Minding Your Mind
Episodes
MYM – Novelty
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Routines and habits are comforting, but the human mind need novelty. Doing new things, going new places, meeting new people makes us feel alive. How d...
MYM – Annie Buist
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with psychiatrist and author Annie Buist about her novel The Glass House, the story of a young psychiatrist working in a busy hospital and tr...
MYM – Can stimulants help treat depression?
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Depression is an illness that drains us of energy. Can stimulants play a role in treating it? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and Jam...
MYM – Panic Attacks
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What causes panic attacks? If you have had one, are you likely to have more? What should you do if you have one? Can they be prevented? If you have an...
MYM – Does therapy work?
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The three pillars of mental health treatment are medication, changing behaviour and therapy. How did therapy develop? What are the different types? Do...
MYM – Violence against women
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why are men violent toward women? Can those at highest risk of offending be identified early? What is the connection between controlling behaviour in ...
MYM – Autism
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is the recently released Draft National Autism Strategy a game-changer that will radically improve the way governments assist those with autism? Or ju...
MYM – Why do people stop taking medication?
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The killing of six people by 40-year-old Joel Cauchi at Bondi Junction horrified the nation. Cauchi started taking medication for schizophrenia aged 1...
MYM – Economic impact
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mental illness is expensive, both to the individual and society. How do we reduce those costs? How can governments spend money on treating mental illn...
MYM – Why are autism rates rising?
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The number of people diagnosed with autism has risen dramatically recently. Why? Has diagnosis improved? Are there more people with autism? Does it ha...
MYM - Gratitude
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s easy to take the good thing in our life – friends, family, a sunny day, frozen yoghurt – for granted, but taking a minute to actively focus...
MYM – Social Media
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Social media can be good (social connection, finding people with similar interests, learning new things) and it can be bad (addictive, bullying, peop...
MYM – The Grief of a Mental Illness Diagnosis
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How does being diagnosed with a mental illness affect us, especially when it is a condition that we may need to manage and live with for a long time? ...
MYM – Belonging
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s great to feel you belong, to feel safe and comfortable as part of a family, social, sporting, work or school-based group. But what if you don’...
MYM – Boundaries
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our boundaries are limits we set that establish what we are comfortable with, and what we aren’t. Boundaries can be physical, emotional, sexual, or ...
MYM – Are you a people pleaser?
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s nice to help others, but if you find it hard to say "no" whenever someone asks you to do something, you might be a habitual people pl...
MYM – Are you a perfectionist?
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s good to try to do a task as well as you can, but when you spend an hour rewriting one sentence, things might have gone too far. Are you a perfe...
MYM – How can Artificial Intelligence improve the mental health system?
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How can Artificial Intelligence improve the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness? How do bots compare with human therapists? They’re definitely...
MYM – How can Artificial Intelligence help us maintain and improve our mental health?
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How can Artificial Intelligence empower us to take better care of our own mental health? What tools can we carry around in our phone that will help u...
MYM – Violence
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why do people get violent? What link is there in the difference between violence and mental illness? How does violence affect victims? If you have any...
MYM – Secrets
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Can you keep a secret? Should you? What are the things we want to keep secret? How do our secrets affect our mental health? If you have any questio...
MYM – What is Dissociation?
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is dissociation? It occurs when we become emotionally detached from our surroundings. Some get it when public speaking, and feel like they are ou...
MYM – Empathy vs Sympathy
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When talking to someone who is going through a tough time, is it better to do so with empathy (understanding the feelings of another) or sympathy (fe...
MYM – Reair: How CBT Works
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy? How can it empower and help those with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues? CBT techniques may b...
MYM – Reair: 'The Devil You Knew' by Prof Ian Hickie
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss Ian’s new book on depression, The Devil You Knew. What causes depression? What are the different types of depression? Why are the physic...
MYM – Best of 2023
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ian and James pick their 10 most interesting eps of 2023. If you’re new to Minding Your Mind, this is a good place to start. If you have any questio...
