In this episode, Therese Markow, Dr. Jerald Kay, and Dr. Joel Yager discuss the various forms of ambition: lack of ambition, mismatched ambition, Machiavellian ambition, and how to deal with malignant narcissists.

Key Takeaways:

• There are biological underpinnings to ambition, but much of what we know about ambition is built on repeated interactions as children.

• Not everyone who is Machiavellian is ambitious. Not everyone ambitious is Machiavellian. But when you have people who have dark triad characteristics, it can mean trouble for those around them.

• There are levels of narcissism. Only some are treatable. The last division of severe narcissism is called malignant personality disorder and is relatively untreatable.

"It's both nature and nurture. We know ambition runs in families. And we know kids that are adopted into families with ambitious parents turn out to be more ambitious than if they weren't adopted into those kinds of families." — Dr. Joel Yager

Episode References: https://journals.lww.com/jonmd/fulltext/2023/04000/ambition_and_its_psychopathologies.1.aspx

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Sophie Lucido Johnson discuss the evolution of family and the concept of "kin" in Sophie's book "Kin: The Future of Family." They explore the isolation and loneliness in modern society, emphasizing the importance of chosen family networks, or "pods," for emotional and physical well-being. She highlights the benefits of close, non-genetic relationships, citing research showing that strong social connections can prolong life more than health habits. Sophie also addresses the challenges of maintaining friendships post-children and the mutual support needed in kin relationships, drawing parallels to primate behavior and community responses to disasters.

Key Takeaways:

• Digital connective tools are wonderful, but they do not take the place of human connection of conversation, and relationships.

• You do not have to live with someone to create a family pod together. Living in proximity can help to share the burden and lighten the load. It is good for your mental and physical health to build relationships with those in close proximity to you.

• Relationships do not need to be transactional. However, by nature, there will be levels of give and take.

• Commitment is not just for romantic relationships.

• Planning is difficult. Be spontaneous with short time hangouts, running errands together, and a willingness to commit more deeply with your friends while being flexible.

• Cross-generational relationships have many benefits for all parties involved.

"There's nothing that the science has shown to prolong your life more than relationships with other people." — Sophie Lucido Johnson

Connect with Sophie Lucido Johnson:

Website: https://www.sophielucidojohnson.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/sophielucidojohnson

Book: simonandschuster.com/books/Kin/Sophie-Lucido-Johnson/9781668060650

Instagram: instagram.com/sophielucidojohnson

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Tami Rowen discuss menopause, perimenopause, and hormone therapy. She explains that menopause is defined as one year without a period, while perimenopause can last up to 10 years with symptoms like mood changes and menstrual irregularities. Dr. Rowen discusses the changes in FSH levels and how to understand what the levels mean across time, and why they may not be as helpful as you think. She also explains how hormone therapy can alleviate symptoms and prevent osteoporosis, and that bioidentical hormones are preferred for their safety and efficacy. Finally, she cautions that social media can spread both accurate and misleading information about menopause and hormone therapy.

Key Takeaways:

• There is a debate over whether or not there is a cardiovascular benefit to starting hormone therapy early. While several studies suggest there may be a benefit, all the current guidelines recommend against using hormone therapy specifically for the prevention of heart disease.

• When somebody enters menopause or post-menopause, there is no significant change in their testosterone levels. However, testosterone will be lower than when someone was in their 20s.

• The majority of people giving information about menopause are not healthcare providers. Oftentimes, when they are discussing hormone therapy, some of the risks get missed, some of the benefits get overblown, and many are left believing hormone therapy will be a cure-all.

"Anytime someone makes a definitive statement, I would take it with a grain of salt and just know that there's oftentimes nuance to recommendations and guidance, and I would encourage all women to seek out a provider that is familiar with the data." — Dr. Tami Rowen

Connect with Dr. Tami Rowen:

Professional Bio: https://profiles.ucsf.edu/tami.rowen

Website: https://www.ucsfhealth.org/providers/tami-rowen

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtamirowen/

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.