Hosts: Armand DiMele

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Psychiatric Medication with Dr. Kent Robertshaw April 20, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Kent Robertshaw

Armand DiMele and Dr. Kent Robertshaw, MD, Psychiatrist, walk through the landscape of psychiatric medications, from why Prozac reshaped treatment to how a psychiatrist actually chooses between antidepressants based on symptoms. They cover OCD, paranoia, psychosis, and the tension between medication and talk therapy.

Creativity and Human Evolution April 19, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Maria Ante

Creativity may be the defining trait that separates humans from other animals, and modern research suggests it has been actively selected for through both natural and sexual selection. Armand DiMele and Roberta Maria Ante argue that suppressed creativity could be a root cause of depression, and that beauty and artistic expression hold untapped healing potential.

Why Teenagers Drop Out April 18, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Kent Robertshaw, Stacy Nunez

One in three American teenagers quits high school, and Armand DiMele and Dr. Kent Robertshaw, MD, Psychiatrist, trace why: boredom, family poverty, drug money, and a school system that mistakes college-prep drilling for real education. The conversation broadens into adult avoidance and the pharmaceutical industry’s role in suppressing discomfort rather than addressing its roots.

Rough Childhoods and Impulse Control April 12, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Maria Atti

Rough childhoods don’t just wound emotionally, they physically reshape the brain, and that is the root of impulse control problems. Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti trace how early neglect stunts neuronal development and drives behaviors from theft and violence to binge eating and self-cutting, with a striking detour into what starvation studies reveal about compulsion.

The Psychology of Impulse Control April 11, 2006

Host: Armand DiMele

Armand DiMele traces impulsive behavior from everyday impulse buying and advertising to serious disorders including mania, antisocial personality, and addiction. He argues that reduced sensitivity to consequences is the common thread, and that awareness alone is a powerful first antidote.

Why Depressives Respond to Pain Not Pleasure April 6, 2006

Host: Armand DiMele

Depression is not a benign mood but an active, brain-damaging condition, and cheering someone up is the wrong approach. Armand DiMele explains why depressed people respond to pain and negativity rather than pleasure, and how validating rather than contradicting a depressed person can open a way through.

The Evolutionary Roots of Depression with Roberta Maria Acchi April 5, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Maria Acchi

Depression may be a biological strategy shaped by evolution, not merely a pathology. Armand DiMele and guest Roberta Maria Acchi examine rank theory, the biochemistry of winning and losing, why men hide depression, how oppressed groups are kept docile, and how blocked creative potential rewires the nervous system toward low mood.

The Noonday Demon with Andrew Solomon April 1, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Andrew Solomon

Andrew Solomon, author of ‘The Noonday Demon,’ joins Armand DiMele to explore how depression escalates across repeated episodes, why agitated depression is especially dangerous, what cortisol does to brain cells over time, and why our screen-saturated, sleep-deprived culture may be quietly fueling an epidemic.

The Biology of Risk and Danger March 28, 2006

Host: Armand DiMele

Risk and danger are not personality flaws but biological drives rooted in dopamine and evolutionary history. Armand DiMele traces why humans crave thrill, why dangerous types attract mates, how optimistic bias fuels reckless behavior, and how the nester-adventurer spectrum shapes personality across the lifespan.

Family Systems and Hidden Roles March 23, 2006

Host: Armand DiMele

Every family is a system, and the ‘sick’ member is rarely the only one who needs help. Armand DiMele walks through systems theory from triangulation and the rebel child to Munchausen by proxy, arguing that treating the individual without the whole family often misses the point entirely.