma
1:30:46 EMDR can do more harm than good
1:33:52 Imposter syndrome points to grandiosity rather than humility
1:37:48 Social media isn't harmful per se, just in our societal context
1:38:09 Client-centered therapists "just" listen
1:39:37 CBT is for therapists who are afraid of doing real work
1:42:08 You can't love yourself without being loved by others
1:44:54 Can someone be in love with two people at once?
1:51:22 Schema therapy is the best model
1:54:35 Mandatory therapy should be paid for by the government
1:57:23 Eclectic therapists don't understand any model well enough
1:59:10 Stop focusing on your mental health
2:03:14 Organized attachment is the exception, not the norm
2:05:09 Those in open relationships just have insecure attachment
2:09:29 It's not easy being green

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Trigger Warning: This episode may include topics such as assault, trauma, and discrimination. If necessary, listeners are encouraged to refrain from listening and care for their safety and well-being.

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