It’s Part 2 of our deep dive into eating disorders—and this time, we’re going even deeper. We kick off by unpacking our mock therapy session with Dr. Helen Liljenwall, which unexpectedly hit close to home for all of us. Then we take a sharp turn into the medical realities of starvation, including refeeding syndrome, the female athlete triad, and why your heart is always in the equation (literally).

But what happens when patients refuse to eat—and we have to decide whether they need a psychiatric hold? Who gets to say when a person with an eating disorder has lost capacity? And is “terminal anorexia” a compassionate truth—or a dangerous excuse?

If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to treat eating disorders, this is the episode to hear. It's raw, real, and it doesn’t flinch.

Takeaways:

Refeeding syndrome isn’t just a med school concept—it’s a real, life-threatening danger in eating disorder treatment.

Psychiatric holds for anorexia raise tough ethical questions about autonomy, capacity, and what it means to save a life.

That fake therapy session? It’s not so fake when the emotional stakes are this high.

The eating disorder voice can sound like discipline—but it’s often masking deep distress.

Terminal anorexia is a controversial idea… and we don’t shy away from the controversy.

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Ready to take your exam prep to the next level? Go to http://www.NowYouKnowPsych.com and enter the code BEPATIENT at checkout for 20% off.

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This is Part 1 of our two-part deep dive into eating disorders—and we’re starting at the beginning. Margaret and I sit down with psychiatrist and eating disorder specialist Helen Liljenwall, MD to walk through the basics: What are the major types of eating disorders? What do they actually look like in real life? And how do we treat something that’s rooted in both biology and culture? We cover everything med school skipped—then try to practice what we’ve learned in a fake (but emotionally real) therapy session with Dr. Helen as the patient. Spoiler: it got uncomfortable in all the right ways.

Takeaways:

Eating disorders don’t come with a single look—or a single diagnosis. We break down the ones you’ve heard of and the ones you haven’t.

Every med student should hear this conversation. Because we weren’t taught how to spot this stuff—let alone treat it.

Practicing therapy with an expert in the “patient” seat is more terrifying than it sounds.

This isn’t just about food. It’s about fear, shame, and survival strategies.

We’re not pretending to know everything. We’re starting with the basics—so we can learn to do better.

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Ready to take your exam prep to the next level? Go to http://www.NowYouKnowPsych.com and enter the code BEPATIENT at checkout for 20% off.

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Watch on YouTube: @itspresro

Listen Anywhere You Podcast: Apple, Spotify, PodChaser, etc.

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Produced by Dr Glaucomflecken & Human Content

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Margaret and I talk about what it feels like to care for patients who remind us a little too much of ourselves, especially when we’re also the ones filling out the paperwork for a psychiatric hold. We dig into what a 5150 (or 5585) really means, how to sit with that kind of authority, and the emotional mess of seeing a patient’s fear reflect your own.

Psychiatric holds carry legal weight, but emotional weight, too. We talk about what it’s like to sit with both.

Takeaways:

Signing a psych hold form never feels casual—especially when the patient could’ve been me.

Overidentifying isn’t compassion—it’s a signal that I might need supervision, fast.

Letting go of a patient isn’t always a failure. Sometimes it’s a kindness.

Psychiatric holds carry legal weight, but emotional weight, too. We talk about what it’s like to sit with both.

Empathy is powerful—until it gets in the way. Learning where to stop is part of learning how to stay.

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Ready to take your exam prep to the next level? Go to http://www.NowYouKnowPsych.com and enter the code BEPATIENT at checkout for 20% off.

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Watch on YouTube: @itspresro

Listen Anywhere You Podcast: Apple, Spotify, PodChaser, etc.

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Produced by Dr Glaucomflecken & Human Content

Get in Touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠howtobepatientpod.com

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In this episode, Margaret and I take on burnout—what it actually is, where the term came from, and how to tell when you’re not just tired, but something deeper is cracking. We dig into the history, the Maslach Inventory, moral injury, and why burnout isn’t in the DSM (yet). We also share our own unhinged burnout moments (yes, mine involves harmonica) and explore how to tell the difference between burnout, depression, and just being in the wrong place.

