Creating content can be very effortful. Particularly when that creating entails a lot of writing. And in pursuit of that endeavor, writers sometimes find themselves stuck and unable to produce ideas to further their writing task. What is going on behaviorally and psychologically? We'll discuss some of the research behind writer's block and what you can do to get over the block. Do you have any tricks to overcome writer's block? RecommendationsAbraham: A Short Stay in Hell (Steven Peck: https://www.strandbooks.com/a-short-stay-in-hell-9780983748427.html)Shane: The Pleasures of the Damned by Charles Bukowski (https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-pleasures-of-the-damned-charles-bukowski?variant=32130591162402)Holidays (9/16/2026):Ann Bradstreet DayNational Guacamole DayTrail of Tears Commemoration DayNational GED DayInternational Day for the Preservation of the Ozone LayerNational Cinnamon Raison Bread DayNational Collect Rocks DayNational Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of Hurricane KatrinaNational Play-Doh DayNational Rehabilitation DayNational Stay Away from Seattle DayNational Stepfamily DayNational Tattoo Story DayTeenager Workout DayWorking Parents DayWrinkled Raincoat DayWorld Barber DayLinks and References: https://centerforfiction.org/writing-tools/the-truth-about-writers-block/https://girlspring.com/4-ways-to-combat-writers-block/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=22638809757&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADRYq5RcbP7MWvHMjjH7eQosNAYwC&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwv4XUBhDBARIsAE6bQUSaMqun3ksA9P5BQfl2c-2ajwULeR_gv3rCLRMQhPcIEN-r7zMv9xsaAlYAEALw_wcBhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7965145/https://writers.com/writers-block-what-causes-writers-block-and-how-to-overcome-ithttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2190/69g4-6ycm-n11h-eeewhttps://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychology-yesterday/202001/a-brief-history-of-writers-blockhttps://www.laurenpalphreyman.com/post/4-types-of-writer-s-block-and-how-to-combat-themhttps://escholarship.org/uc/item/50t6h6kdhttps://www.mentalfloss.com/literature/authors/10-cases-extreme-writers-blockhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1311997/<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2277565/" target="_blank"...

We use the term snake oil to refer any fradulant product, service, or claim that is not what it says it is and lies or misconstrues what it does. You might already know that this comes from a real product that had those exact qualities. You might not know what that product was actuallly based on. We discuss the history of snake oil and why that term stuck around. Click or tap to join our Patreon groupLinks and Refrences: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/opinion/the-history-of-snake-oilhttps://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/08/26/215761377/a-history-of-snake-oil-salesmenhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-snake-oil-became-a-symbol-of-fraud-and-deception-180985300/https://www.si.edu/object/clark-stanleys-snake-oil-liniment%3Anmah_1298331https://www.historytoday.com/archive/history-matters/rise-and-fall-snake-oil https://www.natepedersen.com/quackery Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