MYM – Hamlet with John Bell
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What can we learn about our mind from one of the greatest and most complex characters of fiction, Hamlet? Shakespeare expert and actor John Bell analy...
MYM – Can Mental Illness Cause People to Lose Control?
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can people sometimes lose control and do something they later can’t explain or understand? A moment of madness? Can those with a mental illness some...
MYM – Is Being Alone Good For Us?
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can being alone be good for us? For some of us, is being alone an essential part of maintaining good mental health? Do some people (e.g. James) need t...
MYM – Men's Mental Health
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Men have a higher suicide rate than woman, are less likely to seek treatment for a mental health issue, and more likely to self-medicate with alcohol ...
MYM – Are Anxiety and Depression Opposites?
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When we are anxious, adrenaline flows, thoughts race and we get edgy, agitated and hyped up. When we are depressed, we are sluggish and slow, and it’...
MYM – Hormones and Mental Health
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What effect do hormones – all those chemicals that rush around our bloodstream – have on our mental health? How do different hormones that are ...
MYM – Is Mental Illness a Test of Character?
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If we are depressed or anxious, is how we react to it a test of our character? Do we need to be "strong" and "fight back"? Or...
MYM – Journalist Nick McKenzie: Reporting on Ben Roberts-Smith
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist Nick McKenzie, who reported on and was sued by Ben Roberts Smith, tells us about the toll the investigation and court case took on his ment...
MYM – 'The Devil You Knew' by Prof Ian Hickie
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss Ian’s new book on depression, The Devil You Knew. What causes depression? What are the different types of depression? Why are the physica...
MYM - How to Retire Well
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For your mental health, what are the best, and worst, ways to transition from work to retirement? Here’s a hint: don’t move abruptly from full-tim...
MYM – Macbeth with John Bell
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What can we learn about our mind from the great writers? Actor and Shakespeare expert John Bell joins us to discuss what the character of Macbeth tell...
MYM – Mental Health and Ethics with Simon Longstaff
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you were given too much change in a shop, would you keep it? If you did, knowing it was wrong, what effect would that have on your mental health? I...
MYM – Borderline Personality Disorder
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Borderline Personality Disorder is a mental illness that affects a person’s ability to manage their emotions. Those with BPD are often impulsive and...
MYM – The Merchant of Venice with John Bell
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What can we learn about our mind from the great writers? Actor and Shakespeare expert John Bell joins us to discuss what the characters in The Merchan...
MYM – Autonomy vs Being in a Relationship
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Autonomy and social connection are two important pillars of mental health, but aren’t they in conflict? The closer your relationships, the more you ...
MYM – Blended Families Part 2: Being the Ex
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We have discussed blended families, but what about the other parent? The one who is outside the new, blended family? How do things work for them? If y...
MYM – Entitlement
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean when we describe someone as having a sense of entitlement? That they arrogantly act like they own the world? What is entitlement? Is...
MYM – Identity: Who Are You, Really?
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How would you describe yourself? Age, family background, relationship status, job but then … outgoing and confident? Shy and insecure? Introvert? Ex...
MYM – Stress
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is stress? How is it different from anxiety? Does stress build up over time? How does stress affect us? How can we control and reduce stress? If ...
MYM – How Is Research Funding Allocated?
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How is mental health research funded? What areas get funded and which miss out? Who decides? How? How could the system be improved? If you have any qu...
MYM – How to Resolve Conflict
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When we disagree with a partner, child, parent, workmate or friend, how do we resolve it? What is the best way to have arguments and resolve conflict?...
MYM – Autism
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is autism? What is it? How does it affect people? Can those with autism learn strategies to help them to deal with it? If you have any question...
MYM – Self-Loathing
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us have done or said something stupid, then later cringed. For some, feelings of self-loathing come every day. What is self-loathing? A though...
MYM – Mental Health and Teens
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What mental health challenges do teenagers face? How do teens navigate the change from child to adult? What are the signs a teenager is experiencing p...
