The Psych Effect

#53 Filthy - Former Porn Director Vic Lagina

Former porn director Vic Lagina joins me to talk about his book Filthy, a retrospective about his time as a director with Brazzers, the #1 porn website in the world. The industry he helped launch with them, the toll it took on him and the mental health issues he witness while shooting scenes and dealing with the personalities that came (pun intended?) through this misunderstood industry. I also play a clip from Nick Turturro going nuts about Juan Soto which nails home a point I made on the last episode and also give my take on the De'Vondre Campbell/49ers story from last week. Then it's your Mental Health Tip of the Day that brings it all together.
01:08 - Nick Turturro & De'Vondre Campbell
13:50 - Vic Lagina
57:29 - MHToD

#52 Sports Trolling Going Mainstream & United CEO

Has identifying with your sports team crossed over into other areas of life? I argue that this identity and trash talking culture of sports has begun to cross over into other areas of culture and is getting worse with potential dire consequences. Then I give my take on the assassination of United Healthcare's CEO this week and how the continued gulf between classes is building rage. This rage might start to break down an imaginary shield that the rich believe they have that protects them from harm. Then it's your Mental Health Tip of the Day about how to handle family that you may not always agree with.
00:00 - Sports Trolling Goes Mainstream
23:55 - United CEO
38:57 - MHToD

#51 Dr Evan Longin Again - Evil Gets Elected

How did this happen? Are people inherently bad? Friend of the show, psychologist Dr. Evan Longin returns to discuss his book The Roots of Evil, what makes someone evil, and how to deal with that in ever day life. We also talk about my long standing theory on people. Whether we are inherently bad by nature and therefore prone to this behavior. The Healthcare Horror Stat of the Week begins what might be the most depressing episode in the history of this podcast and it's brought home with a Mental Health Tip of the Day to try to bring some relief. 
00:00 - Healthcare Horror Stat of the Week - Measles coming soon to a child near you
4:38 - Dr. Evan Longin - The Roots of Evil
38:30 - MHToD

#50 Everyone's Back - 2024 Election and Tua's Brain

It took Trump's surprise win to pull me out of mothballs after two month to finally come back and record a podcast, but it was too much to stay away since everyone's been asking for a psychiatrists opinion on what happened this week. I give my take on the election results and also on Tua Tagovailoa's traumatic brain injury from last month and how I view doctor's role in advising players on returning to games. Your Mental Health Tip of the Day may be something you need in this moment of uncertainty, or you can just go hide.
00:00 - Tua's Brain
09:30 - The Psych Effect's Election Coverage
32:08 - MHToD
 
 

#49 Tua & Flores - Being A Better Person

Back with not one but TWO Healthcare Horror Stats of the Week that will terrify you going into the fall season. I also give my take on the Tua Tagovailoa & Brian Flores story that came out this week and continue the conversation from the last show about valuing people in the workplace and also becoming a better person in general. I'm also going to take psychic credit for predicting Tua's contract extension. CALL ME NOW! Then it's your Mental Health Tip of the Day.
00:56 - Healthcare Horror Stats of the Week
08:31 - Tua & Flores
29:44 - MHToD

#48 Sleep Deprivation - You Has It

What is the value of a human being in the workplace? That's the debate that the Dolphins had with Tua Tagovailoa until Friday when they finally signed him. Since I recorded this podcast three hours before that happened I made a stunning prediction about the outcome. Also Sean McVay is a new age type of NFL coach that thinks sleep is important, which pushes out the old guard of sleep deprived tough guy coaches. Is he right? I go into sleep statistics and why he might just be on to something. Plus your Mental Health Tip of the Day is just too obvious.
00:54 - Valuing a Human
09:20 - Sleep Deprivation
27:21 - #MHToD

#47 Recent Bias & Your Most Emotional Sports Moment

What's the moment that's made you the most emotional in sports? I start the show by exploring what did that to me and it happened recently. Following along this theme I then talk about recency bias research because there's been a lot of discussion about how if the Florida Panthers blew a 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals it would have been the worst loss in sports history. But this forgets some of the other worst losses that have come before it. I drop my Top 5 worst sports losses in history. You shouldn't be surprised. Then it's your Mental Health Tip of the Day. #MHToD
1:08 - Most Emotional Sports Moment
8:04 - Recency Bias Research
29:20 - MHToD

#46 Athletes & Relationships

Darren Waller retired this week after an excellent career as a prototypical tight end in the NFL. Was it because of mental health issues after his divorce from Kelsey Plum? Was it after catching flake for an awkward music video he made for his ex-wife? I dive into trying to find research on athletes and their relationships. You might be surprised by the results of the study that I found. I also go on not one but TWO culture rants, but first I bring back an old topic from an episode last year on sports superstitions since the Panthers are in the Stanley Cup Finals. Then it's your Mental Health Tip of the Day. #MHToD
1:08 - Superstitions, Obesity, & Weather Disasters
17:50 - Darren Waller, Athletes & Relationships
35:16 - #MHToD

#45 Psychology Of Blame

Pointing fingers has become our national pastime. But why do we do it? I cover two research articles on theories & relate them to our current social, political, and sports climates. Do politicians feed us narratives, sports identify us with our teams, and refs are against us? Plus I give my take on the outrage machine after Harrison Butker's commencement speech.. Then it's your Mental Health Tip of the Day.
Links to the articles: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266394032_A_Theory_of_Blame
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022103117302275
1:12 - Harrison Butker & The Outrage Machine
15:33 - Psychology Of Blame
48:35 - #MHToD

#44 Hypnosis with Dr Sera Lavelle

It's not the clock dangling in your face or the magician making you think you're a chicken. Clinical hypnosis is real and can really help you in therapy. Dr. Sera Lavelle explains the history and how she uses this current therapy in her practice in New York. We talk about how hypnosis can help people with eating disorders, ADHD, and infertility. And also about her fascinating research of relationships after betrayal. I also rants about Boston's sports teams, especially the Bruins crying after the Panthers took it to them in game 3 of their series and then your Mental Health Tip of the Game brings us home.
1:00 - Boston Sports is Annoying
12:00 - Hypnosis with Dr Sera Lavelle
43:37 - MHToD