Ep 75 The Seelbach: When the Story Is the Symptom — Malingering, Factitious Disorder, and the Art of the Con

What does a mob boss in a bathrobe, a serial killer faking split personalities, and a bartender with a fabricated cocktail story all have in common? A great performance changes everything. In Episode 75, Tara and Nicole break down malingering and factitious disorder — two conditions where people fake, exaggerate, or manufacture illness — and why the distinction matters enormously in clinical and legal settings. Anchored by Primal Fear and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the episode explores real-world cases that read like fiction: Kenneth Bianchi's MPD charade exposed by forensic psychologist Dr. Martin Orne, and mob boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante, who wandered Greenwich Village in a bathrobe for 30 years to dodge prosecution. Even the cocktail, the Seelbach, came with a completely invented origin story. This one has layers. Sources: Malingering — BBC Future Malingering — Wikipedia Malingering — StatPearls/NCBI Malingering — Psychology Today Factitious Disorder — Mayo Clinic The Seelbach Cocktail's Fabricated Origin — Liquor.com Primal Fear — Wikipedia One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest — Wikipedia Hillside Strangler — Wikipedia Vincent Gigante — Wikipedia Seelbach Cocktail Recipe — Liquor.com Episodes every Monday ⭐️ Subscribe, Rate and Review! 🍸 Recipes drop on socials Discounts: 15% off Comfrt apparel Purple Carrot: 40% off your first box ClassPass: 2 weeks free 15% off non-alcoholic spirits at The Zero Proof 💳 Support us on Patreon | ☕️ Buy Me a Coffee Contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.