Dr. Gary Bell's Absurd Psychology

Childhood trauma significantly impacts brain development and function, leading to long-term psychological effects like anxiety, depression, PTSD, emotional dysregulation, trust issues, and self-esteem problems, alongside physical issues such as chronic health conditions, sleep disturbances, and altered stress responses, often manifesting as behavioral challenges, learning difficulties, and relatio...

Human development is influenced by, but not entirely determined by, our parents and our genes. Children may have very different personalities, and different strengths and weaknesses, than the generation that preceded them. Caregivers should pay attention to their children's distinct traits and the pace of their development, and not assume that the approach to parenting that worked for their mother...

BDSM is an umbrella term for a wide range of sexual practices that involve physical bondage, the giving or receiving of pain, dominant or submissive roleplay, and/or other related activities. The acronym is a combination of Bondage/Discipline, Dominance/Submission, and Sadism/Masochism. Though BDSM has long been socially stigmatized or thought to be a sign of mental illness, recent research sugges...

Anxiety is both a mental and physical state of negative expectation. Mentally it is characterized by increased arousal and apprehension tortured into distressing worry, and physically by unpleasant activation of multiple body systems—all to facilitate response to an unknown danger, whether real or imagined. Tune in and learn all about anxiety and how to overcome it!  

Our lives begin within our most intimate tribe, our family, whose job it is to protect and nurture us until adulthood. But then gradually, over time, we get introduced to members of other related tribes — our racial and ethnic groups — with whom we share many of our most basic traits, including our phenotypes, genetics, and cultural histories. And then there are the tribes we choose, based on reli...

Thoroughly woven into the tapestry of American culture has been the mythology or cult of the millionaire, a term which originated in France (by Disraeli in 1826) but was rarely used in the United States until the late 19th century. The word was reportedly first used in America in a newspaper obituary for Pierre Lorillard I, founder of the tobacco empire. "Mr. Lorillard was a 'millionaire,'" the ob...

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD or cPTSD) describes a set of disruptive symptoms that emerge after experiencing inescapable traumatic life events, especially those of a horrific or threatening nature or which recur or accumulate over a period of time. Such events are typically interpersonal, often involving abusive relationships with parents, caregivers, or other responsible adults...

With marriage having a fifty percent no‐go rate it's obvious that people don't follow their best thinking, just like people don't eat healthfully even when they know what's good for them. Paradoxically, it's in our most enduring and important relationships that we're least likely to be our most mature and thoughtful selves. Tune in and learn what it takes to be married!

Constant criticism, even if it's self-inflicted, slowly chips away at your sense of self-worth over time. Before you know it, you're left feeling inadequate and like you can never measure up. Tune in and learn how constant criticism can effect a person!

Schadenfreude[emdash]the sense of pleasure people derive from the misfortune of others[emdash]is a familiar feeling to many, yet it's poorly understood. The complex emotion may provide a valuable window into the darker side of humanity. Tune in and learn how people derive pleasure from others pain!

Intercultural relationships are increasingly common, especially in "hyperdiverse" Western cultures, where mixed marriage has been steadily rising over the decades. What used to be controversial, even anathema, is now commonplace, at least in progressive Western urban centers. Because the concept of race is misleading, contemporary scholars have moved away from describing mixed marriages as "interr...

Transactional communciation helps people see how these three states operate within them and how they shift between states in different situations. It can be applied flexibly. It may be brief and solution-focused, helping clients address specific issues quickly, or it can be used in longer-term therapy for deeper exploration of unconscious patterns. Transactional communication's versatility extends...

The conscious mind can be described as whatever you are currently aware of. What you are feeling, doing, seeing, touching, experiencing. You are conscious of it, or aware of it. Consciousness does not involve stored information. It is what is happening now. It does involve thinking and making decisions. It is easy to control your conscious mind because you are able to use it to make choices. Tune...

Relationships thrive on emotional and physical connections, and one of the most intriguing aspects of romantic bonds is the concept of a "turn on." But what does it really mean to be "turned on" in a relationship? Is it purely physical, or does it go deeper? The phrase "turn on" is often associated with physical attraction, but in relationships, it encompasses much more. A turn-on can be anything—...

Transhumanism is a philosophical and intellectual movement that advocates using advanced technologies—such as biotechnology, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and genetic engineering—to enhance human physical, cognitive, and emotional capabilities beyond natural limitations. The goal is to improve the human condition, potentially achieving longer lifespans, eliminating diseases, and even tr...

•Repentance is not so much a feeling or sentiment but rather a process.  It's the process of honestly and thoughtfully reviewing one's past actions, one's motivations, sentiments, and underlying "issues," and committing oneself to the task of "turning away" from old, negative patterns and making a conscientious effort to adopt and reinforce very different, healthier ways, thus becoming a new and b...

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by unusual shifts in mood, energy, and ability to function. These shifts involve extreme "highs" (mania) and "lows" (depression), sometimes accompanied by symptoms like racing thoughts, sleep problems, impulsive behavior, and feelings of hopelessness. Psychology plays a key role in understanding bipolar disorder by studying its symptoms,...

The psychology of white-collar crime involves understanding the motivations, personality traits, and decision-making processes of individuals who commit these offenses. Key factors include a focus on material wealth, optimism bias about getting caught, egocentricity, and potential difficulties in social and sexual relating. Certain personality traits like narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopa...

Is staying married for the kids the right choice? This is one of the most heart-wrenching decisions a parent can face. It's a question that weighs heavily on those contemplating divorce, sparking a complex debate about the best path forward for the family's emotional and psychological well-being. Tune in and learn how all this plays out for children and parents. Learn how to prevent or manage a di...

What, exactly, is apathy? In a sense, it's something like falling in love. You can describe it all you want, but until you've experienced it, you can only guess what it feels like. Paradoxically, what makes the feeling of apathy unique is that it's essentially the feeling of not feeling. It's something that at some point in your existence you've encountered. Whenever you feel that something vital...

Conspiracy theories, from a psychological perspective, are often linked to distrust of authority, political cynicism, and psychological traits like paranoia, narcissism, and insecure attachment. Belief in these theories can be reinforced by circular reasoning, where evidence against or lack of evidence for a conspiracy is interpreted as further proof of its existence. We live in a world filled wit...

Artificial intelligence (AI), sometimes known as machine intelligence, refers to the ability of computers to perform human-like feats of cognition including learning, problem-solving, perception, decision-making, and speech and language. Early AI systems had the ability to defeat a world chess champion, map streets, and compose music. Thanks to more advanced algorithms, data volumes, and computer...

•Anticipation is a psychological process we engage in to mentally prepare for a certain outcome that we expect to happen in the future. Anticipating future events happens automatically, taking place largely in the oldest part of the brain, the cerebellum. Our minds are wired for anticipation; we evolved to have the capacity to form accurate expectations about the future so we could make better pre...

For most of us mere mortals, admitting we are wrong is very difficult, even under the best of circumstances. At times, we argue vehemently over trivial matters, even with loved ones. In such instances, we might notice how we avoid admitting we are wrong, or how we quickly point out how the other person was wrong about something else. "Oh, yeah, well maybe I did forget to take the trash out, but yo...

Not all couples can pinpoint a specific trigger for a spiral of relationship resentment, but studies have shown that resentment is often a response to a wrong—or something perceived as punitive or humiliating. It also can grow in relationships in which teasing or humor is barbed, where one has a habit of diminishing the competence of the other, or when there is little perceived appreciation of a p...