Ever wonder why haunted houses can sometimes feel like your own anxious mind? Today, Dirty Skittles and G-Rex sit down with the incredible Brenda Ganske, creator and host of Horrifying History — the show where history, science, and the supernatural collide. Together, we unravel how fear, empathy, and history intersect with mental health and anxiety.
Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads is a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health) and 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast) with over 2 million downloads and counting.
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Mental Health Quote:
“You can’t heal what you don’t face — even if what you’re facing has a ghost attached to it.”
Episode Description
Paranormal meets personal healing in this hauntingly honest episode with Brenda Ganske, host of Horrifying History. We talk anxiety, OCD, and the surprising ways spooky stories and mental health collide — from haunted houses to healing minds. Tune in for empathy, humor, and real talk about finding calm in the chaos.
Brenda opens up about her journey living with generalized anxiety and OCD, and how exploring history’s darkest corners became her therapy. From the Salem witch trials to haunted hotels, she explains why understanding fear helps us better understand ourselves. This episode is equal parts eerie and empowering — just in time for Halloween.
We also talk about therapy wins, boundary-setting, and real-world anxiety tools, such as the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding method. It’s spooky season with a dose of serotonin — because healing doesn’t always come wrapped in calm music and crystals. Sometimes it’s in the stories we tell.
Brenda shares how storytelling and curiosity helped her manage anxiety and OCD, while the trio dives deep into therapy wins, coping skills, and how humor makes healing possible — even when life feels haunted. Expect honest conversation, a little history, and a reminder that anxiety doesn’t define you; it teaches you to feel deeply.
Keywords: Brenda Ganske, Horrifying History, anxiety, OCD, mental health, podcast, healing, haunted houses, therapy, empathy, history, spooky season, trauma healing, coping tools, self-care, Halloween
Meet Our Guest — Brenda Ganske
Brenda Ganske is the creator and host of Horrifying History, the podcast where history, the supernatural, and science collide. An amateur historian and expert “spookstoryian,” Brenda brings her analytical background and love of mystery to explore urban legends and historical hauntings in search of truth.
She was born and raised in Alberta, Canada, and when she’s not uncovering ghostly tales, she’s hanging with her co-host Gizmo the Shih Tzu — the most loyal (and snoring) sidekick in podcasting.
Listen to Horrifying History: https://bleav.com/shows/horrifying-history
Website: https://horrifying-history-shop.fourthwall.com
X: https://x.com/HorrifyingHist1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/horrifying_history/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/horrifyinghistory
Key Takeaways
- History and mental health often mirror each other — we repeat what we don’t understand.
- Anxiety doesn’t make you weak; it makes you deeply aware.
- Empaths and creatives often carry emotional residue from places and people.
- The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique is a powerful way to manage anxiety.
- Therapy and self-awareness help turn old fear responses into healing moments.
- It’s okay to love spooky things and talk about mental health.
Actionable Items
- Try the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise when you feel anxious.
- Write down what “haunts” your thoughts — then ask what truth it’s trying to tell you.
- Make space for fear and curiosity; both can lead to healing.
References Mentioned
Important Chapters
00:00 – Welcome + Why this episode is Dirty Skittles’ “Jimmy Jam”
02:00 – Brenda on the Salem Witch Trials & the psychology of fear
06:00 – Haunted energy and being an empath in spooky spaces
19:00 – Living with anxiety and OCD
25:00 – Tools and therapy that actually work (EMDR, grounding)
34:00 – Advice Brenda would give her younger self
39:00 – Learning to walk away from toxic people
41:00 – Closing + our mental health reminder
Closing CTA
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