SuperPsyched with Dr. Adam Dorsay

Dr. Adam Dorsay introduces SuperPsyched and interviews six-time US Memory Champion Nelson Dellis about why memory is central to identity and why cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s are so devastating. Dellis describes memory championships as timed, full-day events involving feats such as memorizing a deck of cards, hundreds of digits in five minutes, and large sets of names and faces, emphasizing that success comes from a trained—not “naturally good”—memory. In the age of AI, he argues that continuing to use memory supports cognitive health, may help prevent atrophy, and preserves a core human element tied to lived experience. They discuss how Alzheimer’s may impair retrieval rather than erase memories, and highlight Dellis’s activity-based book, "Everyday Genius," which trains memory and other skills like calculation, creativity, and faster reading, alongside lessons learned from painful competitive losses.
00:00 Welcome to SuperPsyched
00:28 Why Memory Matters
00:48 Meet Nelson Dellis
03:04 Trained Not Gifted
05:12 Inside Memory Championships
06:38 Memory in the AI Age
09:03 Alzheimers and Identity
11:19 Everyday Genius Challenge
14:28 Curiosity as Cross Training
19:18 Learning Through Failure
20:21 Closing and Subscribe
Helpful Links:
Nelson Dellis
Everyday Genius: Hacks to Boost Your Memory, Focus, Problem-Solving, and Much More Book
Nelson Dellis Instagram
Nelson Dellis YouTube
Nelson Dellis LinkedIn

Dr. Adam Dorsay introduces SuperPsyched and interviews neurologist and Johns Hopkins professor Dr. Majid Fotuhi about keeping the brain resilient and reducing Alzheimer’s risk. Fotuhi describes the brain’s capacity to recover and adapt, citing cases of major brain injury and hemispherectomy, and challenges the myth that Alzheimer’s is inevitable with age, noting “super agers” and emphasizing “use it or lose it.” He outlines five key pillars for brain health: exercise, 7–8 hours of sleep, a Mediterranean/heart-healthy diet, stress reduction, and daily cognitive challenge. He reports a 12-week program in which 84% of patients improved on cognitive tests and many increased hippocampal volume by 1–3%. They discuss sleep apnea as a serious risk, cortisol’s harmful effects from chronic stress, managing repetitive negative thoughts, adopting growth mindset and broader views of intelligence, and choosing daily practices that build happiness.
00:00 Welcome to SuperPsyched
00:28 Why Brain Health Matters
01:02 Meet Dr Majid Fotuhi
02:51 The Invincible Brain Stories
05:16 How the Brain Compensates
06:48 Alzheimers Myths and Super Agers
11:06 Use It or Lose It Mindset
13:21 Beyond IQ Multiple Intelligences
18:01 Growth Mindset Builds the Brain
20:56 Reversing Aging in 12 Weeks
23:12 Five Pillars of Brain Health
25:36 Sleep Apnea and Brain Damage
28:02 Exercise Is Nonnegotiable
29:59 A Neurology Insider Story
30:33 Three Pillar Basics
31:20 Lifestyle Intelligence
32:43 Teeth And Brain Care
34:36 Culture And Identity Habits
36:01 Stress Shrinks Hippocampus
39:44 Reframing Stress Mindset
41:18 Stop Negative Loops
45:42 Morning Gratitude Practice
49:44 Challenge Your Brain
52:12 Happiness Is A Choice
55:15 Small Things Compound
56:41 Closing Thanks And Subscribe
Helpful Links:
Dr. Mahid Fotuhi
Dr. Mahid Fotuhi Johns Hopkins
Dr. Mahid Fotuhi YouTube
The Invincible Brain: The Clinically Proven Plan to Age-Proof Your Brain and Stay Sharp for Life Book

Dr. Adam Dorsay introduces SuperPsyched and interviews psychiatrist, professor, and author Dr. Gianpiero “GP” Petriglieri about how work shapes identity amid modern job insecurity, mobility, and AI-driven ambiguity. GP describes a historical shift from inheriting bundled identities to identifying with organizations after WWII, and now to “nomadic professionals” who identify with the work itself, seeking meaning, mastery, learning, and legacy. He argues leaders should measure and provide latitude for job crafting so people can both perform and learn, avoiding the evils of getting lost or stuck. GP advises parents and young workers to think of themselves as artists, have faith in the work rather than organizations or approval, and cultivate friends who “imagine” them. He warns against being labeled a “future leader,” urging people to lead now by bringing ideas to life.
00:00 Welcome to SuperPsyched
00:28 Work and Identity Trap
01:54 GP Joins the Show
02:43 From Companies to Craft
05:27 Nomadic Professionals Today
07:15 Leaders and Job Crafting
09:14 Lost vs Stuck Paradox
11:02 Meaning Beyond Work
12:21 Advice for Parents
12:53 Work as Art Mindset
14:14 Faith in the Work
17:15 Friends Who Imagine You
20:26 Authenticity Under Pressure
23:42 Lead Now Not Later
26:27 Closing and Takeaways
27:48 Subscribe and Share

