The Abnormal Psychologist

The Abnormal Psychologist episodes:

• 06.17.2024

  Season 3, Episode 33: Parasocial Relationships

  Sidenote: It's been so long since I've podcasted, I'm rusty  This episode, recorded on Father's Day, riffs briefly about fatherhood and mental health (while making a cool announcement) before delving into parasocial relationships.  We discuss what parasocial relationships are using diverse...

  
• 01.17.2024

  Season 3, Episode 32: Self-Diagnosis

  This is a snow day episode (meaning I was able to record it since school was cancelled due to inclement weather).  In this episode, I discuss pros and cons of diagnosing yourself with a mental health condition (while also introspectively...

  
• 12.28.2023

  Season 3, Episode 31: Electroconvulsive Therapy (and a mailbag follow-up on Borderline Personality Disorder)

  In this shocking episode, I discuss the history and treatment applications of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).  I also respond to a mailbag email about borderline personality disorder. 

  
• 11.07.2023

  Season 3, Episode 30: Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals

  Special from Washington, D.C., in this episode, we delve into the difference between service animals and emotional support animals (while addressing some common questions related to both)

  
• 10.16.2023

  Season 3, Episode 29: Sensory Processing Disorder

  Let's get controversial in this episode and discuss Sensory Processing Disorder (also known as Sensory Modulation Disorder-- and a host of other names) 

  
• 09.21.2023

  Season 3, Episode 28: The Reading Wars

  This episode revisits reading and dyslexia and discusses controversial topics-- like the Reading Wars and Visual Processing Disorder-- along the way 

  
• 08.18.2023

  Season 3, Episode 27: The Back to School Blues and the Sunday Scaries

  It's back to school time, and many people are feeling anxious, stressed, and a bit depressed.  I decided to dedicate this episode to the "back to school blues" and their close cousin, the "Sunday scaries."   

  
• 07.27.2023

  Season 3, Episode 26: Animal Encounters

  This episode is comprised of stories documenting my encounters with animals as a psychologist.  Critters encountered clinically include dogs, geckos, spiders, and all sorts of fauna that graduate student definitely didn't prepare me for. 

  
• 07.12.2023

  Season 3, Episode 25: Executive Functioning and Executive Dysfunction

  In this episode, I discuss the somewhat ill-defined topic of executive functioning and how it can be assessed.  We then talk about executive dysfunction and how it can be tied to ADHD.  My own executive dysfunction is on display throughout...

  
• 06.09.2023

  Season 3, Episode 24: Grit

  This episode covers the concept of grit.  It is loosely a book review of Angela Duckworth's Grit: The Power of Perseverance.  Resilience, perseverance, and learned helplessness are also discussed.  

  
• 05.17.2023

  Season 3, Episode 23: LGBTQ+ Mental Health

  This episode comes as a mailbag request following the Nashville Covenant School shootings which caused confusion and even persecution against sexual minorities.  This episode explores common mental health concerns among individuals in LGBTQ+ communities and also highlights the availability of...

  
• 04.06.2023

  Season 3, Episode 22: Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

  This episode will introduce ABA, its applications, and its history.  We'll walk through why ABA isn't rocket science and why it's sometimes controversial.  We'll also try to wade through the alphabet soup associated with ABA. 

  
• 03.09.2023

  Season 3, Episode 21: Parenting Styles

  This episode discusses parenting styles. We'll see if I can weave in psychologist Diana Baumrind with Frank Gallagher from Shameless.  We'll also discuss grandparenting styles. 

  
• 02.11.2023

  Season 3, Episode 20: Causes of Autism

  This episode is bound to cause some controversy as it discusses what does and does not cause autism (spoiler: the MMR vaccine is not a cause).  We'll explore whether Tylenol usage in pregnancy, high-fructose corn syrup, living near a highway,...

  
• 02.01.2023

  Season 3, Episode 19: Sleep

  I can't believe I haven't published an episode on sleep so far.  This episode will cover sleep related disorders-- and over the course of 30 minutes, I'll discuss a wide variety of topics including sexsomnia and sleep walking.  I'll also...

  
• 01.02.2023

  Season 3, Episode 18: New Year's Resolutions

  Happy 2023!  This episode discusses the psychology of New Year's Resolutions and how to make them SMART 

  
• 12.01.2022

  Season 3, Episode 17: Kleptomania

  This episode discusses another impulse control disorder, kleptomania, which involves compulsive stealing.  I'll discuss kleptomania-- and also my daughter's own stealing tendencies.

  
• 11.10.2022

  Season 3, Episode 16: Pyromania

  This episode discusses pyromania and arson.  It also touches upon psychogenic vomiting and features a cameo from my dogs. 

  
• 10.10.2022

  Season 3, Episode 15: Halloween

  Happy Halloween!  This is a special spooky season episode that discusses a wide-range of psychologically relevant Halloween topics-- including fall fetishism, clinical lycanthropy, trick-or-treating, the Salem Witch Trials, and beliefs in ghosts and demons. 

  
• 09.27.2022

  Season 3, Episode 14: Dr. John Fryer

  This episode discusses how, Dr. John Fryer, under the pseudonym of Dr. H. Anonymous and with the help of a Halloween mask and a voice modulator, was able to convince the American Psychiatric Association to depathologize homosexuality. 

  
• 09.05.2022

  Season 3, Episode 13: Misophonia

  This episode discusses misophonia-- or when people experience emotions like anxiety, disgust, or rage that is triggered by certain sounds. 

  
• 08.12.2022

  Season 3, Episode 12: Insanity

  Ever wonder what the definition of insanity is?  No, it's not doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  This episode discusses insanity and some legal history behind the term. 

  
• 07.19.2022

  Season 3, Episode 11 Morbid Jealousy

  This episode discusses morbid jealousy-- or the preoccupation that your significant other is unfaithful to you.  

  
• 07.05.2022

  Season 3, Episode 10: Parentification

  This episode discusses parentification (when children are put into caretaking roles) and its negative and positive associations.  I also introduce a new piece to the podcast-- a trivia segment!  Finally, I discuss 2 books I would recommend to any aspiring...

  
• 06.11.2022

  Season 3, Episode 9: The National Mental Health Hotline

  This episode discusses the roll-out of the 988 National Mental Health Hotline in July 2022-- and why I foresee challenges with the debut of the hotline. 

  
• 05.18.2022

  Season 3, Episode 8: Dueling Diagnoses

  Ever encountered different diagnoses from different mental health providers and wondered which, if any, is correct?  This episode discusses dueling diagnoses and diagnostic uncertainty 

  
• 04.27.2022

  Season 3, Episode 7: Talking to Children about Death and Dying

  This episode shares best practices and resources in talking to children about death and dying. 

  
• 04.21.2022

  Season 3, Episode 6: Birth Order

  This episode looks into the relationship (or lack thereof) between birth order and psychology.  How birth order relates to intelligence, personality, and psychopathology is discussed. 

  
• 04.05.2022

  Season 3, Episode 5 The DSM-5-TR (Text Revision)

  This episode discusses changes between the DSM-5 and the DSM-5-TR (text revision) -- including the introduction of a new disorder (Prolonged Grief Disorder)-- and various disorder name changes 

  
• 03.30.2022

  Season 3, Episode 4: Regression as a Defense Mechanism and Peter Pan Syndrome

  Ever act like a kid when you're stressed out?  This episode discusses the Freudian defense mechanism of regression.  We also touch on Peter Pan Syndrome-- when fully grown adults don't act their age

  
• 03.17.2022

  Season 3, Episode 3: Infantile Amnesia

  Why can't you remember your first birthday party?  This episode will attempt to answer that question by exploring the topic of early childhood amnesia (also called infantile amnesia) 

  
• 03.01.2022

  Season 3, Episode 2: School Shootings

  This episode, which comes by listener request, explores school shootings and introduces the field of threat/risk assessment. 

