Minding Your Mind

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 questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.  To find out more about depression and support services, you can contact Head to Health at  ⁠⁠www.headtohealth.gov.au⁠⁠...

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 analyses Hamlet’s psychology and we learn about indecision, uncertainty, rationality, revenge, grief and much more. To find out more about depression and support services, you can contact Head to Health at  ⁠⁠www.headtohealth.gov.au⁠⁠  , Beyond Blue at  ⁠...

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 sometimes not be in control of their actions? Is "being in control" a switch or a spectrum?  To find out more about depression and support services, you can contact Head to Health at  ⁠www.headtohealth.gov.au⁠  , Beyond Blue at  ⁠www.beyondblue.o...

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 time alone more than others? Why? Is it because he was an only child? If you have any questions or comments email, Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover. To find out more about depressi...

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 and drugs. Why? What approaches might make men more willing to take better care of their mental health, and seek help when they need it? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any ot...

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’s hard to get motivated, or even to get out of bed. Anxiety and depression look a lot like opposites. Are they? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them...

What effect do hormones – all those chemicals that rush around our bloodstream – have on our mental health? How do different hormones that are secreted when people are in love, pregnant, going through menopause, etc affect their emotions, moods and mental health? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like t...

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 is thinking this way an unhelpful myth? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover. To find out more about depression and support services, you can...

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 mental health, and the strategies he used to cope. If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover. To find out more about depression and support service...

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 physical symptoms of depression so important? How does someone with depression find the treatments that will work for them? How can we lower our risk of getting depression? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail...

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-time work to no work at all, and don’t move away from all your friends. If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at mindingyourmind2@gmail.com . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover. To find out more about depression and...

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 tells us about ambition, guilt, morality and mental health. If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover. To find out more about depression and suppor...

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? Is being good, good for you? Ethics expert Simon Longstaff joins us to discuss the relationship between ethics and mental health. If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topi...

Borderline Personality Disorder is a mental illness that affects a person’s ability to manage their emotions. Those with BPD are often impulsive and have big mood swings. What are the signs? How do you treat it?  If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.  To find out more about depression an...

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 Merchant of Venice tell us about prejudice, justice, revenge, greed, mercy and mental health. If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover. To find out m...

Autonomy and social connection are two important pillars of mental health, but aren’t they in conflict? The closer your relationships, the more you compromise and give up autonomy. How do we resolve the tension between the two? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover. To find out more about...

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 you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover. To find out more about depression and support services, you can contact Head to Health at  www.headtohea...

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 it a bad thing? Isn’t it good to believe that we are entitled to a happy life? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.  To find out more ab...

How would you describe yourself? Age, family background, relationship status, job but then … outgoing and confident? Shy and insecure? Introvert? Extrovert? Disciplined? Impulsive? Curious? What is your personal identity? Why does it matter? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.  To find...

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 you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.  To find out more about depression and support services, you can contact Head to Health at  www.headtoh...

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 questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.  To find out more about depression and support services, you can contact Head to Health at  www.headtohealth.gov.au ,...

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?  If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.  To find out more about depression and support services, you can contact Head to Health at  www.he...

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 questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.  To find out more about depression and support services, you can contact Head to Health at  www.headtohealth.gov.au , Beyond...

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 thought, a feeling or both? How can you reduce the amount of self-loathing you have?  If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  mindingyourmind2@gmail.com  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.  To find out more ab...

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 poor mental health? What support do teens need? Recorded in front of a live audience at Cranbrook School in Sydney. If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠  . Let them know any other topics you’d lik...