MYM – FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do we all experience Fear Of Missing Out? Can FOMO be a good thing, or does it just make us anxious and unhappy? How does FOMO affect our mental healt...
MYM – How Adverse Events Trigger Mental Illness
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What role do adverse events, for example losing a job or a relationship, play in triggering mental illness? What is a trigger? Do people have the sam...
MYM – Climate Anxiety
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many are anxious about the effects of climate change. It can seem like a huge problem that we are powerless to fix. How can we learn to deal with, and...
MYM – Can We Control Our Emotions?
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Emotions are powerful. Sometimes they take us over. How can we avoid being overwhelmed by anger or fear? Can we learn to control our emotions? If yo...
MYM – Blended and Mixed Families
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When two people with kids from previous relationships get together, how does it all work? How do you suddenly become a step-parent? What happens when ...
MYM – How to Monitor Your Mental Health
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What are the best ways of encouraging people to be more aware of their mental health? How can we learn to monitor and take care of our mental health? ...
MYM – Managing Long-Term Medication
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Some with mental illness may need medication for a long time. If the medication has adverse side effects, how do you trade that off against the benefi...
MYM – Intergenerational Trauma
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can being exposed to traumatic and adverse events – abuse, poverty, violence, natural disasters or forcible separation from family – affect some s...
MYM – Why We Lie
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We all lie. Why? To protect the feelings of others, to make people think better of us, to improve a story. But is the line between truth and lie as cl...
MYM – Co-Dependent, Dysfunctional and Toxic Relationships
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What are dysfunctional, co-dependent and toxic relationships? How can being in these relationships affect our mental health? How do you know if you a...
MYM – Specialist Care? What Is It? Why Is It Important?
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many find it hard to access specialised care from psychologists and psychiatrists. Others are sceptical about the benefits of seeing a specialist. Who...
MYM – Breakups, Separation and Divorce
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When a relationship ends, it’s a difficult and challenging time that can test our mental health. What is the best way to get through it? If you have...
MYM – The Body Clock, Mental Health and Ageing with Prof Joe Takahashi
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ian is joined by Professor Joe Takahashi, a world expert in how the human body clock works and its implications for our health, mental health and succ...
MYM – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Bipolar and Mood Disorders
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We tend to think of treatments for bipolar and mood disorders as being mainly medicine based. But our guest, Dr Jan Scott, believes that those with bi...
MYM – How the Brain Reacts When the Body Changes
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If we go deaf or blind, lose a limb, or our balance deteriorates, our brain actively works behind the scenes to help us cope. How does it do that? If ...
MYM – Dementia
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What can you do to decrease your risk of getting dementia? If you have dementia, what can you do to slow its progress? How are treatments improving? I...
MYM – How Does Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Work?
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy? How can it empower and help those with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues? CBT techniques may b...
MYM – Keeping Track of Our Mental Health
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When we have a period of poor mental health, why is it so important to keep a record of medication, counselling and strategies we try to combat anxiet...
MYM – Attention Spans
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How long is your attention span? Has it got shorter since you got a smartphone? How can we learn to concentrate for longer periods? If you have any qu...
MYM – Approval of Psychedelics as Medicines
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From July 2023, psychiatrists will be able to prescribe psychedelics to treat those with long-term depression and PTSD. Do these treatments work? If s...
MYM – Introverts and Extroverts
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can we really be divided into extroverts, who love parties, and introverts, who love being home alone, or is it more of a bell curve? Where on the sca...
MYM – How to be a Good Leader
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a good leader? When should a leader listen, and when should they take control? How democratic should good leadership be? How do you become ...
MYM - The Immune System, Infection and Mental Health
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our immune system fights infection and viruses. We explore how it can also affect our mood and mental health, as can medications used to treat illness...
MYM – Loneliness
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Not only does being lonely feel bad, it can also shorten your life. What can you do about loneliness? How do you find new social connections if you ar...
