HealthyGamerGG

Dr.K

I’m Dr. K. Harvard-trained psychiatrist, creator & owner of Healthy Gamer. Tune in for weekly updates from me about how we can improve your mental health. We cover topics ADHD, Trauma, Burntout and more. Dr. K's Guide to Mental Health: https://bit.ly/47zrIfH HG Coaching : https://bit.ly/46bIkdo HealthyGamer.GG: https://bit.ly/3ZOopgQ

  1. Aug 15

    We Need To Talk About Ozempic

    In this episode, Dr. K unpacks the massive and often contradictory mental health conversation surrounding GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic. Moving past the physical weight loss, he breaks down the complex psychiatric side effects—from the "Ozempic personality" to why the medication's impact on depression depends entirely on your starting weight. What to expect in this episode: The Dopamine "Speed Limit": How GLP-1 agonists act like a speed governor on your brain's engine, capping extreme dopamine spikes without affecting your day-to-day baseline levels. This specific mechanism blocks the intense reward spikes (similar to loot boxes or the lottery) that trigger neural rewiring and severe addictions. The "Ozempic Personality" & Anhedonia: Why capping those dopamine spikes can cause a side effect known as anhedonia—the inability to feel pleasure. Dr. K explains how this blunting effect can slowly shrink a person's daily sphere of motivation and activity. Frequency vs. Quantity: Why studies show Ozempic doesn't reduce the number of days you choose to drink, but significantly drops the amount of alcohol you consume. By capping the dopamine response, it blunts the progressive craving that typically makes you want a second or third glass. The Weight Discrepancy: Why obese individuals taking the drug see no net increase in depression, while healthy-weight users face a significantly higher risk of mood crashes. Dr. K explains how the massive hormonal and social benefits of resolving severe obesity balance out the chemical blunting occurring in the brain's emotional regulation centers. Hijacking the Starvation Signal: Why GLP-1 agonists are incredibly dangerous for restrictive eating disorders like anorexia. Normally, a starving body sends strong, protective craving signals that fight against conscious restriction; GLP-1s silence these signals, enabling the anorexic mind to restrict calories down to dangerous extremes. The 5% Trigger: How losing just 5% of body weight can turn on rigid thinking and trigger atypical anorexia in individuals with healthy BMIs who are vulnerable to social media body-image pressures. The Addiction Spectrum: Why GLP-1s successfully curb substances like alcohol, nicotine, and behavioral issues like impulsive shopping, but may paradoxically worsen pornography use. Dr. K's NEW Guide to Love, Sex, & Relationships is here! Order now: https://bit.ly/4dO3x0VHG Coaching : https://bit.ly/46bIkdo Dr. K's Guide to Mental Health: https://bit.ly/44z3SztHG Memberships : https://bit.ly/3TNoMVf Products & Services : https://bit.ly/44kz7x0 HealthyGamer.GG: https://bit.ly/3ZOopgQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    We Need To Talk About Ozempic
  2. Aug 10

    The Worst Red Flags I’ve Seen As A Therapist

    In this episode, Dr. K tackles a fascinating and highly requested question: Do therapists actually know when their patient is the "villain" of their own story? He explores how toxic individuals and narcissists frequently weaponize therapy language, why some therapists miss personality disorders for years, and the clinical signs—like an external locus of control and a failure of mentalization—that reveal when a client is the real problem. What to expect in this episode: The "Therapy Villain" Paradox: Why the most toxic people in your life are often the ones raving about therapy, using therapist validation to cast everyone else in their life as a narcissist or a sociopath. The Trap of Misdiagnosis: Why therapists frequently spend years missing personality disorders—such as confusing Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) with bipolar disorder or severe anxiety—and Dr. K’s honest admission about his own susceptibility to these blind spots. Identifying the "Victim" Pattern: What it means when a patient is consistently surrounded by people they claim are abusive, and how to tell if they are attracting toxic relationships or simply projecting their own narcissistic tendencies. The External Locus of Control: Understanding the diagnostic red flag of patients who believe their entire life is controlled by external forces (like society, bosses, or spouses), leaving them feeling powerless rather than empowered. Supportive vs. Action-Oriented Therapy: The clinical purpose of "supportive psychotherapy" (which focuses on unburdening and venting), and why true growth requires decompressing emotions so you can focus on personal responsibility and change. Weaponizing Therapy Speak: How predatory or narcissistic individuals hijack modern mental health concepts—like "I'm entitled to my feelings"—to justify inappropriate emotional reactions and continue traumatizing those around them. Projection and "Theory of Mind": How narcissists convert internal insecurity into external attacks (such as believing a friend lost weight specifically to make them look bad) because they project their own feelings onto everyone else. The Failure of Mentalization: A deep dive into the core deficit of Cluster B personality disorders, where an individual is entirely unable to separate their own internal discomfort ("I feel bad") from the actions of independent people ("someone did this to me"). The Narcissistic Blind Spot: Why narcissists assume that if they don't understand a complaint, it simply doesn't exist, whereas healthy individuals recognize they might just have a personal blind spot. Dr. K's NEW Guide to Love, Sex, & Relationships is here! Order now: https://bit.ly/4dO3x0VHG Coaching : https://bit.ly/46bIkdo Dr. K's Guide to Mental Health: https://bit.ly/44z3SztHG Memberships : https://bit.ly/3TNoMVf Products & Services : https://bit.ly/44kz7x0 HealthyGamer.GG: https://bit.ly/3ZOopgQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Worst Red Flags I’ve Seen As A Therapist

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About

I’m Dr. K. Harvard-trained psychiatrist, creator & owner of Healthy Gamer. Tune in for weekly updates from me about how we can improve your mental health. We cover topics ADHD, Trauma, Burntout and more. Dr. K's Guide to Mental Health: https://bit.ly/47zrIfH HG Coaching : https://bit.ly/46bIkdo HealthyGamer.GG: https://bit.ly/3ZOopgQ

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