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Neurotic Tornado

Neurotic Tornado

By Yuvi Zalkow

A podcast series that explores relationships and emotions and pain and other messy, hilarious things.
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S3-36: Defining the relationship

Neurotic TornadoJun 06, 2016

00:00
23:42
45: The Failed Q&A Episode
Jun 29, 202226:52
44: Stage Fright, Book Launches, and Other Nightmares

44: Stage Fright, Book Launches, and Other Nightmares

With my new novel launching on June 7th, we discuss stage fright, the book launch experience, and my nightmares about peeing. We also give Jackie Shannon Hollis a call (17 minutes into the show). She hosted this show in seasons 2 & 3, and released a fabulous memoir in 2019: This Particular Happiness (link).

If you want more info about the Neurotic Tornado 😫🌪podcast, check out the podcast home page (link). And if you want more info about my new novel, check out I Only Cry with Emoticons on my website (link).

Jun 07, 202238:02
43: The Depression and Anxiety Episode
May 27, 202232:13
42: Pain Scale from 1 to Fuchsia

42: Pain Scale from 1 to Fuchsia

I suffer from chronic migraines. Every week I have to work through the ups and downs of how I feel. In this episode, my wife and I talk about how we manage our lives alongside my chronic pain. For some context, here are two YouTube videos I made about chronic pain:

Also, in the episode we reference the Spoon Theory (coined by writer Christine Miserandino). To learn more about this helpful metaphor, check out her original blog post (from 2003!).

If you want more info about the Neurotic Tornado 😫🌪podcast, check out the podcast home page (link). And if you want more info about my new novel, check out I Only Cry with Emoticons on my website (link).

May 13, 202231:32
41: Spiral of Foreboding
Apr 29, 202225:46
40: I'm My Obsession
Apr 17, 202239:22
Season 4 Prep: The Catastrophizer (Episode 39)
Dec 31, 202135:14
S3-38: Very much our space

S3-38: Very much our space

We conclude the Beyond Coupled season. We talk through what we learned. And we share an exciting update about Ben...

We loved doing this season; we’re so appreciative that you joined us; we appreciate the honesty of the crew we interviewed; we’re even appreciative of the semicolon. But now we need to take a nap.
Jul 05, 201623:57
S3-37: The beautiful messiness

S3-37: The beautiful messiness

We dig a little more into the nature of their relationship. Some things we can immediately identify with, and some things we have to talk through...
Jun 20, 201621:28
S3-36: Defining the relationship

S3-36: Defining the relationship

In this podcast episode, Nikki, Ben, and Stevan start to define their relationship now that everything is out in the open. If you're just tuning in, be sure to go back to episode 31 for the beginning of the season: It was a good marriage, but...
Jun 06, 201623:42
S3-35: They go to therapy

S3-35: They go to therapy

We go with Nikki, Ben, and Stevan to therapy. This is the first therapy session with all of them at the table together. Find out what happens!......
May 22, 201625:42
S3-34: An upended fishbowl

S3-34: An upended fishbowl

We finally check in with Ben (the husband!) to find out how he learned about his wife's affair, and how he began processing it. Whew. Heavy stuff....
May 09, 201626:57
S3-33: Preparing the ground

S3-33: Preparing the ground

In this episode, we listen to Stevan and Nikki talk about their continuing affair. At this point, the affair is still a secret, but Nikki is preparing to tell her husband. I don't know about you, but I'm already starting to get chest pains...
Apr 25, 201625:52
S3-32: How an affair begins

S3-32: How an affair begins

In this episode, we meet Stevan. He is recently divorced when he meets Nikki, a married woman in a not-completely-happy marriage. Find out what happens next.
Apr 10, 201622:43
S3-31: It was a good marriage, but…

S3-31: It was a good marriage, but…

In this episode, we begin our quest into this season's relationship. Meet Nikki. She was mostly happy in her marriage, but there was one thing missing. Listen to the episode to find out what she was looking for...
Mar 27, 201627:55
Season 3 Intro *** (S3-30)