MYM – Medicare Cuts for Counselling
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The federal government has halved the number of counselling sessions you can get a Medicare rebate for each year, from 20 to 10. Why does Ian think th...
MYM – Reair: Anxiety
02 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anxiety can be important and useful in helping us to be aware of, and react to, threats, study for exams and prepare for job interviews. But why does ...
MYM – Reair: What is Depression?
26 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Ian and James discuss depression. What is it? How do you know you're depressed? Everyone feels sad sometimes, but what are the s...
MYM – Top 10 of 2022
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ian and James each pick their favourite five topics that they have discussed this year. If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at ...
MYM – Resilience
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Resilience is our ability to cope with adverse events, to get back up after we have been knocked down. What determines how resilient you are? How can ...
MYM – Motivation
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you want to drink less, get fitter or hit a work or personal target, how do you get motivated? And how do you stay motivated after the initial driv...
MYM – Thoughts, Emotions and Behaviours
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When you eat, what comes first: the feeling ("I feel hungry"), the thought ("It’s lunchtime, so I should eat") or the behaviour ("I just walked past...
MYM – What Happens When the Kids Move Out?
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When the kids move out of home, how do parents adjust? Is it liberating? Sad? Scary? An exciting, next stage of life? What is "empty nest syndrome"? I...
MYM – Procrastination
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You know you should, but you don’t. Why do we put off tasks that we know are important? How can we overcome procrastination? What is the relationshi...
MYM – Vulnerability
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is vulnerability? What is the upside of showing your weaknesses, fears and hopes to another person? Does opening yourself up to them create a str...
MYM – Different Parenting Styles
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is the best way to parent a child in their first few years? Clear boundaries, with consequences for transgressions? Or smother them with love and...
MYM – Shame
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Shame has been used for centuries by groups and societies to express disapproval to those who behave outside the bounds of what is considered acceptab...
MYM – Empathy
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Is empathy a superpower that allows us to understand others and that binds soci...
MYM - Desire
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Desire happens when we want something; an apple, ice-cream, love, sex. Should we follow our desires? Can desire overwhelm our rational mind, and lead ...
MYM - Cognitive Dissonance
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cognitive dissonance occurs when we hold two competing ideas, like ‘I like eating meat’ and ‘eating meat is cruel and bad for the planet’...
MYM - Mental Health and the Seasons
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Of all the factors that can affect our mental health, one of the most ignored and least understood is the changing of the seasons. During Spring and A...
MYM – Cognitive Bias and Common Thinking Errors
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We think we are rational beings, but every day we are affected by cognitive biases. There are common thinking errors we all make all the time. What ar...
MYM – Mental Illness and Hospitals
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When does someone with a mental illness need to go to hospital? How does it happen, especially if the person doesn’t want to go? What is the differe...
MYM – Pain and the Mind
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can your mind help you control pain? Is there a difference between physical and emotional pain? How similar is the pain of getting dumped by your part...
MYM – Guilt and Regret
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Should we regret our mistakes, or just move on? What purpose does feeling guilty serve? When are regret and guilt useful? Can we get stuck on regretti...
MYM – Moodiness
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What causes our moods? Why are some people more moody than others? Do we get less moody as we get older? Can we learn to control or at least inf...
MYM - Denial
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Denial is when we pretend something isn’t happening, and deliberately don’t think about it. Humans do it a lot. ‘No, I don’t have a drin...
MYM - Food, Drink and Mental Health
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How much influence does what you eat and drink have on your mental health? What should you eat and drink for good mental health? If you have any quest...
MYM - Atypical Depression
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Atypical depression is a type of depression that is more episodic. Someone feels fine for a few days, then plunges into a deep depression for the next...
MYM - Friendship
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How important is friendship at different stages of life? How important is it for good mental health? How do you make friends? What makes a good friend...
MYM - Living With Someone With Mental illness
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you are living with someone who has mental illness, what should do you do? How can you help? What are the right, and wrong, things to say and...