Reference: MBI Self Test: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16OJpRvvrGfs8SEEXgKk_Em8NgZerZkdo/view

Takeaways:

Did I buy a harmonica during a burnout spiral? Yes. Was it helpful? Also yes.

Burnout isn’t just a vibe—it has a whole inventory. We took it, and let’s just say… some of us are more charred than others.

Moral injury hits different when you’re the one holding the clipboard. Especially when someone else made the call.

Burnout and depression aren’t the same—but they like to hang out. And sometimes you don’t know which one’s driving.

Not all coping strategies are cute. Some look like spreadsheets. Some look like chili’s. Some look like crying in a hospital bathroom.

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Ready to take your exam prep to the next level? Go to http://www.NowYouKnowPsych.com and enter the code BEPATIENT at checkout for 20% off.

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Watch on YouTube: @itspresro

Listen Anywhere You Podcast: Apple, Spotify, PodChaser, etc.

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This might be our nerdiest episode yet—and that’s saying something. In our Season 2 kickoff, Margaret and I sit down with Dr. Margo Funk, psychiatrist and QTC whisperer, to explore the strange, stressful overlap between psychiatry and cardiology. We talk about our worst fears on call, how to spot when an EKG is lying to you, and why it might be time to stop blaming Haldol and start looking at your T wave. There are metaphors involving horses, guns, Timberlake, and Kool-Aid. Somehow, it all makes sense. If you’ve ever been scared of EKGs, risk calculators, or calling your attending at 2AM—this one’s for you.

Takeaways:

I thought I understood the QT interval—until I realized I didn’t. Turns out, there’s a difference between what the EKG says and what your patient actually needs.

Not all meds are the villains we make them out to be. Spoiler: Haldol gets a redemption arc. Trazodone… does not.

I finally learned what that weird slope on the T wave actually means. And yes, it involves potassium.

ICD storms are real—and they are terrifying. Dr. Funk explains why treating the aftermath is as critical as preventing the next one.

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is call your attending. Or carry a caliper. Or question the computer.

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Ready to take your exam prep to the next level? Go to http://www.NowYouKnowPsych.com and enter the code BEPATIENT at checkout for 20% off.

Watch on YouTube: @itspresro

Listen Anywhere You Podcast: Apple, Spotify, PodChaser, etc.

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Produced by Dr Glaucomflecken & Human Content

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Season 1: complete! In this wrap-up episode, Margaret and I reflect on what it’s been like building this show from scratch—while also being full-time psychiatry residents. We talk about favorite episodes, unexpected challenges, what we’re still figuring out, and what’s ahead for Season 2. We also answer listener questions about training, creativity, psychedelics, and the eternal search for balance when your brain wants art and your calendar says “clinic.” There’s some honesty, some gratitude, and a whole lot of behind-the-scenes chaos.

Takeaways:

This podcast started as exposure therapy—and became a little bit of everything.

Talking into a mic is not the same as talking into a TikTok. (Spoiler: I struggled way more than I thought I would.)

My favorite episodes? The ones that made us play. Guest experts, weird improv scenes, and stuff we’ll probably regret saying on camera.

We’re learning in public—about psychiatry, about medicine, and about ourselves. And yeah, we definitely got some things wrong along the way.

We’re not stopping. Season 2 is coming, and we’re getting even weirder (and maybe wiser) next time.

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Watch on YouTube: @itspresro

Listen Anywhere You Podcast: Apple, Spotify, PodChaser, etc.

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Produced by Dr Glaucomflecken & Human Content

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In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Nikki Haddad, we went from couples therapy theory to Simpsons cosplay, and yes—it was as chaotic and illuminating as it sounds. Margaret and I roleplay Homer and Marge in a fictional session while Nikki breaks down what’s actually happening between us (emotionally, not just cartoonishly). Along the way, we talk about heteronormativity, escapism, parenting exhaustion, and the red flags that get mistaken for romance. It’s part improv, part therapy, part meltdown. But somehow, it makes sense.

Takeaways:

Couples therapy gets real fast when you’re pretending to be Homer Simpson. And somehow, the emotional truth still lands.

Escapism isn’t always the problem—sometimes it’s the signal. Nikki helps us unpack how conflict, withdrawal, and resentment show up underneath the surface.

