Psychobabble

Hannah Spier, MD
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Psychiatrist analyzing how cultural trends and modern therapy incentivize dysfunction. hannahspier.substack.com

  1. 2d ago

    80. Why So Many Young Women Suddenly Have "Alters"

    Dissociation is a real and measurable psychological phenomenon—but does that validate dissociative identity disorder as it is commonly portrayed online and diagnosed in clinical practice? In this episode, psychiatrist Hannah Spier examines the evidence behind DID, the limitations of self-reported amnesia and diagnostic interviews, and the difficulty of distinguishing separate "identities" from shifting emotional states, trauma responses, borderline personality traits, and identity disturbance. Finally, Hannah looks at the history of multiple personality disorder—from mesmerism and hypnosis to *The Three Faces of Eve*, *Sybil*, *Split*, and TikTok—and offers advice for parents whose children return from therapy with a new DID diagnosis.  Read Hannah's articles and join exclusive live discussions on Substack! https://substack.com/@psychobabblewithspier

  2. 6d ago

    #79. Why We Pretend Women Aren't Violent

    SPONSOR: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code HANNAH at https://www.oneskin.co/HANNAH  In this episode, we look at the Mackenzie Shirilla case as a starting point for a broader question: how do we understand female physical violence? The discussion moves from the details of the case — including Shirilla's behavior before and after the crash, the public reaction, and the question of remorse — into a wider examination of how female aggression is often framed culturally. We tend to associate men with physical violence and women with relational aggression, but the evidence around intimate partner violence, family violence, elder abuse, and child homicide complicates that picture.   Chapters 00:00 — Are women less physically violent? 00:38 — The Mackenzie Shirilla case 03:41 — Cluster B traits and interpersonal dominance 08:56 — Female sociopathy and violent women 09:10 — The myth of domestic violence as male-only 09:26 — Intimate partner violence data 10:12 — Why female violence is often framed as self-defense 10:41 — Why women report using physical aggression 10:56 — Gender symmetry in older violence studies 11:35 — Teen boys and dating violence victimization 11:49 — The problem with using general crime statistics 12:22 — Violence in female-dominated settings 12:37 — Elder abuse and female perpetrators 12:50 — Mothers, filicide, and neonaticide 13:41 — How society interprets male vs female violence

  3. Jul 6

    #78. Why Men are GIving Up on Modern Women

    Modern dating has become increasingly expensive for men — not only financially, but emotionally, socially, and psychologically. In this episode, I look at the inflation of chivalry: the way ordinary courtship has turned into elaborate performance, "princess treatment," promposals and endless proof of male devotion. What is the problem with this? We also look at the rise of "the ick," and what that signifies. Chapters: 00:40 The Cost of Modern Dating for Men 02:09 No Effort, No Reciprocity 03:00 Promposals and Princess Treatment 04:22 What Chivalry Was Supposed to Be 05:27 The Rise of "The Ick" 06:17 The Train Ticket Example 07:01 When Men Stop Performing 08:22 Women Want Permanent Courtship 09:00 Male Vulnerability and the Collapse of Empathy 10:11 Consuming Relationships Instead of Building Them 10:38 Fragile Narcissism and Modern Intimacy

  4. Jul 2

    #77. The Glorification of Feminist Violence

    Get 15% off OneSkin with the code HANNAH at https://www.oneskin.co/HANNAH #oneskinpod  On June 3, 1968, Valerie Solanas walked into Andy Warhol's studio and shot him. Decades later, she has become a feminist icon, her SCUM Manifesto is taught in universities, and Hollywood celebrated her life in a major film that is now returning to theaters in a new restoration. How did an attempted murderer become a cultural hero? In this episode I'm joined by Janice Fiamengo, Tom Golden, and Jim Nuzzo to explore one of the most striking double standards in modern culture: why female violence is so often explained, romanticized, and even celebrated, while male violence is treated as evidence of innate evil. Follow them here: Janice Fiamengo: https://substack.com/@fiamengofile James Nuzzo: https://substack.com/@jameslnuzzo?utm_source=global-search 🔴 Tonight: Live Google Meet for paid subscribers: https://hannahspier.substack.com/ Tonight at 3:00 PM Eastern I'll be hosting our exclusive monthly Google Meet for paid subscribers. We'll be discussing fathers, masculinity, and what is happening to men in modern society, with plenty of time for questions and discussion. If you'd like to join, upgrade now. You'll immediately gain access to the paid subscriber chat, where the Google Meet link has already been posted. I'll also send an email with the meeting link to all paid subscribers before we go live. I hope to see many of you there. 00:00 Valerie Solanas and the Attempted Murder of Andy Warhol 01:06 Introducing the Panel 01:37 Why Is Valerie Solanas Being Celebrated? 05:16 Hollywood's Romanticization of Female Violence 11:48 The SCUM Manifesto and Feminist History 17:00 Did Feminism Embrace Valerie Solanas? 22:49 Was Valerie Solanas Mentally Ill? 25:15 Why Society Excuses Female Violence 30:01 Feminist Utopias and Anti-Male Ideology 34:17 Is Feminism a Public Health Problem? 36:33 Female Violence and the Double Standard 40:35 Why We Don't Excuse Violent Men 42:29 Gynocentrism and Cultural Bias 46:39 Protection vs Special Treatment 49:00 Why We Ignore Violence by Women 52:00 Final Thoughts