Helpful Links:
Dr. Gianpiero Petriglieri

Psychologist and SuperPsyched host Dr. Adam Dorsay interviews novelist Andrew Davidson about Davidson’s debut novel The Gargoyle and the role fiction can play in empathy and mental health. Davidson summarizes the book as a burn-ward patient approached by a woman who claims they were lovers 700 years ago, highlighting the tension between the narrator’s atheism and Maryanne Engel’s faith. He discusses his research-driven writing process, including firsthand outreach to a burn survivor, extensive historical sourcing, and deliberate choices balancing accuracy with emotional truth. Davidson explains cutting a much longer manuscript, securing representation from agent Eric Simonoff, and how the book’s global publication—including translations and a reported $1.25 million advance—led to an overwhelming publicity tour that altered his relationship with writing. He describes later work in theater and ends by naming empathy as the key insight to improve society.
00:00 Welcome to SuperPsyched
00:26 Why Fiction Matters
00:49 Introducing The Gargoyle
02:28 Meet Andrew Davidson
03:24 What The Book Is About
06:44 Characters and The Author
09:09 Researching Worlds and Trauma
13:59 Accuracy vs Emotional Truth
19:02 Trusting Intuition and Editing
21:12 Loving the Writing Process
22:26 Why Only One Novel
24:39 Writing for Love
25:40 Japan and The Gargoyle
26:30 Fame and Touring Burnout
29:11 Reset in Paris
30:26 Theater and New Writing
31:57 Writer Identity and Intrinsic Drive
33:48 Landing a Top Agent
36:07 Editing Down the Manuscript
40:11 Luck Preparation and Gratitude
42:35 Movie or Limited Series
45:34 Winnipeg Theater Mission
47:54 Empathy and Farewell

Helpful Links:
Andrew Davidson Facebook
The Gargoyle Book

Dr. Adam Dorsay introduces his podcast episode featuring Melissa Orlov, a Harvard-educated expert on ADHD and marriage and author of “The ADHD Effect on Marriage” and “The Couple’s Guide to Thriving with ADHD.” They discuss what adult ADHD is and is not, emphasizing attention dysregulation, distractibility, impulsivity, planning and working-memory difficulties, and emotional dysregulation, along with the hereditary and neurochemical basis (notably low dopamine) and why stimulants can be calming by increasing dopamine availability. Dorsay shares his own late ADHD diagnosis, his first experience taking Ritalin, and how medication helped him build habits and identity-based changes he later maintained without medication.
Orlov describes common, predictable relationship patterns in ADHD-impacted couples, including the “hyperfocus courtship” phase driven by elevated dopamine and the shift after 24–28 months when symptoms become more visible. She outlines the experiences of both partners: the ADHD partner often carries lifelong shame and sensitivity to criticism, while the non-ADHD partner can feel lonely, resentful, and overwhelmed by chaos and perceived lack of follow-through. They explore distractibility and how “new or shiny” can override what is important, and they highlight strengths often associated with ADHD such as creativity, energy, passion, and effective performance in high-stimulation contexts.
Orlov presents a three-stage framework for healing: moving out of denial and learning how ADHD impacts relationships, both partners taking responsibility for their own work, and breaking entrenched patterns such as parent-child dynamics and “symptom-response-response” cycles by reframing symptoms and changing reactions. They address sleep hygiene as foundational, noting sleep deprivation can worsen or mimic ADHD symptoms, and discuss strategies like consistent bedtime routines, “sacred bedtime,” and limiting electronics and blue-light exposure. They also discuss how parent-child dynamics harm sexual connection, the importance of lowering pressure when restarting sex, and improving communication about sex. Orlov closes with the importance of rebuilding trust through transparency and ownership rather than equating trust solely with perfect follow-through, and she names self-compassion and compassion for others as the key skill she would give to everyone.
00:00 Welcome to Dorsay
00:28 ADHD and Marriage Stakes
01:00 Meet Melissa Orlov
03:00 Why ADHD Feels Familiar
04:17 What ADHD Is and Isnt
06:23 Why Stimulants Help
07:38 Adams Diagnosis Story
09:36 Medication Targets and Hope
12:14 Habits and Identity Shifts
13:15 Empathy for Both Partners
14:50 ADHD Partner Childhood Shame
20:13 Non ADHD Partner Experience
22:19 Hyperfocus Courtship Chemistry
24:46 Distractibility in Relationships
26:49 Main Thing Mantra
27:24 Medication to Structure
28:39 ADHD Strengths Kept
30:17 Three Stages Healing
31:29 Breaking Bad Patterns
34:57 Sleep Hygiene Fixes
40:36 Electronics at Bedtime
42:14 Sex and Reconnection
49:06 Rebuilding Trust
54:21 Compassion Magic Skill
55:22 Closing Thanks

Helpful Links:
Melissa Orlov
Melissa Orlov The Couple's Guide to Thriving with ADHD Book