  
• 02.15.2022

  Season 3, Episode 1: The Mental Status Examination

  This episode covers one of the oldest and most commonly administered mental health assessments-- the Mental Status Exam (MSE). 

  
• 12.15.2021

  Season 2 Wrap-Up

  This episode wraps up Season 2 of the podcast with me reading mailbag questions.  In doing so, we brush on arithmomania, sanity, and Joe Goldberg from the Netflix series You.   See you in 2022! https://www.patreon.com/theabnormalpsychologist

  
• 11.24.2021

  Season 2, Episode 25: Involuntary Commitment

  This episode explores involuntary commitment (also known as civil commitment or sectioning)-- and how (and when) you can be admitted to psychiatric care against your will. 

  
• 11.07.2021

  Season 2, Episode 24: School Psychology

  Happy 50th episode!  This episode is a celebration episode and discusses the field of school psychology (in honor of National School Psychology Awareness Week).  https://www.patreon.com/theabnormalpsychologist

  
• 10.26.2021

  Season 2, Episode 23: Conspiracy Theories

  This episode delves into the psychology of conspiracy theories. 

  
• 10.07.2021

  Season 2, Episode 22: Positive Psychology and Toxic Positivity

  This episode focuses on positive psychology-- on what makes us happy-- and also explores the concept of toxic positivity.  Along the way, I talk about Ted Lasso a little.  

  
• 09.23.2021

  Season 2, Episode 21: The Body Keeps the Score

  This episode contains my ramblings and musings after reading Bessel Van der Kolk's The Body Keeps the Score: Brain Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma 

  
• 09.14.2021

  Season 2, Episode 20: Homicidal Ideation

  This episode is in response to a mailbag request and discusses homicidal ideation-- and whether it should be a standalone psychological diagnosis.  

  
• 09.01.2021

  Season 2, Episode 19: How to Make the Most out of Being a Psych Undergrad

  This is a listener request episode that discusses what you can do as a psych undergrad to make yourself a stronger candidate for post-grad employment or for grad school.   Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theabnormalpsychologist

  
• 08.20.2021

  Season 2, Episode 18: Divorce

  This episode discusses divorce and its relevance to psychology.  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theabnormalpsychologist

  
• 08.06.2021

  Season 2, Episode 17: The Olympics, Sports Psychology, and V-Codes

  This episode is pretty wide-ranging-- it discusses mental health and the Olympics and touches on the field of sports psychology.   This episode also discusses Other Conditions that May be the Focus of Clinical Attention (or V-codes), which many clinicians sadly...

  
• 07.26.2021

  Season 2, Episode 16: Borderline Personality Disorder

  This episode discusses Borderline Personality Disorder and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theabnormalpsychologist

  
• 07.08.2021

  Season 2, Episode 15: Teletherapy

  In this episode, we talk about issues related to telehealth/teletherapy-- including concerns about encryption, licensure, and privacy. Teletherapy, for better or worse, is not going away (but I also don't see it as replacing in-person therapy). 

  
• 06.25.2021

  Season 2, Episode 14: Cave Syndrome and Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder

  This is a wide-ranging episode.  We talk about Cave Syndrome-- or the cutesy name that's been given to anxiety in returning to the real, post-pandemic world.  We also discuss depression due to summer time heat-- which is an often overlooked...

  
• 06.13.2021

  Season 2, Episode 13 Paraphilias

  This episode discusses paraphilias, or deviant sexual behaviors, and the paraphilic disorders of the DSM-5. 

  
• 06.05.2021

  Season 2, Episode 12 Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism

  I'm back-- my wife and I recently had a second child so I went MIA for about a month.  In this episode, which is a listener request, we discuss High-Functioning Autism-- or Asperger Syndrome. 

  
• 04.30.2021

  Season 2, Episode 11: Imposter Syndrome

  Ever feel like you're a fraud-- or question your accomplishments?  Then this episode on Imposter Syndrome is for you! 

  
• 04.23.2021

  Season 2, Episode 10: Bullying

  This episode explores all things bullying-- we talk about bullies, victims, bully-victims, and cyberbullying.