Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast

PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, occurs when someone experiences or subjectively experiences a near death or psychologically overwhelming event and then goes on to develop specific symptoms. Different types of trauma/stressors that can lead to PTSD include sexual violence, combat experience, medical conditions (e.g. myocardial infarction), and natural disasters (e.g. hurricane) ( Chivers-W...

Schizophrenia is a diagnosis of exclusion. Doctors and therapists need to be able to rule everything else out before they can land on schizophrenia as an official diagnosis. There are specific symptoms are known as "first-rank symptoms," which we will cover later in the article, that will help with diagnosing patients ( Schneider, 1959 ). Eighty-five percent of people with schizophrenia endorse th...

Clinical manifestations Many people worry that they have schizophrenia. I receive messages or inquires often of people asking about symptoms and manifestations. If you have those types of questions, or if you're a mental health professional who needs to brush up on symptoms and medications, this article should help you. There are many clinical observations of how schizophrenia presents itself. Cog...

What is schizophrenia? It is a psychotic disorder that typically results in hallucinations and delusions, leaving a person with impeded daily functioning. The word schizophrenia translates roughly as the "splitting of the mind," and comes from the Greek roots schizein ( "to split") and phren- ( " mind ").   The onset of the disease typically occurs in young adulthood; for males, around 21 years of...

On today's episode of of the podcast, I will discuss marijuana use and how it affects mental health with Daniel Binus, the chief psychiatrist at Beautiful Minds, near Sacramento, California. Also joining us is a third-year medical student, Victoria Agee. There are a few reasons we believe this is important to talk about. First, as medical professionals, we often see patients who want help with the...

On today's episode of the podcast, I interview Ginger Simonton, a PhD student finishing her dissertation. We will cover her in-depth research on alleviating the symptomology of childhood sexual abuse. We will specifically be talking about the link between women who have been sexually abused, never given a chance to heal, and how it has affected their mental and physical health, and programs that c...

On this week's episode of the podcast, I talk about the power of forgiveness. It's scientifically proven that forgiveness can impact our health. As mental health professionals, this has important impacts both personally and professionally. I have also included a downloadable PDF for you to give your patients to help you walk them through the act of forgiving. As a therapist, when I say the word "f...

What is transference? Historically the term "transference" refers to the feelings, fantasies, beliefs, assumptions and experiences unconsciously displaced on the therapist that originate in the patients' past relationships. More recently, transference is seen as the here and now, valid experience the patient has of the therapist. It is "a mixture of real characteristics of the therapist and aspect...

In this episode of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Dr. David Puder dives into the critical issue of inpatient violence with special guests Dr. Gillian Friedman and Nate Hoyt, MS4. Explore the latest evidence-based strategies to predict, prevent, and manage aggression in psychiatric settings. Discover key insights on: Risk factors for inpatient violence, including diagnoses and history of aggressio...

On this week's episode of the podcast, I am joined by Dr. Carolina Osorio, a geriatric psychiatrist (and one of my favorite people). After she finished her psychiatry residency, she also went on to finish a fellowship in geriatric psychiatry to take care of her favorite people. Dr. Osorio runs a special program that treats elderly people with depression and anxiety. By listening to this episode, y...

On this week's episode of the podcast, I interview...quite a few people! We are covering Ted Bundy, America's most infamous serial killer, and since the world has been fascinated by him lately, I figured I'd get a group of mental health professionals in a room to talk about him. His horrific acts made the news and have scared people for decades now, and rightfully so. Did media and pornography cau...

The words "aggression" and "violence" are sometimes used synonymously, but in reality, aggression can be physical or non-physical, and directed either against others or oneself. Violence is more of a use of force with an intent to inflict damage. One study looked at the principle types of aggression and violence that occur in psychiatric patients, and broke it down into three categories: Impulsive...

Empathy is the ability to understand another's state of mind or emotions. It is also is being able to feel, understand and share with someone else in what they are saying, their meaning of life, their motivations and values. In research there are 3 types of empathy that are commonly described: cognitive, affective, and compassionate. By listening to this episode, you can earn 1 Psychiatry CME Cred...

People who truly have ADHD typically experience inattentive and hyper symptoms across all areas of their life. For example, if they are in a job that requires periods of attention to complete or organize a project, it will be inherently more difficult for people with ADHD. One of the things that's important in diagnosing people (particularly younger people) is their collateral history. People arou...

What is placebo? The original meaning of the word placebo is, "I will please." That statement comes from a time when doctors didn't have our modern code of ethics, and they would prescribe whatever would make the person feel better. They probably had the best intentions, but they also would have known that whatever they were prescribing might not have been a real medication for the symptoms the pa...

For many, motherhood is a beautiful, unique, and meaningful experience. The mother-child bond is a relationship that has the potential to be a deeply loving and positive experience for both the mother and child. However, motherhood can be distressing, which is why it is imperative that we, as providers, understand the unique psychiatric issues that are associated with this time period in a woman's...

Episode CME activity objectives: In the context of a therapeutic alliance, apply the information given in this episode to help draw out meaning in others. Identify who Viktor Frankl was and how his work and legacy have shaped how we understand and utilize meaning in psychiatry. Define psychic determinism. Recognize that meaning is idiosyncratic and unique to each individual. Recognize the multitud...

Delirium is an acute change in a person's sensorium (the perception of one's environment or understanding of one's situation). It can include confusion about their orientation, cognition or mental thinking. With hyperactive delirium, a patient can become aggressive, violent and agitated with those around them. A patient experiencing delirium can have hallucinations and hear things, they can become...

On this week's episode of the podcast, I interview Dr. Cummings, a reputable psychopharmacologist, about ketamine. We talk about psychedelics, the research behind it, both the positives and the negatives. We will look at how it is or is not helpful in psychiatric treatments.   (Disclaimer: There are no conflicts of interest to report. Neither Dr. Puder or Cummings is affiliated with any companies...

On this week's episode of the podcast, I interviewed Allison Maxwell, a social worker and PhD student of clinical social work. I refer patients to her regularly for psychoanalysis, and she has had a wonderful impact on their mental health journey. What is psychodynamic theory? Psychodynamic therapy is a form of talk therapy where the practitioner work focuses on the patient's emotion, fantasies, d...

Timothy Lee has talked to thousands of medical students about how to applying for residency programs, and here, he gives us a few tips on how to make it through the gauntlet, and how to have your best chance at landing the program you want.   Here is what Timothy Lee says: Stay calm Many students have been fine tuning their personal statements, and trying to get their resume just right, or hurryin...

What is a therapeutic alliance? The therapeutic alliance is a collaborative relationship between the physician and the patient. Together, you jointly establish goals, desires, and expectations of your working partnership. Every interview with a patient, whether it's for diagnostic, intake, evaluative, or psychopharmacology purposes, has therapeutic potential. The treatment starts from your first g...

What is trauma? Emotional trauma comes from stress that is overwhelms a person's neurological system. Some stress can be good and formative, or it can be bad and get stuck in the brain, causing someone deep emotional pain. Think of climbing Mount Everest. Some people choose to do that, and it's easily one of the most stressful situations you can put yourself in on purpose. That's good stress if yo...

What are boundaries? When we refer to boundaries, we are talking about emotional walls that are healthy. Boundaries are meant to keep us in relationship with the people that we love. Think of them as your property lines around your house. You know where your lines are, where your property ends and your neighbors begins. Therefore you know what you are supposed to take care of and what your neighbo...

In this episode we discuss: The history of bipolar illness, mood stabilizers, common treatments, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy goals, and more. For paraphrased transcription and blog: go here For more detailed notes by Dr. Cummings, go to my resource page .   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...