Let's Normalize Spiraling a Bit

website: delvepsych.cominstagram: @delvepsychchicagoyoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@DelvePsych20substack: https://delvepsych.substack.com/==Participants==Ali McGarelAdam Fominaya==Overview of Big Ideas==Therapy is not about becoming unbothered, robotic, or perfectly stoic. This episode argues that spiraling, panic, grief, and anger do not automatically mean failure; progress is messy, and shame usually makes it worse. Adam and Ali also separate emotions from behavior: you may not get to choose what you feel, but you do have some agency in how you relate to it and what you do next. ==Breakdown of Segments==Opening Delve updates, a plug for sharing the podcast, and a quick nod to therapy services and Substack.Why people treat one panic attack, relapse, or bad fight as proof that all progress is gone, and why that framing is badly distorted.A critique of the fantasy of "mastering" mental health, plus a discussion of how emotional suppression has often been gendered and socially enforced.A useful distinction between emotion and behavior: panic, sadness, and anger may arrive on their own, but you still have choices about expression, context, and consequences.Examples from sobriety, couples therapy, job interviews, and improv to show that setbacks are not the same thing as total collapse.What healthy spiraling might look like: crying, cocooning, grieving, and feeling fully without turning pain into collateral damage for everyone nearby.A closing reflection on a stoic-style quote about doing the hard thing in pursuit of the good, not merely the easy, pleasurable, or status-laden thing. ==AI Recommended References==Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2012). Acceptance and commitment therapy: The process and practice of mindful change (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. Greenberg, L. S. (2015). Emotion-focused therapy: Coaching clients to work through their feelings (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association. Sorabji, R. (2000). Emotion and peace of mind: From Stoic agitation to Christian temptation. Oxford University Press.