Mood: Bad

The Meaning of Loyalty December 19, 2006

Host: Armand DiMele

What does it actually mean to be loyal, and to whom do we owe it? Armand DiMele works through loyalty in its many forms, from romantic fidelity and family bonds to political allegiance, arguing that real loyalty is a felt sense of devotion, not a pledge or an oath.

How Genes Shape Who We Are December 13, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Maria Atti

Some people are wired to seek more risk, more novelty, more intensity, and it comes down to gene length. Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti break down how dopamine receptor efficiency, inherited through long or short gene sequences, shapes attention, risk-taking, sexuality, and vulnerability to addiction, and how stress hormones can actually switch genes on and off.

The Pain of Being Ostracized December 7, 2006

Host: Armand DiMele

Being cast out hurts in ways that go beyond simple rejection. Armand DiMele traces ostracism from its ancient Athenian roots through race, family exile, and sexual abuse survivors silenced by the people who should protect them. Callers share raw personal experiences of being pushed to the margins.

How Memes Shape Human Behavior December 6, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Roberta Maria Atin

Ideas spread like viruses, hijacking behavior without our awareness. Armand and co-host Roberta Maria Atti unpack Richard Dawkins’s concept of memes, tracing how cultural bits ranging from the Macarena to post-9/11 fear alerts to childhood warnings replicate, activate, and quietly condition thought and behavior.

The Psychology of Clutter and Hoarding November 30, 2006

Host: Armand DiMele

Clutter is a habit; hoarding is an illness, and Armand DiMele draws a clear line between them. He traces hoarding to a fragile sense of self, fear of loss, and compulsive just-in-case thinking, then takes calls from listeners wrestling with their own accumulation and the anger and grief beneath it.

The Bipolar II Advantage with Dr. Ronald Fieve November 22, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Dr. Ronald Fieve

High energy, little sleep, relentless drive: Dr. Ronald Fieve, Psychiatrist and Author, argues that bipolar II is often a hidden asset rather than a pure liability. Armand DiMele and Fieve trace the spectrum from bipolar I to hypomania, exploring creativity, relationships, psychopathy, and why so many high achievers carry this diagnosis.

When Love Is Toxic November 21, 2006

Host: Armand DiMele

Love can be toxic rather than healing for people who are wired for solitude. Armand DiMele examines the schizoid personality type, those who experience love as an intrusion, tracing the diagnostic criteria, the private person’s hidden inner life, and how holidays expose the tension between compulsive sociality and deep withdrawal.

Love Regrets November 16, 2006

Host: Armand DiMele

What do you wish you had done differently in love? Armand DiMele maps five distinct love styles (storge, agape, mania, pragma, eros) to the specific regrets each one breeds, arguing that most romantic mistakes trace back to unresolved childhood needs playing out in adult relationships. Callers share their own love regrets live on air.

Remorse, Regret and the Psychopathic Mind November 15, 2006

Host: Armand DiMele

Armand DiMele draws a sharp distinction between remorse and regret, using the psychopathic personality as a lens to show what a life without guilt looks like. Callers share midlife regrets, including a recovering alcoholic ex-cop who reflects on alcohol, isolation, and finding his way back to his kids.

The Hidden Face of Male Depression October 31, 2006

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Kent Robertshaw

Men’s depression is vastly underdiagnosed because it rarely looks like sadness. Armand DiMele and Dr. Kent Robertshaw, MD, Psychiatrist, argue that aggression, dominance, substance abuse, and compulsive drivenness are often depression in disguise, and that treating them as such could change everything.