PsyDactic
A resource for psychiatrists and other medical or behavioral health professionals interested in exploring the neuroscientific basis of psychiatric disorders, psychopharmacology, neuromodulation, and other psychiatric interventions, as well as discussions of pseudoscience, Bayesian reasoning, ethics, the history of psychiatry, and human psychology in general.
This podcast is not medical advice. It strives to be science communication. Dr. O'Leary is a skeptical thinker who often questions what we think we know. He hopes to open more conversations about what we don't know we don't know.
Find transcripts with show-notes and references on each episodes dedicated page at psydactic.buzzsprout.com.
You can leave feedback at https://www.psydactic.com.
The visual companions, when available, can be found at https://youtube.com/@PsyDactic.
PsyDactic
Latest Episodes
Dissociated Identities (aka Alters) - How are they formed?
Is it possible to house multiple alternate selves within the same brain? Dr. O'Leary argues that it is not only possible, but under certain conditions it is likely to happen. Dissociative Identity Disorder is discussed not ...
Dissociation - What is it really?
Dr. O'Leary explores the neuroscience of dissociation, defining it as a degenerate concept that refers to a wide range of functional disconnections within the brain rather than a single clinical entity. The discussion moves...
Can hooking your head up to a fancy battery (tDCS) cure depression?
In December 2025, the FDA authorized the Flow F100, an innovative at-home wearable headset that utilizes transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to treat major depressive disorder. Unlike traditional pharmaceut...
Game Theory for Parents and Other Humans with Kevin Zollman
PsyDactic welcomes The Game Theorist's Guide to Parenting co-author, Kevin Zollman who discusses game theory as the science of strategic thinking. We explore how mathematical models like the Prisoner’s Dilemma and mechanism design can be used t...
Childhood Deficit Disorder and the Atrophy of American Childhood
Dr. O'Leary proposes Childhood Deficit Disorder as a way to conceptualize the rise in mental health issues among modern youth, exploring how systemic changes in culture and environment contribute. He contrasts the "free-range" parenting style p...
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