Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Emotional Shutdown—Understanding Polyvagal Theory Jul 10, 2018

Show notes

Polyvagal theory by Stephen Porges explains three different parts of our nervous system, and their responses to stressful situations. Once we understand those three parts, we can understand our emotional reactions to trauma or high amounts of stress.

Why is polyvagal theory important?

For therapists, and pop-psychology enthusiast alike, understanding polyvagal theory can help with:

Understanding trauma and PTSD

Understanding the dance of attack and withdrawal in relationships

Understanding how extreme stress leads to dissociation or shutting down

Understanding how to read body language

By listening to this episode, you can earn 1.75 Psychiatry CME Credits.

Link to blog.

Link to YouTube video.

Join David on Instagram: dr.davidpuder

Twitter: @DavidPuder

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The Psychology of Procrastination Jul 03, 2018

Show notes

What is procrastination?

Procrastination is the act of avoiding something through delay or postponement.

You might be procrastinating when:

There is a gap between your intention and action

You feel like avoiding something

You find yourself easily distracted

You feel overwhelmed by tasks at the last minute

You always feel rushed to complete a project

You're hesitant to truthfully update someone on your progress

It usually brings about feelings of:

Shame

Guilty

Anxiety

Regret

Anger

Inauthenticity

Why do we procrastinate?

We procrastinate because our brains receive a reward for avoidance. Avoidance brings immediate relief from the distress associated with the task. Although we may experience discomfort in the final moments before a task is due, we rarely think about the past or future when procrastinating.

This creates a problematic cycle, one that erodes at our self-confidence. It also causes us to keep up a steady stream of "I should be…" in our subconscious minds.

The ingredients for procrastination Personal & System Based Factors of Procrastination

There are fixed factors related to procrastination, things that are innate to each of our different psychological experiences. For example, someone with ADHD is more likely to procrastinate.

The fixed personal factors are:

Higher Impulsivity

Lower conscientiousness—lower drive to be organized and accomplish.

Limited attention-span

Boredom / Low Interest

The variable personal factors are:

Willpower

Distress tolerance

Willingness to ask for help

Task-focused vs value-focused

Self-consciousness & anxiety

The variable task or system-based factors are:

Unclear goals & expectations

Unrealistic goals & expectations

Distractions

Lack of accountability or mentors

By listening to this episode, you can earn 0.75 Psychiatry CME Credits.

Link to blog.

Link to YouTube video.

Join David on Instagram: dr.davidpuder

Twitter: @DavidPuder

Facebook: DrDavidPuder

How to Fix Emotional Detachment Jun 30, 2018

Show notes

Do you ever feel out of touch with your emotions? Or have you ever felt like you had to hide your real emotions? When people do that—emotionally detach—they develop what therapists call "incongruence."

Most therapy is actually centered around getting patients back in touch with their emotions. On this week's podcast, Ginger Simonton and I talk about the different methods we use to help our patients develop and maintain healthy emotional congruence.

By listening to this episode, you can earn 1 Psychiatry CME Credits.

Link to blog.

Link to YouTube video.

Join David on Instagram: dr.davidpuder

Twitter: @DavidPuder

The History and Use of Antipsychotics Jun 19, 2018

Show notes

In the latest podcast, Dr. Cummings and I talked about antipsychotics, the particular branch of psychopharmacology that deals with medicines that treat psychotic experiences and other mental disorders, such as:

Schizophrenia

Severe depression

Severe anxiety

Bipolar disorder

Psychosis exhibiting hallucinations and delusions

By listening to this episode, you can earn 0.75 Psychiatry CME Credits.

Link to blog.

Link to YouTube video.

Join David on Instagram: dr.davidpuder

Twitter: @DavidPuder

How Psychiatric Medications Work with Dr. Cummings Jun 12, 2018

Show notes

In the latest episode of the Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Podcast, Dr. Puder interviews Dr. Cummings, a psychopharmacologist. They discuss the way medicine works in our bodies, and if medicine or therapy is more effective for treating different disorders. They also talk about the different factors that affect absorption rates, such as gastrointestinal surgeries, liver health and actual dosage.

By listening to this episode, you can earn 0.75 Psychiatry CME Credits.

Link to blog.

Link to YouTube video.

Join David on Instagram: dr.davidpuder

Twitter: @DavidPuder

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Prescribing Strength Training for Depression May 29, 2018

Show notes

Can strength training help alleviate depression? In this episode, Dr. David Puder is joined by Trent Jones, a Starting Strength athlete, to discuss how systematic strength training can significantly impact mental health. From boosting confidence and assertiveness to reducing symptoms of depression, we explore the science and personal stories behind this powerful intervention.

Key topics include:

The transformative mental health benefits of resistance training.
Insights from research studies showing the link between strength training and reduced depressive symptoms.
How strength training fosters assertiveness, confidence, and resilience.
Practical tips to start your own strength training journey, even if you're a beginner.

Whether you're a clinician looking for holistic treatments for depression or someone seeking new tools for personal growth, this episode offers actionable insights and inspiration.

By listening to this episode, you can earn 0.75 Psychiatry CME Credits.

Link to blog.

Link to YouTube video.

Using Microexpressions in Psychotherapy May 24, 2018

Show notes

In the third and final installment on microexpressions, Ariana Cunningham and Dr. David Puder talk about how learning microexpressions can help you build empathy and connect with other people.

As Paul Eckman demonstrated in his research, they can be potent glimpses into someone's emotional experience.

In this episode we talk about:

How emotions come into play in our dreams and other unconscious ways.

How to use what we learn from them carefully and with curiosity, rather than with a know-it-all attitude.

How we create psychological defense to cope with reality

How we might experience problematic relationship patterns through a theory called object relations.

How our emotions happen out of our awareness.

Preventing emotional overload and empathic exhaustion.

Emotional transference and how to stop it.

By listening to this episode, you can earn 0.75 Psychiatry CME Credits.

Link to blog.

Link to YouTube video.

Join Ariana on Instagram: @joyspotting

Join David on Instagram: dr.davidpuder

Twitter: @DavidPuder

Facebook: DrDavidPuder

Microexpressions: Fear, Surprise, Disgust, Empathy, and Creating Connection Part 2 May 15, 2018

Show notes

Microexpressions are brief, involuntary facial expressions that are cues to the true emotions that someone is feeling. We see microexpressions in tiny twitches of the brows, the lips and nose. They can last for as little as 1/15th of a second on the face.

In this episode, we describe the science of the microexpressions of fear, disgust, and surprise and how to use it to connect with others.

By listening to this episode, you can earn 0.75 Psychiatry CME Credits.

Link to blog.

Link to YouTube video.

For full PDF of the episode with links to videos of each emotion go to: https://psychiatrypodcast.com/resources

Join Ariana on Instagram: @joyspotting

Join David on Instagram: dr.davidpuder

Twitter: @DavidPuder

Facebook: DrDavidPuder

Microexpressions to Make Microconnections Part 1 May 08, 2018

Show notes

In this episode we describe the science of microexpressions, emotion and how to use it to connect with others.