Evolutionary psychologist Edward Dutton joins me to discuss his new book Borderline Genius, Borderline Insane and we ask the question: have women with borderline traits had an outsized influence on powerful men, culture and history? We get into the unstable self, mirroring and attachment, whether borderline manipulation is conscious, the overlap between BPD and vulnerable narcissism, and the increasingly complicated relationship between borderline traits, autism and ADHD. We also debate trauma versus temperament, why certain men are drawn to borderline women, the relationship between attractiveness and instability, and whether modern culture is removing the guardrails that once helped people regulate difficult temperaments. Edward Dutton / The Jolly Heretic: https://www.jollyheretic.com/ Borderline Genius, Borderline Insane: https://us.amazon.com/Borderline-Genius-Insane-Understanding-Personality-ebook/dp/B0HGGGWYGP

McKenna West agreed to carry a baby for a California couple for around $60,000. When the baby was diagnosed with a serious heart condition, the genetic parents requested an abortion. West refused, moved to Texas, gave birth and is now being sued for breach of contract. In this episode, I look at what this case reveals about commercial surrogacy. I also bring in The Handmaid's Tale because the show is a pure dramatization of the feminist id and spends six seasons asking us to recoil at a world where women's reproductive bodies are used to produce children for other people. More powerful people. At the expense of women. The comparison becomes uncomfortable when we ask what really changes once the woman is paid, signs a contract and then changes her mind. What happens when two women both claim what we have told them are their reproductive rights but only one of them can get what she wants? What does this reveal about the nature of feminism?

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LIVE STREAM WITH JANICE FIAMENGO: 14th of September at noon ET.

Hannah is joined by returning guests: Janice Fiamengo, author of "The Goddess That Failed" Tom Golden, host of the "Men Are Good" podcast, and Jim Nuzzo author of "The Nuzzo Letter," whose research and writing on men, gender and public policy has featured regularly on Psychobabble. Their work and links are included below. In this episode, the four investigate a new crop of feminist buzzwords — and the much more serious ideas hiding behind them. From himpathy and medical misogyny to vicarious violence and leg harrassment and gender washing, many of these terms are presented as ways of describing injustice. But what happens when subjective feelings of grievance are turned into categories of harm. Some of the examples are easy to laugh at but others are already moving from academia into journalism, government policy and legislation. Announcement: Hannah will be speaking at the

**Parental Alienation Study Group conference in Australia this October**. Details here: https://eecw.eventsair.com/pasg2026/ Guests: Janice Fiamengo: https://fiamengofile.substack.com/ Jim Nuzzo: https://jameslnuzzo.substack.com/ Tom Golden: https://menaregood.substack.com/

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In this episode, I examine the growing Quiet BPD narrative and the behaviors being described as internalized—from withdrawing and ghosting to relationship tests, reckless behavior and emotional escalation. I ask what happens when psychiatry describes a disorder entirely from the perspective of the person experiencing the emotions, while overlooking the effect those behaviors have on partners, parents, friends and colleagues.

The Lindsay Clancy case has become a story about postpartum psychosis, psychiatric medication and a healthcare system that supposedly failed a struggling mother. But does the evidence actually support that story? In this episode, psychiatrist Hannah Spier examines the psychiatric arguments at the center of the ongoing Lindsay Clancy trial: what an acute psychotic break actually looks like, the unusual timing of the alleged postpartum psychosis, the claim of an undiagnosed bipolar disorder, the long list of psychiatric medications Clancy was prescribed, and the argument that she could appear completely normal while experiencing severe psychosis. But the case raises a larger question. Why are we so quick to search for an external explanation when a mother commits an horrific act? At what point does psychiatric explanation begin to erase moral agency?

This episode discusses disturbing material involving the deaths of children. Subscribe for more Psychobabble with Spier! Read Psychobabble and become a Psychobabble Insider on Substack for articles, sources, exclusive lives and access to the full Psychobabble library. https://substack.com/@psychobabblewithspier

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A viral voice memo has everyone arguing about timing, pressure and consent. But the real issue is something else entirely. It exposes how ridiculous the conversation around sex and dating has become.

Sponsor: Looki L1 is an AI Life Memory Camera that helps you stay present now and return to the day later. Learn more: https://www.c2go.cc/r/HannahSpierMD | code: Hannah. What ordinary moment would you want to relive?

Girls were taught to speak up, resist influence, reject criticism and never change for anyone. But what happens when every part of culture—film, advertising, social media, schools and psychology—pushes in the same direction? This episode examines how efforts to make girls tougher may also have discouraged compromise, accommodation and agreeableness, leaving many women trained to approach relationships as power struggles rather than cooperation. Want to watch the episodes ad-free? Upgrade on Substack and get every epsiode and other benefits like Google Meets and Exclusive Live Videos: https://substack.com/@psychobabblewit...

"High-value woman" dating advice promises better men, stronger boundaries and a softer life.A new manifestation of feminism. But much of it is really a guide to entitlement, strategic detachment and low reciprocity—traits that make lasting relationships almost impossible.

In this episode, psychiatrist Hannah Spier explains how modern dating coaches rebrand narcissistic behavior as femininity, confidence and self-worth.

How did ordinary adulthood become evidence of psychiatric suffering? What's the real attraction?

In this episode, I react to young women presenting normal functioning as "high-functioning depression," insisting that invisible distress cannot be questioned, and using suicidal language to make disagreement morally dangerous. I explain how mental-health labels can turn basic responsibilities into acts of bravery, confer moral authority and eventually become leverage over everyone around them. Do you think mental-health awareness has gone too far—or are these videos helping people feel less alone? Let me know in the comments.

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Dissociation is a real and measurable psychological phenomenon—but does that validate dissociative identity disorder as it is commonly portrayed online and diagnosed in clinical practice?

In this episode, psychiatrist Hannah Spier examines the evidence behind DID, the limitations of self-reported amnesia and diagnostic interviews, and the difficulty of distinguishing separate "identities" from shifting emotional states, trauma responses, borderline personality traits, and identity disturbance. Finally, Hannah looks at the history of multiple personality disorder—from mesmerism and hypnosis to *The Three Faces of Eve*, *Sybil*, *Split*, and TikTok—and offers advice for parents whose children return from therapy with a new DID diagnosis.

Read Hannah's articles and join exclusive live discussions on Substack! https://substack.com/@psychobabblewithspier