Dr. Gary Bell's Absurd Psychology

The emotional bond that typically forms between infant and caregiver is the means by which the helpless infant gets primary needs met. It then becomes an engine of subsequent social, emotional, and cognitive development. The attachment experience can have an influence on the ability to form additional stable relationships. We will explore all that makes attachment and how what we emotionally attach to shapes who we are. Tune in and learn how attachment works!

Self-entitlement is when an individual perceives themselves as deserving of unearned privileges. These are the people who believe life owes them something; a reward, a measure of success, a particular standard of livinA sense of entitlement brings with it an uncompromising attitude. There is a lack of understanding of others’ needs and of certain social situations, accompanied by an expectation that you should be far more interested in their life than they are in yours. Narcissism is at the very heart of this trait; the over-exaggerated sense of self-importance accompanied by fantasies of power, beauty and brilliance. Compromises, that require one to meet others halfway, don’t exist in the world of the entitled. Everyone else is either competition – threatening their own success – or irrelevant. Tune in and learn about this every growing destructive trait and how to stop it!

For some people, persistent sexual desires, thoughts, and behavior can become problematic. Such individuals may become preoccupied with sexual fantasies and urges, and a subset will act on these impulses while feeling that they have no control over their actions repeatedly sending explicit texts and images, for example, or attempting to fondle others without consent. This pattern of behavior is often referred to as hypersexuality or sex addiction. There is wide debate over whether the problem stems from a lack of impulse control, a greater than average sex drive, some combination of the two, or a moral code that proscribes sexual activity. With no clear definition of sex addiction, or agreement on its validity as a diagnosis, it is impossible to say how many people are affected, but some literature reviews have estimated the prevalence as between 3 and 6 percent of adults. Tune in and learn more about this unofficial diagnosis

We are all despicable in various forms of despicableness. If we all could come to grips with that, than we understand that what makes us despicable are often triggered as coping or defense mechanisms that display our personal insecurities. The highest ranking mechanism is dishonesty, followed by cruelty, self centeredness, attention seeking, violent, mean and so much more. Tune in and learn about what emotion scars make us flawed and desperately fragile humans!

Truth tends to lead to successful action. In that much, truth has instrumental value. But truth also has intrinsic value. Given the choice between a life of limitless pleasure as a brain in a vat and a genuine human life along with all its pain and suffering, most people opt for the latter. We will explore the depths of truth and the value it brings to our lives. As hard as its is, the truth will set you free from the emotional turmoil of living in lies and secrets. Tune in and learn!

ESP has been defined as ‘anomalous processes of information or energy transfer, processes such as telepathy… that are currently unexplained in terms of known physical or biological mechanisms.' Magical thinking is defined as believing that one event happens as a result of another without a plausible link of causation. For example: I got up on the left side of the bed today therefore it will rain. The problem with this definition, however, is that exactly what constitutes a plausible link of causation can be difficult to pin down.. On the other hand, rejecting the use of any and all criteria with which to judge cause and effect leaves us vulnerable to believing that anything can cause anything—or even worse, that an effect can occur without a cause at all. Tune in and get a psychological perspective on these powerful influencers!

People victimized by violent hate crimes are more likely to experience more psychological distress than victims of other violent crimes. Specifically, victims of crimes that are bias-motivated are more likely to experience post-traumatic stress, safety concerns, depression, anxiety and anger than victims of crimes that are not motivated by bias.This show is about how to cope with hate crimes and identify potential killers. Tune in and learn!

By 2030, the number of Americans age 65 and over is projected to be about 71.5 million, of which nearly 10 million will be at least 85. As more people are living longer, more individuals can expect to spend more time in retirement than those in previous generations did. Research has established the physical and mental advantages of a consistent exercise regimen. Screening programs can lead to preventive measures and early treatment interventions, which can substantially reduce the later impact of illnesses. We will explore aging with a sense of humor and help us all cope with getting older. Tune in and make peace with aging!

Ironically, before romantic love became the basis for marriage—a game-changer that historian Stephanie Coontz dates to the 1700s—marriage was based on talk because it was a contractual binding of individuals, property, and families. (And marriage is still a contract, as anyone who has ever gone through a divorce knows.) Marriage is complicated because we are complicated. Each of us brings into marriage a boatload of unarticulated thoughts about what it means to be married based on what we’ve seen, heard, experienced, or formulated in contrast to our parents’ example—those unconscious thoughts influence our behavior and reactions. Tune in a learn how to navigate those pitfalls!

A microaggression is a subtle, often unintentional, form of prejudice. Rather than an overt declaration of racism or sexism, a microaggression often takes the shape of an offhanded comment, an inadvertently painful joke, or a pointed insult. In a world that is changing dynamically socially, micro aggression is called out as real and harmful. Experiencing microaggressions on a daily basis can be deeply stressful. The experience can also be unsettling, because the marginalized person may struggle to understand if the comment was intentional and how to respond.Tune in and learn how to identify microaggression, it's impact, adapting and responding.