  5. Jun 25

    76. Why Therapy Protects the Pathological Female

    Most treatments for Borderline Personality Disorder focus on emotional dysregulation. The goal is to reduce distress, self-harm, anxiety, and crises. But that misses the mark. In this episode, I argue that modern psychiatry has adopted a model of Borderline Personality Disorder that is incomplete. By focusing almost exclusively on suffering, it neglects the maladaptive strategies harm others. I also examine the striking contrast between how psychiatry approaches Borderline Personality Disorder—predominantly diagnosed in women—and Antisocial Personality Disorder, diagnosed predominantly in men. Why do we define one disorder primarily by the patient's suffering and the other by the harm inflicted on others? And what has this double standard done to treatment? In the second half of the episode I outline what I believe a more realistic treatment model would look like. If you've ever wondered why Borderline Personality Disorder remains so difficult to treat, this episode offers a very different way of thinking about the problem.

  6. Jun 11

    #73. Psychopath or Sociopath? Reacting to Dr. Ramani and Her Anti-Male Bias

    What is the real difference between a psychopath, a sociopath, and antisocial personality disorder? In this episode, I respond to Dr. Ramani's claim that "psychopaths are born and sociopaths are made" and explain why that framing is far too simplistic. I also explain why cold psychopaths unsettle us so much and how antisocial personality disorder fits into this.

  7. Jun 11

    #74. How to Recognize Female Narcissism

    In this episode, I break down the red flags of narcissism in women and why female narcissism is often much harder to recognize than male narcissism. Women are taught from very early on to speak the language of empathy, compassion, healing, boundaries, emotional safety and self-awareness. But that does not necessarily mean the underlying personality is agreeable, sacrificial or kind. In many cases, the narcissism is simply cloaked differently.   Subscribe on Substack to support my work and join our exclusive LIve and Google meets!

  8. Jun 11

    #75. Does Motherhood Make Women Sick?

    Postpartum depression is real, and in some cases it can be severe and even dangerous. Mothers who are struggling deserve compassion, support, and proper care. But what happens when a normal, difficult transition into motherhood increasingly becomes viewed through the lens of pathology? In this episode, I explore the rise of postpartum depression as a cultural phenomenon, the expansion of screening and diagnosis, and whether we are sometimes pathologizing experiences that previous generations understood differently. I also examine the role of feminism, women's media, and modern therapeutic culture in shaping how women anticipate and experience motherhood. Sponsor: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code HANNAH at https://www.oneskin.co/HANNAH #oneskinpod Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 00:14 Motherhood as a Risk State 01:35 The Rise of Postpartum Depression 02:37 From Motherhood to Pathology 03:02 Screening Mothers Everywhere 04:16 The Baby Blues vs Postpartum Depression 05:03 What the Data Actually Shows 06:54 Why Diagnoses Feel Validating 07:49 Anticipating Illness and Self-Fulfilling Prophecies 08:24 How Women's Media Shapes Expectations 08:48 "Women's Magazines Don't Just Report It, They Stage It" 10:03 The Isolation of Modern Mothers 11:47 Does Feminism Really Care About Mothers? 12:35 Final Thoughts

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About

Psychiatrist analyzing how cultural trends and modern therapy incentivize dysfunction. hannahspier.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Hannah Spier, MD
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    89
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Hannah Spier
  • Show Website
    Psychobabble

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