How to Be Patient

How to Be Patient

You may have noticed a new trend lately. Everyone is loud and proud about their mental health struggles (and thank goodness)! For practitioners, this movement is as exciting as it is frustrating. As each mental health taboo falls by the wayside as it enters the cultural zeitgeist, a new aspect of our specialty thus emerges. One we just don’t have enough hours in the day to keep track of, let alone engage with. From better understanding our patients’ (and our own) relationships with their conditions in a changing world, it’s more important than ever that we learn: HOW TO BE PATIENT! Each week, join Dr. Preston Roche (Psychiatry Resident & Digital Influencer) and Dr. Margaret Duncan (Psychiatrist & Content Creator) on their quest to better understand the patients we dedicate our lives to and the evolving paths they’re bound to travel beyond the clinic. By engaging with stories and perspectives that challenge our shared understanding of a condition, we hope you’ll similarly gain new perspectives as we look at our patients, and their mental health struggles, with further nuance and empathy. (And with Dr. & Lady Glaucomflecken producing, we've been mandated to include plenty of weird medical jokes too). Speaking of which, a key part of this is hearing YOUR stories! What’s changed your understanding of patient care? Do you have an experience that shines new light on something we’ve discussed on-air? Get in touch at: howtobepatientpod.com

Episodes

Anabolic Steroid Use in Psychiatric Disorders

June 8, 2026 • 69 mins
In this episode we are joined by my coresident, @undercoverdoc who has a special interested in fitness culture and bodybuilding. With the protein intake, food weighing and gym discipline also comes “extracurriculars,” or anabolic steroids. Rob describes his observationss being in the fitness space as both an athlete and a physician and we discuss the impact of steroid use, its prevalence and what it can actually look like.  Join...
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BONUS! Code Orange: We Got Dr. Orange on the Pod

May 25, 2026 • 43 mins
Code ORANGE. We had to break the between-seasons hiatus for this one. If you've been on healthcare TikTok in the last month and you haven't seen the burnt-out fruit basket emerging, you have some catching up to do. And it all started with Dr. Orange. Margaret and I sat down with the anonymous primary care doctor behind the orange filter that's been unleashing the truest, funniest, most honest takes on what it's actually like to...
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Season 3 Wrapped: Time To Reflect and Look Forward

April 27, 2026 • 45 mins
As we wrap up Season 3, Margaret and I are looking back at the long journey from our first late-night recording sessions in 2025 to where we are now: mid-fellowship for Margaret and fourth year for me. This season wasn't just about "yapping"; it was a masterclass in learning how to podcast and excavating the narratives hidden inside clinical papers. Join Patreon Here: https://www.patreon.com/c/howtobepatientpod Go to Cozy Earth...
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Existential Psychotherapy Part 4: Meaning

April 20, 2026 • 69 mins
In the final episode of a four part series on existential psychotherapy, Margaret and I take on the problem of meaning. This one is a little different that the other problems of man but they all intertwine like a single cable when it comes to living your life. Join us for discussion of philosophy, purpose and how to talk to your patients about your questions of meaninglessness.  chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/...
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Ask a Psychiatrist: The Grab Bag Special

April 13, 2026 • 60 mins
Margaret and I decided to tackle the questions that have been circling our DMs, including the controversial continuum of harm reduction, where does "good enough" care end and "enabling" begin? We also touch on the complexities of diagnosing autism across genders, the "stolen valor" of internet neuroscientists, and why I’m convinced that oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) might sometimes just be a side effect of adults who’ve forgo...
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Giving and Receiving Feedback with Paul Tran

April 6, 2026 • 75 mins
I’m flying solo for most of this one while Margaret is off saving dolphins (or just finishing a hospital admission ), but I’ve brought in a heavy hitter to help me tackle one of the most awkward parts of medical training: feedback. Paul Tran, the creative force behind Alimentary School, joins me to discuss why the feedback we give and receive in the clinic usually, to put it bluntly, sucks. We dive into the "Politeness Concept,"...
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Coffee, Tea and Dementia

March 30, 2026 • 61 mins
In this journal club episode, we break down the recent findings from a landmark (in my opinion) study on the associated risks between caffeine consumption and dementia risk. Spoiler alert! More coffee might actually be protective against dementia; however, we need to take these findings with a grain of salt (or creamer) and understand how the nuance of this information can help both our lives and our understanding of neurodegenerat...
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Speech and Psychiatry with Speech Talk’s Emily and Eva

March 23, 2026 • 65 mins
A topic that we were silent on during our Aphasia episode was the importance of Speech-Language Pathologists in the care of patients with Aphasia and, more broadly, throughout different types of care for patients in the hospital, in rehab, and outpatient. Today, we are joined by SLPs and co-hosts of Speech Talk Eva Johnson and Emily Brady to ask all our questions about how SLPs approach cognition, dysphasia, and values in care. Che...
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Existential Psychotherapy Part 3: Isolation

