America Dissected

Trauma is all around us–and the word has come to dominate so much of our conversation about mental health. The common perception of trauma is that it lingers, devastating mental health over time. But what if the more common consequence of trauma was growth? Abdul reflects on the way we think about trauma. Then he interviews Prof. Richard Tedeschi, the psychologist who coined the term “post-traumatic growth” about the phenomenon, why it happens, and how we unlock it.

This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dissected invites you to check them out. This episode was brought to you by:

Marguerite Casey Foundation who invites you to sign up for their book club at caseygrants.org/bookclub

America’s most common New Year’s resolutions focus on health–weight loss, fitness, or something else. While almost all of them focus on physical health, they all run through our mental health. Abdul reflects on how essential health is to everything else we do. Then he sits down with psychiatrist and author Dr. Jud Brewer to understand the mind-body axis and how mastering it can help us nail down those resolutions.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has promised action on President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, a sweeping package of legislation that would transform the American social experience. Along with critically important investments like universal childcare and paid family leave, the version that passed the House includes a slew of healthcare reforms. Abdul speaks to Jonathan Cohn, National Correspondent at HuffPost, and author of The Ten Year War, about the fight over protecting the Affordable Care Act, about the potential impact of the legislation.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/americadissected.

Abdul and Katelyn discuss the latest in health policy this week including:

• RFK Jr’s plan to form a national registry of Americans with autism
• The shift to make US health policy look more like Europe’s
• The latest news on the Texas measles outbreak
• A White House budget proposal that calls for cutting $40 billion from HHS next year
• Why NIH’s top expert on ultra-processed foods left the agency

Then Abdul interviews Harvard polling expert Dr. Gillian SteelFisher about a new survey on pandemic safety measures -- and most Americans are more open than you think! And a special thanks to deBeaumont Foundation for their contribution to today’s interview.

Check out our shop at store.americadissected.com for our new America Dissected merch – including logo shirts, hoodies and mugs. And don’t miss our “Vaccines Matter. Science Works.” t-shirts!

This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dissected invites you to check them out. This episode was brought to you by:

de Beaumont Foundation: Find new, research-tested messaging to communicate about public health, plus useful tips for the real-world situations you face, at debeaumont.org.

Abdul and Katelyn discuss the latest news in health and policy, including:

• Trump’s proposal to increase the birth rate by giving women $5000 baby bonuses
• The political divide over measles
• Why RFK Jr is being asked to testify at the Senate HELP committee in May
• The closure of nine schools in Milwaukee due to lead contamination

Then Abdul and Katelyn talk to Princeton political science professors Dr. Frances Lee and Dr. Stephen Macedo about their new book “In Covid’s Wake.”

Check out our shop at store.americadissected.com for our new America Dissected merch – including logo shirts, hoodies and mugs. And don’t miss our “Vaccines Matter. Science Works.” t-shirts!

This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dissected invites you to check them out. This episode was brought to you by:

de Beaumont Foundation: For 25 years, the de Beaumont Foundation has worked to create practical solutions that improve the health of communities across the country. To learn more, visit debeaumont.org.

Ground News: Go to groundnews.com/AD today to get forty percent off the Ground News Vantage plan and get access to all of their news analysis features.

Our Big Shot: Search for and subscribe to “Our Big Shot: Wiping Out Disease” on Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.