This is the final discussion in which we "break our silence" as the click-bait headlines like to call it, on our final thoughts about diagnoses and why we believe that they have caused more harm than good. Due to the nature of separating an entire discussion into two parts after the fact, this episode jumps into the discussion pretty quickly. Recommendations (Part 2)Abraham: Flip 7 (https://theop.games/products/flip-7?srsltid=AfmBOope-f-q_QElBRFFD56xiHxlsBbWULVkkXJHpef6OiYa02WlmfZW) Shane: Show Me the Body - Alone Together (https://open.spotify.com/album/2itfvUrApVCygurzgNzXJg?si=miioVowrRBSO26h1soi8lw)Stu: https://www.youtube.com/@jetlagthegame, Call out Purple Hat DBT theses and dissertations, The Orphans of Davenport (https://wwnorton.com/books/9781631494680), genArete (https://genarete.org/)Holidays (09/09/26):Teddy Bear DaySudoku DayWienerschnitzel DayWeirdos DayFalsely Accused DayInternational Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Spectrum Awareness DayInternational Box Wine DayDay to Protect Education From AttackEmergency Services DayReferences:Barlow, D. H., &amp; Nock, M. K. (2009). Why can’t we be more idiographic in our research? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4(1), 19–21.Beck, A. T., &amp; Alford, B. A. (2009). Depression: Causes and treatment. University of Pennsylvania Press.Beck, A. T., Davis, D. D., &amp; Freeman, A. (Eds.). (2015). Cognitive therapy of personality disorders. Guilford Publications.Beck, A. T., Emery, G., &amp; Greenberg, R. L. (2005). Anxiety disorders and phobias: A cognitive perspective. Basic Books.Beltz, A. M., &amp; Gates, K. M. (2017). Network mapping with GIMME. Multivariate behavioral research, 52(6), 789-804.Birkhoff, G. D. (1931). Proof of the ergodic theorem. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 17, 656-660.Brown, T. A., Campbell, L. A., Lehman, C. L., Grisham, J. R., &amp; Mancill, R. B. (2001). Current and lifetime comorbidity of the DSM-IV anxiety and mood disorders in a large clinical sample. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110(4), 585–599. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.110.4.585Clark, L. A., Watson, D., &amp; Reynolds, S. (1995). Diagnosis and classification of psychopathology: Challenges to the current system and future directions. Annual Review of Psychology, 46, 121–153. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.46.020195.001005Fried, E. I. (2015). Problematic assumptions have slowed down depression research: why symptoms, not syndromes are the way forward. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 309.Fried, E. I., &amp; Cramer, A. O. (2017). Moving forward: challenges and directions for psychopathological network theory and methodology. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(6), 999-1020.Galizio, A., Frye, C. C., Haynes, J. M., Friedel, J. E., Smith, B. M., &amp; Odum, A. L. (2018). Persistence and relapse of reinforced behavioral variability. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 109(1), 210-237.Galatzer-Levy, I. R., &amp; Bryant, R. A. (2013). 636,120 Ways to Have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder....

How we understand, talk about, and think about life expectancy is sometimes misunderstood by some flukes of math. Understanding how numbers work can illuminate a clearer picture of history and mortality. Long story short, (or short story shorter, this is a mini afterall), there have been old people who lived to be old (very old) for most or all of human history. Support us on Patreon!Links: https://ourworldindata.org/life-expectancyhttps://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/usa/united-states/life-expectancy#google_vignettehttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4861644/https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/lifeexpectancies/articles/howhaslifeexpectancychangedovertime/2015-09-09 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

This continues our discussion with Dr. Stu Law. We further elaborate on the issues with a diagnostic system for mental health and what the pitfalls are, including faulty underlying assumptions. After recording, we had enough content in this discussion for two separate episodes. So, we awkwardly added a post-hoc conclusion in this discussion and a similar intro to the next episode. Recommendations Part 2Abraham: Rick &amp; Morty Season 9 (https://www.hbomax.com/?utm_id=sa|22393148778|180575663513|297385727722&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=22393148778&amp;gbraid=0AAAAApH9fnpTr6yDijXdlc51psz-wvFmK&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwtKrUBhAhEiwAr77ZosVPKgR3u_fZCszdZHzumdiOcQNAKwT0a7Nf_f0fizQrw8F_yunqPBoC2nAQAvD_BwE)Shane: Unwed Sailor - High Remembrance (https://open.spotify.com/album/0U5ebcuEkgaH7nYtQ01puI?si=TJaLAOzySAS6YynsVxegoA)Holidays (9/2/2026):Bison-Ten Yell DayCalendar Adjustment DayGlobal Talent Acquisition DayNational Blueberry Popsicle DayNational No Patrick DayPierce Your Ears DaySpalding Baseball DayV-J DayWorld Coconut DayReferences:Barlow, D. H., &amp; Nock, M. K. (2009). Why can’t we be more idiographic in our research? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4(1), 19–21.Beck, A. T., &amp; Alford, B. A. (2009). Depression: Causes and treatment. University of Pennsylvania Press.Beck, A. T., Davis, D. D., &amp; Freeman, A. (Eds.). (2015). Cognitive therapy of personality disorders. Guilford Publications.Beck, A. T., Emery, G., &amp; Greenberg, R. L. (2005). Anxiety disorders and phobias: A cognitive perspective. Basic Books.Beltz, A. M., &amp; Gates, K. M. (2017). Network mapping with GIMME. Multivariate behavioral research, 52(6), 789-804.Birkhoff, G. D. (1931). Proof of the ergodic theorem. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 17, 656-660.Brown, T. A., Campbell, L. A., Lehman, C. L., Grisham, J. R., &amp; Mancill, R. B. (2001). Current and lifetime comorbidity of the DSM-IV anxiety and mood disorders in a large clinical sample. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110(4), 585–599. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.110.4.585Clark, L. A., Watson, D., &amp; Reynolds, S. (1995). Diagnosis and classification of psychopathology: Challenges to the current system and future directions. Annual Review of Psychology, 46, 121–153. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.46.020195.001005Fried, E. I. (2015). Problematic assumptions have slowed down depression research: why symptoms, not syndromes are the way forward. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 309.Fried, E. I., &amp; Cramer, A. O. (2017). Moving forward: challenges and directions for psychopathological network theory and methodology. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(6), 999-1020.Galizio, A., Frye, C. C., Haynes, J. M., Friedel, J. E., Smith, B. M., &amp; Odum, A. L. (2018). Persistence and relapse of reinforced behavioral variability. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 109(1), 210-237.Galatzer-Levy, I. R., &amp; Bryant, R. A. (2013). 636,120 Ways to Have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8(6), 651-662.Glick, I. D., Murray, S. R., Vasudevan, P., Marder, S. R., &amp; Hu, R. J. (2001). Treatment with atypical antipsychotics: New indications and new populations. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 35(3), 187–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3956(01)00020-6.Hayes, S. C., Wilson, K. W., Gifford, E. V., Follette, V. M., &amp; Strosahl, K. (1996). Experiential avoidance and behavioral disorders: A functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment. Journal of...

