Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories
Craig Heacock MD
Publishing Details
About This Podcast
How do we find a way out of the darkest depths of despair? Psychiatrist Dr. Craig Heacock hosts a deep dive into powerfully moving stories of hope and healing, as well as topical explorations of psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, and psychedelics.
Podcasting 2.0 Features
Social Media
Explore Statistics
Recent Episodes
S7E13 A somatic therapist and her apprenticeship of grief
Today’s story explores how we love, how we grieve, and how we eventually find some sort of equilibrium thereafter. This episode is a heartbreaking, yet beautiful story by Colorado-based somatic…
S7E12 A gift of therapy- Discovering the wisdom of the body
Kari reconnected with her birth mother in her 40s and finally began to understand the suffering for which she had no words. This is a story of adoption and reunification, of forgetting and…
S7E11 A Nurse + Grief + Alcohol + Adderall— Finding Hope for Healers
Kate started her addiction journey at a young age, using substances as a salve for her terrible grief. Later, drugs and alcohol helped her to cope with the transition to nursing and the unending…
S7E10 The Scary Med List-- A Case Consultation with Dr. H
Dr. H dives deep into a patient's scary, confusing, and ill-advised list of psych meds to illustrate some deeper truths and lessons about psychopharmacology and the med management model of…
S7E9 Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Ketamine, and Psychiatry 3.0
Dr. H sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Fenstermacher, Medical Director of the TMS Clinic at the University of Colorado- Anschutz to explore the growing role of TMS and neuromodulation in psychiatry. …
S7E8 When psychiatric illness isn't just psychiatric-- The immune system, PANS, and psychiatric mimicry
There is a growing awareness in psychiatry that not all psychiatric illness is psychiatric— some percentage of what presents in psychiatric settings is actually triggered by autoimmune responses to…
S7E7 10 Questions to Deepen Psychotherapy-- Inviting the Here and Now
Psychotherapy can often get stuck in a there and then storytelling mode....how do we shift the therapeutic encounter into the immediacy of the Here and Now? Here Dr. H shares 10 questions which…
S7E6 Is DID real? Parts, alters, exiles, and what's allowed in the therapeutic space
Dr. H sits down with Jade Miller, a peer support specialist and advocate for public education about DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). In the first part of this episode, Jade shares her story and…
S7E5 Parenting through the storm-- Adoption, trauma, acceptance, and humility
BFTA storyteller Frank shares the joy, confusion, chaos, utter fear, and deepest gratitude when he and his partner Brad adopted and raised two boys, ages 4 and 2, from the foster care system. Twenty…
S7E4 When our minds forget our bodies remember-- A trauma therapist comes back to life
Rachael, a trauma therapist and today's storyteller, describes how her early childhood abuse was buried by the protective mechanism of dissociative amnesia. As Rachael wrote to Dr. H, “The only way…
S7E3 Treatment-resistant bipolar disorder-- Finding stability at last
This story is a mirror to Elizabeth’s story from season 1 episode 1. Today’s storyteller Sarah was so moved by Elizabeth’s story that it helped her to trust Dr. H's recommendation to take a pretty…
S7E2 Hiding in plain sight-- Life, work, and therapy on the autistic spectrum
In today’s story we explore what it’s like to be on the autistic spectrum, and more specifically, how a later life diagnosis can totally change the way you view the world and yourself. Aurelie, our…
S7E1 Trapped in secrecy and shame-- A boy, his coach, and healing trauma with MDMA
How do you rebuild trust amidst the ashes of trauma? This is the story of Sean, an up and coming star tennis player whose coach carefully selected him and then groomed him for years of sexual…
S6E20 BFTA Summer Special-- The Wisdom of the Psychedelic Therapy Underground
In this fourth annual summer psychedelic special, Dr. H sits down to hear some hard-earned wisdom from a therapist colleague who has been doing underground MDMA and psilocybin work for years.Support…
S6E19 Chris, Craig, and Special Guest Fish in Fishbowl 6
Chris and Craig invite Antonio Sacre, an LA-based professional storyteller, author, and BFTA super-advisor into the Fishbowl to deconstruct season 6.BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast…
S6E18 Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners in the Treatment Landscape
Craig sits down with his mentee and colleague Mandy Bliss, a psychiatric NP in Louisville KY, to explore the compelling and complex challenges of meeting the ever-expanding need for psychiatric…
S6E17 The Enneagram in the Therapeutic Relationship
Craig sits down with Colorado-based psychotherapist and Enneagram expert Joy Gribble (Elemental Psychedelics; Reflective Healing) to explore how the Enneagram can predict the strengths, fears, and…
S6E16 Meds can't fill the trauma hole-- Attachment, maternal wounding, and the challenges of coming off meds
Here Dr. H sits down with Lisa, a pediatric nurse practitioner, to witness her story of developmental trauma, concomitant chronic depression, and eventually her path of healing and rebuilding trust…
S6E15 Desperately seeking safety -- A trauma healing journey with Koelle Simpson
Craig sits down with Colorado-based equine and somatic therapist Koelle Simpson to witness her harrowing and moving story of healing from repeated sexual assaults through a deep psychospiritual…
S6E14 The Art of Deprescribing
Dr. H breaks down the complex task of deprescribing into six clear steps, starting with the most important and challenging question of all: Who is the patient and why are they suffering?"Bringing…
Frequently Asked Questions
Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories has published 147 episodes since June 2019, covering topics in Health & Fitness, Medicine.
Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 53m.
Similar Podcasts
Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee
Dr Rangan Chatterjee: GP & Author
661 episodes
The Kevin Miller Podcast
Kevin Miller | YAP Media
1,684 episodes
Core IM | Internal Medicine Podcast
Core IM Team
217 episodes
Low Carb MD Podcast
Dr. Brian Lenzkes, Dr. Tro
445 episodes
Psychology Unplugged
Dr. Corey J. Nigro
283 episodes
The Addicted Mind Podcast
Duane Osterlind, LMFT
503 episodes