Just two best friends who just turned 40 talking about their struggles--everything from relationships, to not feeling good enough, to dealing with depression and anxiety--in hopes of normalizing things and making people feel less alone.
Welcome to Bay Area Brats Struggling (BABS)! If you find yourself saying, “This is not what I thought my life would look like at this point,” you might be able to relate to this podcast.
Raised as Asian Americans who were promised successful lives if they just studied hard and focused on school, Amanda and Sam found themselves on the cusp of checking all the boxes. Careers. Marriage. Homeowners. Kids.
Amanda got married to her college sweetheart, had twin girls after dealing with infertility, and lived a seemingly perfect life. Sam graduated law school, achieved her aspirations of working at a big law firm, and got engaged to her longtime boyfriend.
But then Amanda asked for a divorce and blew up her life. Sam called off her engagement and got a cat. They had career identity crises. They had to start using dating apps in their 30s. They suffer from anxiety and depression. And while they can recognize their complaints can seem bratty at times, they’re also realizing the common precedent leading up to their meltdowns is that they were struggling in silence for too long.
In trying to live life defined by other people’s standards, they lost themselves—or rather, they realized they never took the time to figure out who they were and what they wanted in the first place. So join them as they struggle through life, and hopefully you’ll realize you don’t have to struggle in silence… even if people call you a brat.
Disclaimer: We are NOT mental or physical health specialists. If you believe you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety, depression, or suicidal ideation, or any other mental health challenges we encourage you to contact your doctor or a medical professional. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, call 911, or go to your local emergency room.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Just two best friends who just turned 40 talking about their struggles--everything from relationships, to not feeling good enough, to dealing with depression and anxiety--in hopes of normalizing things and making people feel less alone.
Welcome to Bay Area Brats Struggling (BABS)! If you find yourself saying, “This is not what I thought my life would look like at this point,” you might be able to relate to this podcast.
Raised as Asian Americans who were promised successful lives if they just studied hard and focused on school, Amanda and Sam found themselves on the cusp of checking all the boxes. Careers. Marriage. Homeowners. Kids.
Amanda got married to her college sweetheart, had twin girls after dealing with infertility, and lived a seemingly perfect life. Sam graduated law school, achieved her aspirations of working at a big law firm, and got engaged to her longtime boyfriend.
But then Amanda asked for a divorce and blew up her life. Sam called off her engagement and got a cat. They had career identity crises. They had to start using dating apps in their 30s. They suffer from anxiety and depression. And while they can recognize their complaints can seem bratty at times, they’re also realizing the common precedent leading up to their meltdowns is that they were struggling in silence for too long.
In trying to live life defined by other people’s standards, they lost themselves—or rather, they realized they never took the time to figure out who they were and what they wanted in the first place. So join them as they struggle through life, and hopefully you’ll realize you don’t have to struggle in silence… even if people call you a brat.
Disclaimer: We are NOT mental or physical health specialists. If you believe you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety, depression, or suicidal ideation, or any other mental health challenges we encourage you to contact your doctor or a medical professional. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, call 911, or go to your local emergency room.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In true Bay Area brats style, Amanda and Sam talk about getting reorged (as in, their work organization reorganized) and the impact on their mental health. Amanda fell into a depressive episode after her bosses were laid off and she was moved to a team with her ex, but shares what Sam did to help her through some particularly dark thoughts. Just in time to help Sam make some impulsive dating decisions and to get tattoos together. This is how all healthy friendships work, right?
*Trigger warning: This episode does allude to self-harm, so please listen with extreme self-care or avoid if those thoughts are triggering.*
Disclaimer: We are NOT mental or physical health specialists. If you believe you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety, depression, or suicidal ideation, or any other mental health challenges we encourage you to contact your doctor or a medical professional. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, call 911, or go to your local emergency room. For resources on eating disorders, visit https://edrcsv.org/get-help/.
For a great resource to help with understanding depression and anxiety, and advice on how to help and what to say, check out one of our favorites, @realdepressionproject on Instagram.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.