Season 3 Intro *** (S3-30)

Neurotic Tornado is (almost) back for season 3. In this ShOrT podcast episode, we tell you what's coming... and how we got to know the three people you're going to hear from...
Mar 11, 201607:02
S2-29: Wisdom, Advice, Analysis

S2-29: Wisdom, Advice, Analysis

We go back one last time to the four couples we interviewed to hear any wisdom, analysis, or advice they shared. We also rudely interrupt couples trying to eat at the Portland food carts to score any free advice. This is our last official episode of the season, but we may have some bonus episodes soon. And stay tuned for what is to come with season 3...
Sep 14, 201538:56
S2-28: Gender Roles, Attraction, Sexuality

S2-28: Gender Roles, Attraction, Sexuality

Jackie and I explore the non-traditional gender roles for two of the couples we interviewed. And we question what the labels mean in the first place. We look at attraction in this light. And I think I confess my attraction for a brooding vampire... If you haven't already done so, check out the previous episodes from this season, which dealt with sex, conflict, and started with introductions. Fun for the whole family! Actually, not the whole family… just the adults.
Aug 12, 201526:59
S2-27: The Sexpisode

S2-27: The Sexpisode

In this podcast episode (third in the Being Coupled season), Jackie & I... uhhh... actually... uhhh... try to talk about sex. With the couples we interviewed. And with our partners. But this stuff isn't easy. So we use a New York Times article about sex talk in therapy, along with a few other tools, to help navigate these sometimes-unsexy waters. After you listen to our conversation, check out the links below...
Jul 29, 201549:46
S2-26: Communication & Conflict

S2-26: Communication & Conflict

We dig into how the four couples we interviewed communicate with each other, and what arguments look like for them. We use research from the Gottman Institute as the basis for some of our ideas about relationships and the different personality types in a relationship. Except we simplify it down to 'avoider' types and 'prodder' types. Stick this episode in your ear for more info! No couples were injured during the making of this episode...
Jul 14, 201501:04:34
S2-25: Meet the Couples

S2-25: Meet the Couples

Jackie and I introduce you to the four couples we interviewed for this season. We share with you how they met and what they consider their "mission" as a couple. We had a great time putting this series together and we're excited to finally get this thing into your... ears. So here we go, the first episode of the series...
Jun 30, 201543:15
Season 2 Intro *** (S2-24)

Season 2 Intro *** (S2-24)

We go behind the scenes to explain what is coming in season two. Jackie Shannon Hollis and I interviewed four couples to prepare for this season. You'll hear why I'm doing it, why Jackie is doing it, and what my wife thinks about me podcast-cheating on her...
Jun 17, 201515:35
S2-23: Writing About Loved Ones

S2-23: Writing About Loved Ones

Jackie, Bill, and I discuss what it is like to write about the people we care about, and how it affects them. Jackie is currently working on a (second) memoir and I've written lots of autobiographical-sounding fiction (along with a few essays). So apparently we can easily BS about this subject for over an hour. (I edited it down to 65 minutes, though we spoke for longer!) It was again great to have Bill's perspective so he could chime in on how it felt to be written ABOUT, even in cases that weren't necessarily flattering. Give it a listen...
Dec 06, 201401:05:10
S2-22: Alone Time with Jackie and Bill

S2-22: Alone Time with Jackie and Bill

I talk to Jackie and Bill about a writer's need for alone time, and how that goes over with the writer's partner...
Oct 23, 201448:02
21: The Podcast Effect

21: The Podcast Effect

This is the fifteenth podcast episode my wife and I have done together. So in this episode, we talk about how the podcast has affected our relationship. It has caused some ups and downs, with more ups than downs. We also talk about how you too can reap the benefits of this experience, without having to be foolish enough to start your own podcast to discuss your relationship issues...
Sep 02, 201422:26
20: Hey Jealousy

20: Hey Jealousy

In this podcast episode, my wife and I talk about jealousy -- her jealousy of me and my jealousy of her. Although a certain amount of jealousy is allowed in our relationship, are we jealous enough???
Aug 14, 201432:36
19: Drawn to Women

