Shrink The Nation

Pull up a seat on the couch—bourbon not required but highly recommended—as Shrink the Nation tackles the psychological circus of presidential expectations . Why do Americans keep expecting their presidents to be Marvel superheroes (or at least build us flying cars)? Why does disappointment so often turn to scapegoating and hysteria? And what does infantile defense have to do with politics, family...

Pour a glass of bourbon and settle in: Shrink the Nation is back with a clinical (and irreverent) deep-dive into projection—how we heap our hopes, fears, and disappointments onto presidents, partners, and pretty much anyone who’ll stand still long enough. Dr. David and Rob break down the classic Freudian defense (yes, with jokes about the “coked mind of Sigmund Freud”) and show how projection warp...

Shrink the Nation is back on the couch with America for a special bonus episode—this time with bourbon, Gen Z anxiety, and a full unpacking of nihilism in modern life. David, Rob, and guest psychiatrist Amit pour up (literally—Basil Hayden, Bulleit, and Tin Cup all make cameos) and dive deep into why every generation thinks the next one is hopeless—and why we keep handing them the same script. Fro...

Is anything even real anymore? Or have we all just become the meme? In this episode, three psychiatrists pour a drink and psychoanalyze America’s creeping wave of nihilism—from institutional mistrust and generational cynicism, to why so many of us now look for meaning in conspiracy theories, anti-heroes, and online chaos. The crew debates whether cultural nihilism is a symptom or a cause, how Gen...

In this wide-ranging episode of Shrink the Nation , Drs. David and Rob dive into the psychological underpinnings of modern American life. From the nation's grandiosity complex to the cognitive dissonance simmering beneath our politics and self-perception, the hosts weave together psychiatry, history, humor, and cultural critique. They reflect on the role of social media in distorting reality, unpa...

Why do we cling to beliefs we know don’t make sense? Why is it so hard to admit when we’re wrong — especially in politics? In this episode, we break down cognitive dissonance : the psychological discomfort of holding contradictory beliefs, and how it’s fueling an identity crisis across American society. From ego and empathy to national pride and political tribalism, the crew explores: Why we doubl...

Welcome to the couch. In our official kickoff, the full Shrink The Nation crew of psychiatrists dives into America’s most flamboyant coping mechanism: grandiosity . What happens when a country builds its identity around being “the greatest”?  How do narcissism, exceptionalism, and social media shape our politics, culture, and sense of self?  And what does it say about us when our leaders aren’t ju...

In this rebooted pre-launch test episode, the full team of psychiatrists pour the bourbon and open up a wide-ranging conversation on what the hell is happening to America — and why we still believe in the mission of this show. From the symbolism of Superman to the emotional charge behind protests, the crew dissects: The cultural role of bourbon and what it says about our national psyche Why Americ...

In this inaugural episode, Drs David and Rob crack open a bottle of bourbon and a conversation about what it means to stay sane in a culture that feels like it's unraveling. They dig into: Why this podcast even exists How political disengagement became the default setting for the exhausted middle The anxiety ripple effects of AI in healthcare The weaponization of social media and disinformation An...