The Lindsay Clancy case has become a story about postpartum psychosis, psychiatric medication and a healthcare system that supposedly failed a struggling mother. But does the evidence actually support that story? In this episode, psychiatrist Hannah Spier examines the psychiatric arguments at the center of the ongoing Lindsay Clancy trial: what an acute psychotic break actually looks like, the unusual timing of the alleged postpartum psychosis, the claim of an undiagnosed bipolar disorder, the long list of psychiatric medications Clancy was prescribed, and the argument that she could appear completely normal while experiencing severe psychosis. But the case raises a larger question. Why are we so quick to search for an external explanation when a mother commits an horrific act? At what point does psychiatric explanation begin to erase moral agency? This episode discusses disturbing material involving the deaths of children. Subscribe for more Psychobabble with Spier! Read Psychobabble and become a Psychobabble Insider on Substack for articles, sources, exclusive lives and access to the full Psychobabble library. https://substack.com/@psychobabblewithspier

Check out our sponsor: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code HANNAH at https://www.oneskin.co/HANNAH  A viral voice memo has everyone arguing about timing, pressure and consent. But the real issue is something else entirely. It exposes how ridiculous the conversation around sex and dating has become.

Sponsor: Looki L1 is an AI Life Memory Camera that helps you stay present now and return to the day later. Learn more: https://www.c2go.cc/r/HannahSpierMD | code: Hannah. What ordinary moment would you want to relive?  Girls were taught to speak up, resist influence, reject criticism and never change for anyone. But what happens when every part of culture—film, advertising, social media, schools and psychology—pushes in the same direction? This episode examines how efforts to make girls tougher may also have discouraged compromise, accommodation and agreeableness, leaving many women trained to approach relationships as power struggles rather than cooperation. Want to watch the episodes ad-free? Upgrade on Substack and get every epsiode and other benefits like Google Meets and Exclusive Live Videos: https://substack.com/@psychobabblewit... 

"High-value woman" dating advice promises better men, stronger boundaries and a softer life.A new manifestation of feminism. But much of it is really a guide to entitlement, strategic detachment and low reciprocity—traits that make lasting relationships almost impossible. In this episode, psychiatrist Hannah Spier explains how modern dating coaches rebrand narcissistic behavior as femininity, confidence and self-worth. 

How did ordinary adulthood become evidence of psychiatric suffering? What's the real attraction? In this episode, I react to young women presenting normal functioning as "high-functioning depression," insisting that invisible distress cannot be questioned, and using suicidal language to make disagreement morally dangerous. I explain how mental-health labels can turn basic responsibilities into acts of bravery, confer moral authority and eventually become leverage over everyone around them. Do you think mental-health awareness has gone too far—or are these videos helping people feel less alone? Let me know in the comments. Please like, subscribe and share the episode! Head on over to Substack and upgrade to watch the episodes ad-free! https://hannahspier.substack.com/

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

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

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

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

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.