March 16, 2026 • 62 mins
Spoiler Alert! The key to not feeling isolated is to (wait for it) be around other people! Humans are naturally driven social creatures, but the ways in which we attempt to run from isolation become the problem. In this episode, we discuss how isolation is an ever-present fear, how existential isolation differs from interpersonal and intrapersonal isolation, and how meaningful, balanced relationships can form to fill the void. In...
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DBT Case Studies with Expert Dr. Kiki Fehling

March 9, 2026 • 62 mins
In the second part of our intro to DBT episodes, we welcome expert education and DBT clinician, Dr. Kiki Fehling. We talk about how Dr. Fehling found DBT, how her teaching made it to TikTok, and then get into cases about how to talk about DBT with patients and what an introductory session might sound like. In our Patreon section, we go further into some favorite exercises in DBT with Dr. Fehling. Oh, Margaret also has to walk bac...
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Going Viral as a First Year Med Student with Amine

March 2, 2026 • 39 mins
In this episode, I sit down with Amine (whyamino) a med student and content creator who recently went viral for his skits about engaging with patients from different cultural backgrounds. Due to pressure and complaints of “promoting stereotypes,” the content was eventually taken down. The audience feels some ambivalence about this, and it raises questions about portrayal and stereotypes, is their portrayal uniformly bad or can demo...
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Existential Psychotherapy Part 2: Freedom

February 23, 2026 • 69 mins
Today Margaret and I take on our own freedom in today’s episode, which is part 2 of a 4-part series on Existential Psychotherapy. The existential postulate that we are all ultimately free to make our own decisions (and therefore must live with those decisions) can be a source of distress but also a path to the pursuit of a meaningful life - it all comes down to how you go about it. And we will chat about it all, freely. Join Pat...
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DBT 101: Learning How to Regulate Your Emotions

February 16, 2026 • 61 mins
In preparation for a more thorough DBT episode with experts in the field, Margaret leads us through a “DBT 101” covering the essentially axioms of dialectical behavioral therapy along with the pillars of mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness. Join Patreon Here: https://www.patreon.com/c/howtobepatientpod Go to Cozy Earth now for a Buy One Get One Free Pajama Offer from 1/25-2/8!...
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How would bringing back long term psych care look? (and is it a good idea?)

February 9, 2026 • 62 mins
In this episode, we explore the current political climate and the possibility of the return of institutionalized mental health care. Though this is not a political podcast (I think Preston says that 5 times) , all of medicine is political,and it’s important to discuss the overlap.  Tune in to the Patreon section to directly support the creators and for more discussion about how institutionalization is handled in other countries! ...
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Recognizing OCD and Comprehensive Treatment

February 2, 2026 • 57 mins
In this episode, Margaret and Preston cover one of their most-requested clinical topics: diagnosing and treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD. Along the way, we review popular TikToks about OCD, including one Margaret made, and offer evidence-based approaches to treating OCD, along with a message of hope for anyone struggling with it.  Clinical guidelines Mentioned by Margaret International OCD Foundation Treatment Gu...
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Existential Psychotherapy Part 1: Death

January 26, 2026 • 54 mins
Today, we try to tackle the easy and simple topic of death. Inspired by the writings of Irvin Yalom in Existential Psychotherapy, Preston attempts to describe the four maxims of existentialist theory in therapy and how they may apply to patients. Join Patreon Here: https://www.patreon.com/c/howtobepatientpod If you’re ready to simplify the business side of your practice, now the perfect time to try SimplePractice. Do it with ...
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Learning as a Resident with Dr. Mark Mullen

January 19, 2026 • 73 mins
In this episode, Margaret and I are joined by the legendary host of the podcast Psychiatry Bootcamp, Dr. Mark Mullen. As a clerkship director of the psychiatry rotation himself, Dr. Mullen adds his insights as we discuss the “high yield” (if you will) tips to learning and transitioning into residency. We share our triumphs and failures as interns and indulge you with our new segment called “5-minute chalk talks!”  Join Patreon H...
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Neuropsychological Assessments for Clinicians

January 12, 2026 • 68 mins
In this episode, which could be titled “Neurocognitive Assessments for Silly, Cool, Fun People” (that’s us—we are the silly, cool, fun people), Margaret and I describe five neurocognitive domains often used in psychometric testing. We also cover the associated simple yet elegant tests you can do at the bedside. These tests help provide better insight into the functioning of certain regions of the brain and the underlying processes ...
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Eating For Your Brain (Even When You’re Down) with Nutritional Psychiatrist Brooke Resche, MD

January 5, 2026 • 60 mins
On this episode of HBP, we interview Brooke Resche (CookwithDrBrooke on TikTok and Instagram) and answer some of your questions of how to feed yourself to help your brain, even when struggling with ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, or stress. We get into concrete strategies for each difficulty one might have with getting meals together and eating, and talk with Dr. Brooke about tips she uses with patients and how to talk about food and fo...
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The Dementia Episode

December 29, 2025 • 72 mins
In this episode, Margaret and I do our best to define the elusive diagnosis of dementia. We describe what the actual clinical definition of the cognitive disability is, explore the most common types of diseases that can cause dementia, and how to pick up on them clinically, especially when they start to look like other illnesses.  Join Patreon Here: https://www.patreon.com/c/howtobepatientpod -- Want more Amanda Stuckey Dodson...
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