Heteronormativity shows up even when you think you’re past it. From breadwinner guilt to emotional labor, we talk about the roles we don’t realize we’re playing.

Being a therapist in the room with two people pretending to fall apart is harder than it looks. Nikki walks us through what she watches for—and what she doesn’t say out loud.

Yes, we were roleplaying. No, we were not okay. But that’s what makes this one worth listening to.

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Want more Dr. Nikki Haddad:

IG: @nikkiiiirose

Watch on YouTube: @itspresro

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In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Nikki Haddad—Margaret's residency best friend, couples and sex therapist, and one of the most thoughtful psychiatrists I know—to break down what makes romantic relationships so damn hard. We get into myths we’ve carried (and tried to shake), how sexual issues are rarely just about sex, and why our training in medicine doesn’t prepare us to talk about any of this. Nikki then walks us through the five developmental stages of a relationship and this is only Part 1. Be sure to stay tuned next week for Part 2 of the conversation!

Takeaways:

I used to think the right relationship should feel easy. Turns out, the real ones take work, discomfort, and occasionally arguing over ice cream.

Nikki taught us that sex issues aren’t just about the act—they’re a doorway to everything else we avoid.

I finally learned what “differentiation” means in a relationship—and why it feels like breaking up with your past self.

Couples therapy isn’t just two people yelling about chores. It’s a roadmap, a mirror, and a lot of basketball metaphors.

Yes, Margaret and I roleplayed a fictional couple. Yes, I did an accent. No, we will not be taking questions.

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Want more Dr. Nikki Haddad:

IG: @nikkiiiirose

Watch on YouTube: @itspresro

Listen Anywhere You Podcast: Apple, Spotify, PodChaser, etc.

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Get in Touch: ⁠howtobepatientpod.com

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We opened up the inbox and wow… y’all really came through. In this first-ever Q&A episode, Margaret and I answer your questions about coping during med school, surviving feedback, dealing with emotional exhaustion in residency, and why outpatient goodbyes feel like actual breakups. I also overshare about marathon training (again), Margaret brings the wisdom and the theater metaphors, and we all learn what bald eagles actually sound like. It’s a mix of serious, strange, and unexpectedly honest—basically, peak us.

Takeaways:

What if taking feedback wasn’t about defending yourself—but just... listening? It took me a while to get there. Still working on it.

Graduating patients from therapy might be the hardest part of residency. Margaret gets into what that really feels like.

Coping doesn’t always look like wellness. Sometimes it looks like boundary-setting, running way too far, or just... wearing real pants again.

The match will mess with your head. But six months into residency? You’ll probably be right where you need to be.

Can we measure healing in showers taken, not symptoms cured? Asking for a friend. And all of psychiatry.

Watch on YouTube: @itspresro

Listen Anywhere You Podcast: Apple, Spotify, PodChaser, etc.

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Get in Touch: howtobepatientpod.com

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This week, I learned I have a pelvic floor. And yes, I realize I’m a doctor and should’ve known that already. Margaret and I talk with pelvic floor physical therapist and viral educator Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas, who somehow made me breathe through my butt on mic. We cover everything from incontinence and pelvic pain to TikTok fame, trauma-informed care, and the surprisingly emotional world of core stability. Alicia breaks down the science and the stigma behind one of the most misunderstood parts of the body—and I try to keep up while sitting on a pillow and trying not to Kegel too hard.

Takeaways:

I didn’t know I had a pelvic floor until this episode. Spoiler: everyone has one. Yes, even you.

Turns out, anxiety might live in your hips. Alicia explains how mental health and physical tension are way more connected than I realized.

We talk about peeing “just in case” more than I ever expected to on this podcast. And it’s weirdly important.

Margaret brought the neuroscience, Alicia brought the pelvic models, and I brought... confusion and curiosity. It actually worked.

If you’ve ever felt disconnected from your body, this one’s for you. And if you haven’t—congrats on being a floating brain, I guess.

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Want more Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas:

IG / TT: @thepelvicdancefloor

Website: http://www.thepelvicdancefloor.com

Watch on YouTube: @itspresro

Listen Anywhere You Podcast: Apple, Spotify, PodChaser, etc.

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Produced by Dr Glaucomflecken & Human Content

Get in Touch: howtobepatientpod.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices