Shrink the Nation is back on the couch with America for a special bonus episode—this time with bourbon, Gen Z anxiety, and a full unpacking of nihilism in modern life. David, Rob, and guest psychiatrist Amit pour up (literally—Basil Hayden, Bulleit, and Tin Cup all make cameos) and dive deep into why every generation thinks the next one is hopeless—and why we keep handing them the same script.
From the infamous “bicycle man” episode of Different Strokes to Jonathan Haidt’s The Coddling of the American Mind, we dissect the blame game of coddling, helicopter parenting, and tiger moms. Why does Gen Z catch so much flak? Is it their fault, or just the side effect of millennial and Gen X anxiety—latchkey-kid wounds with a social media twist?
You’ll hear sharp, funny, and brutally honest clinical insights—plus quotes from Jungian analyst James Hollis, (“The greatest challenge of the child is the unlived life of the parent”), and the kind of barroom wisdom only Shrink the Nation can serve: “Wish in one hand and shit in the other and tell me which one fills up quicker.”
Along the way: TikTok doomscrolling, the algorithm’s coddling cocoon, mental health stats that’ll make you pour another drink, and a side of Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy fatigue. Is nihilism the problem, or the side effect? Is there any way to find meaning (or just decent news) when every feed is custom-built for your pleasure or your panic? And why do Gen Z’ers terrify us almost as much as we secretly admire them?
Featuring actual listener hate mail (“take your nihilism and fuck off—all caps”), this episode is a bourbon-fueled, post-belief group therapy for the exhausted middle. Stay for the clinical wisdom; come back for the banter.
Cultural references:
Different Strokes, Blossom, Sesame Street, The Coddling of the American Mind (Haidt), James Hollis, The Illuminatus! Trilogy, John F. Kennedy, TikTok, Jeffrey Epstein.
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Shrink The Nation is where America lies on the couch — and we pour the bourbon.
Hosted by board-certified psychiatrists and mental health pros with backgrounds in military, media, and systems thinking, we break down the psychology behind politics, culture, and public dysfunction.
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Shrink The Nation — On the Couch With America.
