The Med Free Mental Fitness Podcast

In her first in-depth interview, Jessica Barrett shares the devastating story of losing her twin sisters and how her family later came to believe that akathisia, a recognised adverse drug reaction linked to antidepressants and other medications, played a significant role in the tragedy Host Katinka Blackford Newman interviews Jessica Barrett (Nee Crespi), daughter of David Crespi, who in 2006 kill...

Host Katinka Blackford Newman speaks with sleep and insomnia expert Professor Colin Espie about why cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is recommended as first-line treatment over medication. Espie explains how insomnia is perpetuated by frustration, threat-based arousal, and catastrophic thinking, and why sedative drugs don’t reproduce normal sleep, can lose effectiveness, carry dep...

Former NHS Psychiatrist Dr. Clive Sherlock on Drug Harm, Withdrawal, and “Adaptation Practice” Host Katinka Blackford Newman interviews Dr. Clive Sherlock, a medically trained doctor and former NHS psychiatrist, about why he began questioning mainstream psychiatry, realising there was no discovered or published biological cause of conditions like depression, and later facing managerial pressure to...

What happens when telling the truth costs you everything… and then changes everything? In this episode of The Med Free Mental Fitness Podcast , host Katinka Blackford Newman speaks to whistleblower Blair Hamrick, a former pharmaceutical sales representative who took on GlaxoSmithKline and helped expose one of the largest healthcare fraud cases in history. His testimony contributed to a $3 billion...

In this episode of the Med Free Mental Fitness podcast, I am joined by Brooke Siem, author of 'May Cause Side Effects.' Brooke shares her personal journey of being placed on antidepressants as a teenager following her father's sudden death, the side effects she experienced over 15 years, and her life-altering decision to come off the medication. Discover how Brooke navigated the challenging withdr...

In this thought-provoking episode, host Katinka Blackford Newman sits down with Dr. Sami Timimi—consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and author of "Searching for Normal"—to explore the dramatic rise in psychiatric diagnoses among children. Together, they question whether we are truly uncovering hidden illnesses or simply pathologising normal human variation, stress, and d...

In this episode of the Med Free Mental Fitness podcast, hosted by Katinka Blackford Newman, we dive deep into the topic of insomnia with special guest Miranda Levy. Miranda, an accomplished journalist and author, shares her harrowing personal journey through severe insomnia following a sudden and traumatic end to her marriage in 2010. Her battle with sleep deprivation led to a prolonged and compli...

Join host Katinka Blackford Newman on The Med Free Mental Fitness Podcast as she dives into the topic of psychosis with Eugene Larkin, author of 'Seeking Soteria.' Eugene shares his experiences at the radical Soteria House project, where individuals with schizophrenia and psychosis were supported without medication. Discover the origins of Soteria Houses, the significant impact of offering presenc...

In this powerful episode, host Katinka Blackford Newman sits down with writer and speaker Mary Ann Kenny to discuss her extraordinary journey through grief, mental health challenges, and recovery and her new book The Episode. After the sudden loss of her husband, Mary Ann faced overwhelming grief that led to the prescription of an antidepressant which resulted in a severe adverse reaction. This le...

Join host Katinka Blackford Newman and guest Philippe Tahon, London-based psychotherapist and author of "Shrink, the Diet for the Mind," for a deep dive into the world of weight loss, emotional eating, and the new wave of weight loss jabs. This episode explores why diets often fail, the emotional roots of overeating, and how to find true freedom with food—without medication. Timecoded Highlights:...

The Hidden Harms of Psychiatric Medications: A Conversation with Robert Whitaker In this episode of the Med Free Mental Fitness podcast, host Katinka Blackford Newman interviews Robert Whitaker, an award-winning journalist and founder of MAD in America. They discuss the long-term harms of psychiatric medications, particularly antidepressants and ADHD stimulants, and challenge the mainstream narrat...

In this episode of The Med Free Mental Fitness Podcast, we expose the potential harms of ADHD medication and challenge the surge in ADHD diagnoses. Host Katinka Blackford Newman interviews Joseph Pack, founder of Drug-Free ADHD ( https://drugfreeadhd.org/ ) who shares his personal journey with ADHD diagnosis and his decision to manage it without drugs. They discuss the long-term risks associated w...

In this episode, host Katinka Blackford Newman explores the causes of depression and the myth of the chemical imbalance. Her guest is psychiatrist Professor Joanna Moncrieff, author of a groundbreaking new book 'Chemically Imbalanced' which has caused waves in the media. Her book exposes how we have all been sold a lie: that mental illness, particularly depression has been proved to be caused by a...

Medication, Mental Illness, and Murder: Unraveling the Crespi Tragedy In this episode, Katinka Blackford Newman interviews Ed Jones, the author of a compelling new book, 'Medication, Mental Illness, and Murder: What Killed the Crespi Twins.' The discussion delves into the tragic story of David Crespi, who murdered his twin daughters while under the influence of the antidepressant Prozac, which can...

Unmasking Mental Health: Laura Delano's Journey through Misdiagnosis and Recovery. In this thought-provoking episode of The Med Free Mental Fitness Podcast, life coach, journalist, and author Katinka Blackford Newman engages in a deep conversation with Laura Delano, author of 'Unshrunk? How the Mental Health Industry Took Over My Life and My Fight to Get it Back.' Laura shares her harrowing experi...

Navigating Mental Health Challenges: A Conversation with Rachel Kelly In this episode of the Med free Mental Fitness Podcast, host Katinka Blackford Newman speaks with bestselling author and mental health ambassador Rachel Kelly. Rachel shares her personal experiences with severe depression, the impact it had on her family, and her struggles with various medications. She discusses her journey to r...