The Thinking Mind Podcast: Psychiatry & Psychotherapy

What is the effect of nature on our mental health? Today Alex speaks with Prof. Chris Dayson & Dr. Annette Haywood, who have conducted research involving 8000 people, who were given nature-based interventions (such as nature walks, community gardening, tree planting and wild swimming) to help them with their mental health difficulties across seven different sites in the UK.See below link to an article about their work: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/04/better-than-medication-prescribing-nature-works-project-showsInterviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi, consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training. If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line. If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com.Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastGive feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

In this episode Alex discusses 8 lessons he learned from making the first 100 episodes of the podcast, including how to deal with success and failure, internal and external obstacles, creativity, peristence and much more. Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant general adult psychiatrist with a sub-speciality in addictions who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. He is also a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training, and has a special interest in mindfulness meditation. If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line. Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastJoin Our Mailing List! - https://thinkingmindpod.aidaform.com/mailinglistsignupIf you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.comSUPPORT THE PODCAST: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmind Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

In this week's podcast we discuss five different problems facing the modern world, including the decline in critical thinking, political polarisation, the overreliance on technology and more, and how they are contributing to a rise in mental health problems. Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant general adult psychiatrist with a sub-speciality in addictions who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line. Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastJoin Our Mailing List! - https://thinkingmindpod.aidaform.com/mailinglistsignupIf you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.comSUPPORT THE PODCAST: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmindGive feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

Nancy Gee, Ph.D is a Professor of Psychiatry in Human Animal Interaction, and the Director of the Centre for Human Animal Interaction at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, VA. The Centre is the only one of its kind to be housed in a School of Medicine, and in addition to research and educational activities it also houses the “Dogs On Call” therapy dog program. With over 90 DOC volunteer dog-and-handler teams, this program engages in upwards of 100,000 meaningful interactions with patients, staff, and students in the VCU Health system during a typical year.  Nancy is  also the co-editor of “The Role of Companion Animals in the Treatment of Mental Disorders”.Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi, consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training.If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line. If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com. Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastJoin Our Mailing List! - https://thinkingmindpod.aidaform.com/mailinglistsignupSUPPORT: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmind.Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

This is a recording of a Q & A session at Riddlesdown collegiate, a secondary school in South London. For this session, specifically aimed at male staff, Alex was interviewed by Deputy Head of College Andrew Edwards. Today we cover topics including male mental health issues, lifestyle factors influencing mental health, work life balance, the economics of discomfort, the signs of burnout, cultural trends affecting dating & relationships, criticial thinking and much more.Dr. Alex Curmi is a consultant general adult psychiatrist with a sub-speciality in addictions who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. He is also a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training, and has a special interest in mindfulness meditation.  If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line. If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com.Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastJoin Our Mailing List! - https://thinkingmindpod.aidaform.com/mailinglistsignupSUPPORT: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmind.Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

Dr. Camilla Nord, a leading neuroscientist and author of 'The Balanced Brain,' discusses the intersection of neuroscience and mental health. She delves into dopamine's role in psychological symptoms and how neurological conditions can manifest physically. The conversation highlights the distinction between acute and chronic pain, as well as the impact of expectations on mental well-being. Dr. Nord emphasizes mental health as a dynamic state and the importance of personalized treatments, advocating for evidence-based approaches in decision-making.

Prof. Ulrike Schmidt is a Professor of Eating Disorders and Director of the Centre for Research on Eating and Weight Disorders at King’s College London. She is also a Consultant Psychiatrist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Ulrike works to understand fundamental biology and psychological determinants of eating and weight disorders, including obesity. Her research includes multiple trials of new treatments and led to the development of MANTRA, a NICE-recommended psychotherapy for people with anorexia nervosa.She has also led the development and research on FREED, First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders a multi-award winning early intervention programme for young people with eating disorders, initially trialled in a few locations in the UK which was so successful it has now been rolled out nationally in England.Today we discuss:The most important distinctions between different eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders.The most important biological, psychological, social and cultural risk factors for developing such a disorder.What the path to recovery looks like.The FREED the treatment pathway professor Schmidt has done a lot of work onPotential novel treatments for eating disorders such as neuromodulation treatments and psychedelic treatments. To find out more about FREED:www.inspirethemind.org/post/early-intervention-for-eating-disorders-grounds-to-celebrateTo find out more about MANTRA:https://mantraweb.co.uk/Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi, consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training.If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com.Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastJoin Our Mailing List! - https://thinkingmindpod.aidaform.com/mailinglistsignupSUPPORT: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmind.Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

Dr. Tennyson Lee, a Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy, shares his journey from public health to psychiatry, influenced by his time in apartheid South Africa. He discusses the challenges in diagnosing personality disorders and the stigma associated with them. Emphasizing the importance of clinician empathy, he explains how early life experiences shape patient interactions. The conversation also covers improving clinician-patient dynamics and the delicate balance of using medication alongside psychotherapy for effective treatment.

This week we're taking a well deserved break, so if you're looking for something to listen to you can check out one of our recent episodes - including our recent interview with Dr. Roberto Mezzina about the Triste model of mental healthcare, our recent compherensive guide to ADHD or our recent Q and A episode where answered questions about topics like self-harm, addiction, delusional disorder and much more. We realy enjoyed doing the Q and A episode and we're collecting questions for the next one, so if you have any questions about psychiatry, psychology, self-development or related topics you can send them to thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com. In addition - we've started a tik tok page and we're posting content there regularly so if you're on tik tok you can follow us at thinking.mind.podcast.Thanks for listening and see you next week!Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

In this lively discussion, Dr. Alex Curmi, a consultant psychiatrist specializing in ADHD, breaks down the complexities of the disorder. He covers common signs and symptoms, the intricacies of diagnosis, and the debate over potential over-diagnosis linked to modern lifestyles. Dr. Curmi emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to management, integrating lifestyle changes alongside medication. He also dives into the impact of early life trauma and the different presentations of ADHD, especially in women, shedding light on often overlooked nuances.