hormones |

The Antidepressant Effects of Semen December 2, 2010

Host: Armand DiMele

Category: Depression & Mood, Sexuality & Desire

Research by evolutionary psychologists Gordon Gallup and Rebecca Baruch reveals that semen contains over 50 compounds including cortisol, serotonin, oxytocin, and prolactin. Armand DiMele walks through studies showing women who have condomless sex report significantly lower depression and suicide rates, and considers the ethical weight of publicizing the findings.

The Roots of Belligerence December 1, 2010

Host: Armand DiMele

Category: Communication & Conflict, Emotions & Inner Life

Beneath belligerence lies fear, not rage. Armand DiMele and co-host Linda trace the signs of belligerent behavior from nervous hyperactivity through verbal attacks, explaining the hormonal drivers and why people cannot think their way out of the state. Callers share real conflicts, and yoga is offered as a practical path back to calm.

The Chemistry of Falling in Love September 2, 2010

Host: Armand DiMele

Category: Love & Romantic Relationships, The Mind & Neuroscience

Why do we bond so powerfully with other people? Armand DiMele walks through the neuroscience of love, from lust and adrenaline to dopamine, oxytocin, and vasopressin, then argues that the chemistry of bonding extends beyond couples to explain PMS, depression, ADD, and chronic illness as shared phenomena of the bonded pair.

Hormones and Female Addiction with Emily Anthes April 13, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Emily Anthes, Stephanie D'Ambra

Category: Addiction & Compulsion, The Mind & Neuroscience

Estrogen makes drugs feel better, and progesterone can counteract that effect. Emily Anthes, Science Journalist and Author, joins Armand to explain why female addicts are biologically distinct from male addicts, why teenage girls now use drugs as often as boys, and how hormone-based treatments might one day help women quit.

Irritable Male Syndrome March 3, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Sherri Siegel

Category: Depression & Mood, Emotions & Inner Life

Men’s irritability and anger are often unrecognized forms of depression, shaped by hormonal shifts, glandular dysfunction, and psychological loss. Armand DiMele and Dr. Sherry Siegel, M.D. walk through the biochemical roots of Irritable Male Syndrome, from testosterone cycles to adrenal and thyroid disorders, and explore how partners absorb the fallout.

The Rhythms That Run Your Body September 30, 2009

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Sherri Siegel

Category: Emotions & Inner Life, The Mind & Neuroscience

Your heartbeat, digestion, sleep cycles, and mood are all governed by biological rhythms, and falling out of sync has real consequences. Armand DiMele and Dr. Sherry Siegel, M.D. explore cortisol, melatonin, the pineal gland, and what it means when two people’s rhythms simply don’t match.

The Migraine Brain with Dr. Carolyn Bernstein September 3, 2009

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Dr. Carolyn Bernstein, Sherri Siegel

Category: Emotions & Inner Life, The Mind & Neuroscience

Migraine is a disease, not just a bad headache. Armand and Dr. Sherry Siegel, M.D. are joined by neurologist Dr. Carolyn Bernstein, author of “The Migraine Brain,” to cover diagnostic criteria, weather and hormonal triggers, travel-related attacks, pain diaries, and why no universal cure exists.

The Male Side of Menopause with Dr. Henry Hess March 19, 2009

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Dr. Henry Hess

Category: Aging & Mortality, Love & Romantic Relationships

Most menopause conversations leave men out entirely. Armand and gynecologist Dr. Henry Hess examine how hormonal shifts reshape attraction, bonding, and sexual connection, and why men’s ignorance of the process quietly destroys long marriages. Covers the history of hormone therapy, oxytocin, and foreplay as daily practice.

Societal Depression and the Bipolar Parallel with Dr. Ronald Fieve November 19, 2008

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Dr. Bernard Starr, Dr. Ronald Fieve

Category: Depression & Mood, Society, Culture & Current Events

What if the post-boom economic collapse is a form of societal manic depression? Armand DiMele tests this hypothesis with Dr. Bernard Starr, PhD and psychiatrist and author Dr. Ronald Fieve, examining cortisol, testosterone, double depression, and why telling a depressed person to “buck up” never works.

Hormones Running Your Life September 4, 2007

Host: Armand DiMele

Category: Emotions & Inner Life, The Mind & Neuroscience

Prolactin, dopamine, and serotonin shape your mood, sex drive, and sleep far more than your conscious choices do. Armand DiMele explains how post-orgasmic prolactin surge explains the sleep-after-sex dynamic, why falling asleep to a flashing TV rewires your brain, and how sugar sabotages rest. Caller Adam’s relationship tension brings the biochemistry home.