19: Drawn to Women

In this podcast episode, my wife and I analyze why we both typically prefer to talk with women more than men. This isn't an across the board thing though -- we both have close male friends -- and so we try to untangle why it's that way. Hopefully no genders were harmed in the making of this podcast...
Jul 16, 201429:00
18: Sex and Marriage

18: Sex and Marriage

In this podcast episode, my wife and I actually try to talk about our sex life -- or at least our struggle with getting sex into our busy lives. WARNING: This discussion is not so sexy...
Jul 01, 201425:53
17: Resentment and You

17: Resentment and You

My wife and I talk about resentment. Or at least we try to talk about resentment -- a little bit of my resentment and a little bit of my wife's resentment. We bicker about our messy home. You'll also learn a brilliant (or horrifying) technique for saving time when folding (or not folding) your laundry...
Jun 15, 201431:28
16: New Frontiers of Vulnerability

16: New Frontiers of Vulnerability

In this podcast episode, my wife and I discuss vulnerability, shame, and my own craziness. We talk about Brene Brown's research and we talk about the essay I recently published (His First Dress). Join us for this delightfully vulnerable romp.
May 27, 201437:34
15: Neurotic Tour of the Vagina Tour

15: Neurotic Tour of the Vagina Tour

Yeah, you're just going to have to listen to this one to make sense of it. Sorry.
May 12, 201427:28
14: Money Trouble

14: Money Trouble

My wife and I talk about money. Or more specifically, we talk about our money problems. Or more specifically, we talk about our relationship problems that relate to our money problems.
Apr 27, 201437:48
13: Repair Attempts

13: Repair Attempts

My wife and I discuss something known as a repair attempt. It is a term coined by John Gottman. He is a psychologist who has done 40 years of research on relationships and marital stability and divorce prediction. A repair attempt relates to the way a couple tries to reconnect after a fight. Find out how well (or poorly!) we do with our repair attempts...
Apr 13, 201429:01
12: Marrying an Insecure Angsty Depressive

12: Marrying an Insecure Angsty Depressive

I talk to my wife about what it is like to be married to an insecure, angst-ridden, depressed person. Is it as sexy as it sounds? I was particularly insecure and full of anxiety in the first few years of our relationship and we talk about how that impacted our relationship. Join us for this delightful romp!<br />
Mar 30, 201438:49
11: Marrying a Divorcée

11: Marrying a Divorcée

The wife and I discuss the impact of us getting together later in life, as a couple and as parents. Join us and let's get old together...<br />
Mar 18, 201434:29
10: Our Couples Counselors

10: Our Couples Counselors

The wife and I take you on a tour of every one of our couples counselors. What could be more arousing than analyzing a whole bunch of analysts?
Mar 10, 201443:33
9: Our Unromantic Romance

9: Our Unromantic Romance

My wife and I recorded this podcast episode on Valentine's Day after having NOT celebrated V-Day, so it seems fitting that we talk about how unromantic we are. Though we end up finding romance in our marriage in less typical places. I again try (and fail) to pick a fight with her. I again get us to talk about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, even when it is off topic. I again worry if you're enjoying this ride with us...
Feb 22, 201442:14
8: Our Dark Periods

8: Our Dark Periods

I talk to my wife about our "dark period." Actually, she clarified for me that we have had several dark periods -- these are periods in our marriage where we have really struggled to connect, nearly to the point of it all falling apart. Not only do we talk about our dark periods, but we talk about my obsession about talking about our dark periods. And we talk about my (previous) fear of having kids. What's not to like?
Feb 11, 201435:29
7: Never Good Enough

7: Never Good Enough

I persuade my wife to join the show. Listen to her talk about my various failings as a husband. Everything from my failures as a lawn mower-er to my inability to plan trips with the family to our combined attraction for Angel, the brooding vampire with a soul from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. What's not to like?

Jan 29, 201426:42