You've probably noticed people talking to themselves and had some thought or comment about that. Perhaps something along the lines of: "That person might be crazy." Well, turns out it is much more normal than you might think. What do you talk to yourself about?Join our amazing fan clubLinks and References: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/talking-to-yourselfhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5986836/https://lsa.umich.edu/psych/news-events/all-news/faculty-news/is-it-normal-to-talk-to-yourself--what-it-could-really-mean.htmlhttps://elemental.medium.com/why-talking-to-yourself-is-a-secret-superpower-5eff091b896chttps://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/defining-memories/202502/7-benefits-of-talking-to-ourselves-aloudhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-22647-2https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11274574/ https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/62246/chapter-abstract/550947980?redirectedFrom=fulltext#550947980 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1080/17470218.2011.647039Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Diagnosing mental health has dramatically shaped how we think about and appraoch our thinking and treatment of mental health conditions. In some ways, this effect has had a profoundly helpful impact for many people. However, in many ways, this system has had a profoundly adverse impact. This episode kicks of a three-part series arguing that diagnoses for mental health have ultimately caused more harm than good. Dr. Stu Law is a special guest helping us understand what we gain and lose in the current system of diagnostic criteria used for taxonomizing mental health. RecommendationsAbraham: Within by Protest the Hero (https://protestthehero.bandcamp.com/album/within)Shane: Akai MPK Mini MK3 MIDI Board (https://www.akaipro.com/mpk-mini-mk3/)Stu: Learning Process Based Therapy, The Anatomy of an Epidemic, Beyond the DSM, The Emperor’s New DrugsHolidays (8/26/2026):Congressional Startup DayMake Your Own Luck DayMusical Yoga DayNational Cherry Popsicle DayNational Dog DayNational Toilet Paper DayTug of War DayWilling to Lend a Hand WednesdayWomen’s Equality DayBe Kind to Humankind WeekBrake Safety WeekNational Safe at Home WeekWorld Water WeekReferences:Barlow, D. H., &amp; Nock, M. K. (2009). Why can’t we be more idiographic in our research? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4(1), 19–21.Beck, A. T., &amp; Alford, B. A. (2009). Depression: Causes and treatment. University of Pennsylvania Press.Beck, A. T., Davis, D. D., &amp; Freeman, A. (Eds.). (2015). Cognitive therapy of personality disorders. Guilford Publications.Beck, A. T., Emery, G., &amp; Greenberg, R. L. (2005). Anxiety disorders and phobias: A cognitive perspective. Basic Books.Beltz, A. M., &amp; Gates, K. M. (2017). Network mapping with GIMME. Multivariate behavioral research, 52(6), 789-804.Birkhoff, G. D. (1931). Proof of the ergodic theorem. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 17, 656-660.Brown, T. A., Campbell, L. A., Lehman, C. L., Grisham, J. R., &amp; Mancill, R. B. (2001). Current and lifetime comorbidity of the DSM-IV anxiety and mood disorders in a large clinical sample. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110(4), 585–599. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.110.4.585Clark, L. A., Watson, D., &amp; Reynolds, S. (1995). Diagnosis and classification of psychopathology: Challenges to the current system and future directions. Annual Review of Psychology, 46, 121–153. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.46.020195.001005Fried, E. I. (2015). Problematic assumptions have slowed down depression research: why symptoms, not syndromes are the way forward. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 309.Fried, E. I., &amp; Cramer, A. O. (2017). Moving forward: challenges and directions for psychopathological network theory and methodology. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(6), 999-1020.Galizio, A., Frye, C. C., Haynes, J. M., Friedel, J. E., Smith, B. M., &amp; Odum, A. L. (2018). Persistence and relapse of reinforced behavioral variability. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 109(1), 210-237.Galatzer-Levy, I. R., &amp; Bryant, R. A. (2013). 636,120 Ways to Have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8(6), 651-662.Glick, I. D., Murray, S. R., Vasudevan, P., Marder, S. R., &amp; Hu, R. J. (2001). Treatment with atypical antipsychotics: New indications and new populations. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 35(3), 187–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3956(01)00020-6.Hayes, S. C., Wilson, K. W., Gifford, E. V., Follette, V. M., &amp;...

