Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast

"AI Psychosis": Emerging Cases of Delusion Amplification Associated with ChatGPT and LLM Chatbot Use

Prolonged conversations with ChatGPT and other LLM chatbots have created rapid developments of severe delusions, paranoia, and even death by suicide in some cases. In this episode, Dr. David Puder sits down with Columbia researchers Dr. Amandeep Jutla and Dr. Ragy Girgis to unpack five shocking real-world cases, explain why large language models are dangerously sycophantic, trained to agree, mirror, and amplify any idea instead of challenging it. By listening to this episode, you can earn 1.25 Psychiatry CME Credits. [https://www.psychiatrypodcast.com/cme-program] Link to blog [https://www.psychiatrypodcast.com/psychiatry-psychotherapy-podcast/episode-253-ai-psychosis-emerging-cases-of-delusion-amplification-associated-with-chatgpt-and-llm-chatbot] Link to YouTube video [https://youtu.be/CllJPWmm9So]

Genetic and Environmental Influences of Schizophrenia

In this episode, Dr. Puder is joined by Dr. Liam Browning and Dr. Nicholas Fabiano to explore the complex genetic and environmental factors that contribute to schizophrenia. They unpack how heritability is measured, what twin and genome-wide association studies reveal, and why the "missing heritability" problem matters for our understanding of mental illness. The discussion also covers how prenatal factors, childhood trauma, cannabis use, and social adversity increase risk and how modern neuroscience reframes schizophrenia as a disorder of brain connectivity rather than a single genetic disease.

Combatting the Negative Effects of Sleep Deprivation

In this episode, Dr. David Puder and Dr. Brandon Luu explore the science of sleep deprivation. How missing sleep impacts your brain, metabolism, emotions, and long-term health. Discover evidence-based strategies that can help you protect cognitive performance and recover from sleep loss, including exercise, creatine, caffeine, and bright light therapy. We'll discuss studies showing how even short bouts of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), proper creatine dosing, and morning light exposure can reverse many of the damaging effects of sleep restriction. By listening to this episode, you can earn 1.25 Psychiatry CME Credits. [https://www.psychiatrypodcast.com/cme-program] Link to blog. [https://www.psychiatrypodcast.com/psychiatry-psychotherapy-podcast/episode-251-combatting-the-negative-effects-of-sleep-deprivation] Link to YouTube video [https://youtu.be/WPbIGywn-MI]

Devaluation, Transference, Narcissism with Diana Diamond

In this episode, Dr. David Puder is joined by world-renowned psychologist Diana Diamond, PhD to explore devaluation, narcissism, attachment, and transference in psychotherapy. Together they examine why patients with narcissistic personality traits or narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) often devalue their therapists, how dismissing and disorganized attachment styles shape treatment, and why these cycles can be so painful for clinicians. Dr. Diamond shares clinical insights from Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP), including how to recognize subtle and overt devaluation, how to hold boundaries, how to think psychodynamically about these behaviors, and how to respond without reenacting the patient's internal object relations. The discussion also highlights the role of trauma, reflective functioning, countertransference, and the deeper tragedy of pathological narcissism. By listening to this episode, you can earn 0.75 Psychiatry CME Credits. [https://www.psychiatrypodcast.com/cme-program] Link to blog. [https://www.psychiatrypodcast.com/psychiatry-psychotherapy-podcast/episode-250-devaluation-transference-narcissism-with-diana-diamond] Link to YouTube video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy-2eDCZaQY]

Intergenerational Trauma Explained: The Role of Reflective Function and Mentalization in Healing Attachment

In this episode, we explore how intergenerational trauma shapes attachment patterns and how reflective function (RF) and mentalization can help break the cycle. Drawing on research from Fonagy, Slade, and Berthelot, we examine how trauma-specific reflective functioning influences disorganized attachment and how therapies such as Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT), Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP), and Minding the Baby (MTB) strengthen reflective capacity and promote secure attachment. Join Dr. David Puder and colleagues as they discuss the science of mentalization, attachment repair, and trauma healing, bringing together psychoanalytic, developmental, and biological perspectives to offer hope and clinical insight for patients, parents, and therapists alike. By listening to this episode, you can earn 1.25 Psychiatry CME Credits. [https://www.psychiatrypodcast.com/cme-program] Link to blog. [https://www.psychiatrypodcast.com/psychiatry-psychotherapy-podcast/episode-249-intergenerational-trauma-reflective-function-mentalization-attachment-healing] Link to YouTube video [https://youtu.be/2S9wXrEJOIY]