Inside Mental Health

Healing the Unquiet Mind with Kay Redfield Jamison

May 25, 2023

Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison believes in the power of therapy, art, and meaningful hobbies in recovering from mental suffering. She discusses the historical stigma of shell shock and PTSD, living with OCD, the healing power of creativity, and the notion of mental suffering.

26:17

Creator website

Episode guests

Kay Redfield Jamison

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Medication is often overused in the treatment of mental illnesses, and therapy, art, and meaningful hobbies can be effective alternatives for healing mental suffering.

Understanding and addressing trauma is crucial in mental health, and the experiences of soldiers in World War I highlight the importance of challenging misconceptions and shaping attitudes towards PTSD.

Deep dives

The Importance of a Deeper Understanding in Mental Health Treatment

The podcast emphasizes the importance of going beyond medication in the treatment of psychiatric illnesses. It argues that while medicine can be effective, a deeper understanding and learning from one's experiences are needed for true healing. The speaker highlights the limitations of medication and the potential negative effects of relying solely on it. The podcast suggests that a more holistic approach is necessary for comprehensive mental health treatment.

Introduction

5min

The Stigma of Shell Shock and PTSD

8min

Living with OCD, Finding Hope, and Creating Your Own World

3min

The Healing Power of Creativity

8min

Exploring the Notion of Mental Suffering

3min

Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison believes that medication is an overused option and that many people can make great strides recovering from “mental suffering” using therapy, art, and meaningful hobbies. She also shares that we can learn a lot by understanding the lessons learned from resilient people who came before us. Using numerous historical examples, Dr. Jamison takes us on a journey of understanding our present mental health states by using the past.

What do soldiers who suffer from PTSD, mourners after a death, and people with mental illness all have in common? According to New York Times’ best selling author and Johns Hopkins professor Dr. Jamison, they all have an unquiet mind they need to heal.

To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.

Kay Redfield Jamison is the Dalio Professor in Mood Disorders and a professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, as well as an honorary professor of English at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. She is the coauthor of the standard medical text on bipolar disorder and author of An Unquiet Mind, Night Falls Fast, Exuberance, and Touched with Fire. Her most recent book, Robert Lowell: Setting the River on Fire, was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Dr. Jamison is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. She is a recipient of the Lewis Thomas Prize, the Sarnat Prize from the National Academy of Medicine, and a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship.

Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.

To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices