Figuring It Out

Is ADHD linked to drinking too much? And why might people with ADHD be more likely to experience difficulties with alcohol and other substances? In Part 2 of Figuring It Out, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates tackle a listener's question about ADHD, impulsivity and alcohol. They explore why substance use difficulties are more common in people with ADHD, from impulsivity an...

Why do people with ADHD sometimes act before they think? And why can waiting for something feel so difficult? In Part 1 of Figuring It Out, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore what ADHD really is, what causes it, and why there's no single explanation for what's happening in the brain. From genetics and dopamine to the science of impulsivity, they unpack why some...

Are we really overdiagnosing ADHD and autism? And does understanding someone's differences automatically make relationships easier? In Part 3 of Figuring It Out, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates tackle some common assumptions about neurodivergence in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated. They explore whether emotional dysregulation is unique to neurodivergent people, wheth...

Why can an upsetting interaction stay with you for days, or even weeks? And why can emotional pain feel so difficult to move on from? In Part 2 of Figuring It Out, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates answer a listener's question about why emotional pain can feel stronger and last longer for some people with ADHD and autism. They explore emotional regulation, rumination, reje...

Have you ever felt different without really understanding why? And what happens when an autism or ADHD diagnosis changes the way you've always seen yourself? In Part 1 of Figuring It Out, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore how we develop our sense of identity, why it continues to change throughout our lives, and how a late diagnosis can bring a complicated mix of re...

Could your special interests be doing more for your wellbeing than you realise? For autistic people, these interests can be much more than hobbies, potentially helping with emotional regulation, reducing stress and providing a sense of comfort. In Part 3 of Figuring It Out, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the surprising benefits of autistic special interests and what...

Autistic burnout is more than just feeling tired. It can involve overwhelming exhaustion, difficulty managing everyday tasks and a reduced tolerance to sensory input. But what causes it, and what can help? In Part 2 of Figuring It Out, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore what autistic burnout actually is, how masking, sensory overload and the pressure to meet everyday ex...

Ever come home from a social event feeling completely drained? For many autistic people and people with ADHD, socialising can be exhausting, particularly when masking and sensory overload come into play. In Part 1 of Figuring It Out, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore what ADHD and autistic masking actually look like, why people feel the need to hide certain traits, and...

Does exercise help chronic pain, or could it make things worse? And what does the science actually say about treating chronic pain? In Part 3 of Figuring It Out, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates investigate common myths about chronic pain and pain management in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated. From exercise and physical activity to pain medication, the nervous system and...

Can your mind change how much pain you feel? And why does chronic pain sometimes come and go, even when nothing else seems to have changed? In Part 2 of Figuring It Out, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates answer a listener's dilemma about fluctuating chronic pain and explore the fascinating relationship between the brain, nervous system and our experience of pain. They unpa...

Most of us think pain is simple: you get hurt, a signal travels to your brain, and it hurts. But what happens when there’s no injury to see, and no one believes you? In Part 1 of the Figuring It Out podcast, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore what pain actually is, how the way experts define it has changed, and why chronic pain can be real even when scans show nothing....

“Never give up” sounds like good advice. But is pushing through always helpful, or can being resilient mean knowing when to stop? In Part 3 of the Figuring It Out podcast, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates put common claims about resilience to the test in Myth, Fact and It’s Complicated. Are we born resilient, or can we build resilience at any age? Can resilience and emotional...

Everyone tells you how strong you are. But inside, you feel like you’re barely holding it together. Does that mean you’re not actually resilient? In Part 2 of the Figuring It Out podcast, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore resilience and coping with stress through a listener’s dilemma: why is there such a gap between how others see them and how they really feel? Togethe...

Ever looked at someone going through a difficult time and wondered how they’re coping so well? What makes us more resilient, and how much of it comes from things we don’t see? In Part 1 of the Figuring It Out podcast, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore what resilience really means, how researchers study it, and why there’s more to coping with adversity than individual w...

Is loneliness really as bad for you as smoking? In Part 3, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates put some of the most common claims about loneliness to the test. Does the quality of our relationships matter more than the quantity? Can being in a crowd actually make us feel lonelier? And are humans the only animals that experience loneliness? No lectures. No easy answers. Just two...

Why is it so hard to make friends as an adult? In Part 2, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore how long it really takes to form a close friendship, why we tend to underestimate how much other people like us, and what changes when making friends no longer happens automatically. Plus, why even the smallest interactions with strangers and acquaintances might matter more than...

Why are we lonelier than ever? In Part 1, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore what loneliness actually is, why being alone isn’t the same as being lonely, and what can happen when loneliness becomes persistent. They also look at why meaningful connection may be getting harder to find, whether social media is really making us lonelier, and why loneliness isn’t simply an i...

Do animals hold grudges? Can crows really remember someone who wronged them for 17 years? And does time heal all wounds? In Part 3, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates put common claims about revenge and forgiveness to the test in Myth, Fact and It’s Complicated. They explore revenge-like behaviour across the animal kingdom, including the remarkable ability of crows to recognise...

Why is it so hard to forgive someone, especially when you believe they meant to hurt you? Why can we accept damage caused by a storm more easily than harm caused by another person? In Part 2, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates work through a listener dilemma inspired by Oliver Sacks. They explore how our brains interpret intention, betrayal and broken trust, why these can make...

Is revenge ever good for you? Why does the idea of getting even feel so satisfying, and what happens after we act on it? In Part 1, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the evolutionary and psychological roots of revenge, from anger, shame and humiliation to the brain’s reward response. They examine why the anticipation of revenge can feel better than the reality, and how...

Can a weekend lie-in really help you catch up on lost sleep, or is repaying your sleep debt more complicated than that? In Part 3, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates put common sleep myths to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated. They explore catch-up sleep, power naps and whether napping deserves its lazy reputation. Plus, do you really need morning sunlight within the...

Getting 8 hours of sleep but still waking up exhausted? In Part 2, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates tackle a listener's dilemma: should you stick to an early wake-up time or make sure you get a full night's sleep? They explore sleep quality, deep sleep and the relationship between your sleep schedule and body clock, asking whether the eight-hour rule works for everyone. Plus,...

Could your 5am morning routine be working against your body clock? And if you struggle to wake up early, does that really mean you lack discipline? In Part 1, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the 5am Club, chronotypes and why some people are morning people while others are night owls. They get into circadian rhythms, social jetlag and the pressure to be productive, as...

Do autistic girls present differently to autistic boys? Is it true that autistic people lack empathy? And where does sensory overload actually come from? In Part 3, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates put the most common claims about autism to the test in Myth, Fact or It's Complicated. No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out. We're not h...

Are we all a bit autistic? In Part 2, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates work through a listener's dilemma about where differences in traits ends and autism begins, and why the spectrum is not a line from a little bit autistic to very autistic. No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out. We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two...