Dr. Gary Bell's Absurd Psychology

Something isn’t right. It could be the job, the place you live, the relationship you are in, or the hobbies that consume your time. Day in and day out, you just don’t feel happy. A research report found that as many as 1 out of every 3 people are unhappy most of the time. Unfortunately many people just live with their unhappiness. It’s often the easiest route of least resistance to blame others, or your life conditions, or the weather, or the politicians, or the tax code, or your public school teacher who didn’t encourage or engage you enough. The problems you may have or could have are probably endless. Your unhappiness is real. Tune in and learn how to hit the reset button in your life!

As with many things, husbands and wives differ on when or how often to have sex. Men rarely see impediments to love-making and most think it’s a good idea at almost any time. The condition of their marriage doesn’t interfere, nor do other issues they’re coping with. That’s possibly because men tend to be good at compartmentalizing; the circumstances in one part of their lives won’t necessarily spill over into the other parts. If they have financial problems, face difficulties on their jobs, or are angry at their wives, sex can still be a viable option. In fact, many husbands will gauge the overall quality of their marriage by how often they do it. Tune in and learn how to overcome this nightmare!

Resenting somebody isn't as simple as disliking them, or finding them annoying; it's a feeling that is actually related to the repetition of painful patterns relating to unaddressed difficulties. Yep, I know that may sound hideously complex, but it's a relatively simple concept once you unpack it. And you should take the time to unpack it — because the truth is that resenting your partner (even if you don't realize that you're doing it) isn't great for your love life. But there is a bright side: Your relationship isn't doomed if you realize that you've been feeling resentful; you can notice and resolve your resentment. Tune in and learn how to cure the damage resentment brings your life!

Shyness is a sense of awkwardness or apprehension that some people consistently feel when approaching or being approached by others. Shyness is a response to fear, and research suggests that although there is a neurobiology of shyness—the behavioral repertoire is orchestrated by a specific circuit of neurons in the brain—it is also strongly influenced by parenting practices and life experiences. Tune into a show all about the psychology of shy people!

Everyone has an idea of what passion means, but when we start talking with others about our understanding, it often turns out that different people mean different things when they say “passion”. Most people would agree that passion refers to a strong motivation mixed with intense emotions. Less clear is whether these intense emotions are positive or negative, as both have been linked to passion. For some people, passion refers to sexual attraction and passing limerence of one person for another, which is described as a transient state likely to fade away after a while. For others, passion refers to a long-term interest or commitment of a person for a topic or activity that this person pursues through life no matter what obstacle comes in the way. Nowadays, many people seem to agree that passion is important and impactful, although there is some disagreement about the question of whether passion should be pursued or ignored, or even avoided. Tune in and find yours!

When we take the time to celebrate love and the people who are meaningful to us. Love — which could be defined as a field of resonating, often oscillating, and sometimes synchronous energy — is more than just a biological imperative to procreate. Tune in and learn more about Love.

Clearly, most of our daily decisions are not earth-shattering, but you can imagine how paralysis in the decision-making process would render us virtually incapacitated every day if we let it.  We are called upon to be courageous, reliable, and trustworthy with regard to the outcome of our decisions (i.e., to make decisions consistent with our core values and beliefs).  Tune in and learn about how to make decisions and define your life.

Experts suggest that the negative feelings and experiences associated with prolonged isolation will come for us all. Humans are social creatures—yes, all of us. While the coronavirus pandemic is an extreme, largely unprecedented moment, the kind of seclusion that’s been eating at people over the last few weeks is not as uncommon an experience as you might imagine. The impacts of social isolation on our bodies and minds have been felt and studied in a variety of different groups, from astronauts to incarcerated people to immunocompromised children to Antarctic researchers to the elderly. The patterns that have emerged from their experiences with radical aloneness illuminate ways to understand and improve your own. Tune in and learn how to turn isolation into a health you!

Sleep paralysis can be a terrifying experience that is surprisingly common. It can involve the inability to move, auditory and visual hallucinations, a strong sense of presence, difficulty breathing, sensations of movement, and intense emotion. The causes and interpretations of sleep paralysis are described in this show, as well as some practical suggestions for coping with it. Tune in and learn about these frightening human occurrences.

Are you anxious or are you depressed? In the world of mental health care, where exact diagnosis dictates treatment, anxiety and depression are regarded as two distinct disorders. But in the world of real people, many suffer from both conditions. In fact, most mood disorders present as a combination of anxiety and depression. Surveys show that 60-70% of those with depression also have anxiety. And half of those with chronic anxiety also have clinically significant symptoms of depression. Tune in and learn how these disorders work and how to heal from them.