There have been some advocates to reduce or eliminate homework altogether. It begs the question of what is the purpose of homework anyway? What would we lose by eliminating it? What do we gain by keeping it. We briefly explore the science and recommendations with respect to what is gained or lost by requiring homework. What are your thoughts?Join our super cool membership program on PatreonLinks and References: https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/education-inequity-and-homework/https://www.healthline.com/health-news/children-more-homework-means-more-stress-031114#Pressure-to-work-as-hard-as-adults-takes-a-tollhttps://time.com/4740297/homework-should-be-banned-from-schools/https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2014/03/too-much-homework-031014https://www.edutopia.org/visual-essay/the-pros-and-cons-of-homework-in-6-charts/https://www.hmhco.com/blog/benefits-of-no-homework?srsltid=AfmBOopoMq0OQcXz8KJUHLGU2FowSkNoJG2gxZV9RNB0ZM-Jf5Gk6TDWhttps://hub.jhu.edu/2024/01/17/are-we-assigning-too-much-homework/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11409198/https://www.forbes.com/sites/yassprize/2025/10/23/no-homework-no-barriers/https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-case-for-and-against-homework Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

In the fourth and final installment of our series on Functional Analyses, we finally discuss some of the controversies and disagreements among practitioners. We also offer our own hot takes and personal opinions to bring further nuance, critique, and skepticism to the conversation. Let us know if you agree or disagree!Recommendations pt. 4Abraham: Wingspan Pocket (https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/wingspan-pocket/)Shane: The Odyssey (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33764258/)Holidays (8/19/2026)International Bow DayInternational Orangutan DayNational Aviation DayNational Hot and Spicy Food DayNational Medical Dosimetrist DayNational Root Beer Float DayNational Sandcastle and Sculpture DayNational Soft Ice Cream DayPotato DayWorld Humanitarian DayWorld Photography DayMinority Enterprise Development WeekLinks and References: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1901/jaba.1994.27-197?sid=nlm%3Apubmedhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1901/jaba.1985.18-111?sid=nlm%3Apubmedhttps://scubed.io/blog/aba-data-collection-methods-explained-frequency-duration-and-interval-recordinghttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1901/jaba.1999.32-175 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jaba.7 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1901/jaba.2011.44-51 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1901/jaba.2008.41-97 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07263869500035621 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4841258/ Hanley, G. (2012). BAP https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1284147/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11317985/ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jaba.106 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

In a totally unscripted, candid conversation, we ask one another: what is the weirdest thing you believe? It's a conversation bound to leave you a little surprised, confused, and maybe disappointed. Or maybe thinking about things a little differntly. What's the weirdest thing you believe?We did not use any references for this!Click Here to Support us on Patreon!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast