The Thinking Mind: Mental Health & Personal Growth

E192 | What Matthew Perry's Story Reveals About the Psychology of Addiction

What can Netflix's Matthew Perry documentary teach us about the psychology of addiction? Matthew Perry achieved extraordinary fame and success, yet continued to str

E191 | Netflix’s Stanford Prison Experiment: The Danger of Unearned Power

What happens when ordinary people are handed power over others, and how do they respond when that power is taken away? Do you have an inner monster waiting to be unleashe

E190 | New ADHD/Autism Review Set to Dramatically Change UK Mental Health Services

A major new government review has been published into mental health, ADHD and autism. Some headlines have framed it as a warning about ADHD and autism being overdiagnosed

E189 | Psychiatry Treats Mental Disorders: But What Is Mental Health? (w/ John T. Maier)

We talk constantly about “mental health”, but do we actually know what it is? Psychiatry is very good at defining mental disorders: depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, anxie

The “Nice Guy” Problem at the Heart of Obsession (Key Moment)

In this clip from E184 of the podcast, Dr Alex Curmi explores the psychology of the “nice guy” through the film Obsession (2026). He examines the difference between genui

How Amphetamines Changed Our Understanding Of Schizophrenia (Key Moment w/ Justin Garson)

How did amphetamines help shape the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia? In this clip from From E185 of The Thinking Mind Podcast, Dr Alex speaks with Professor Justin

Update: Major Changes Expected for ADHD Diagnosis in the NHS

This is a shorter Thinking Mind update on a developing story - our usual long-form episodes will continue as normal. Dr Alex discusses reports that a forthcoming governm

E188 | Why The 70Up Documentary Feels Like Years of Therapy

Why does watching the 70 Up documentary feel like years of therapy? Watching lives unfold over six decades can make you reconsider your own: what you’re chasing, what you

E187 | Can Psychiatrists Predict the Unthinkable? | The Lindsay Clancy Case

The Lindsay Clancy case has prompted an enormous debate about postpartum psychosis, criminal responsibility, psychiatric treatment and whether severe mental illness can e

How AI Shapes Our Beliefs (Key Moment w/ Dr. Tom Pollak)

How do you arrive at your beliefs? In this clip from E182 of the podcast, Dr Alex speaks with consultant neuropsychiatrist Dr Tom Pollack about what AI-associated delusi

Update on Channel 4's: The Great ADHD Myth?

In this update to last week’s episode,  Dr Alex reflects on the response to Channel 4’s The Great ADHD Myth? and on an important new development. He also discusses what t

E186 | Channel 4’s New ADHD Documentary Missed a Huge Opportunity

In this episode of The Thinking Mind Podcast, Dr. Alex responds to Channel 4’s new documentary The Great ADHD Myth? Presented by psychiatrist Dr Max Pemberton, this fil

E185 | How Psychiatry Became Fixated on Chemical Imbalance (w/ Prof. Justin Garson)

What if one of psychiatry’s most influential ideas began with LSD, amphetamines and a handful of experiments that would be difficult to imagine today? In this episode, D

Why Tradwife Content Feels Dangerous (Key Moment w/ Dr. Rosy Blunstone)

Is being a tradwife really just about baking bread, homemaking and traditional femininity, or is there something deeper going on? This clip is an except from E181 of the

Podcast Announcements & Housekeeping!

The Thinking Mind is taking a short break, but there is plenty happening behind the scenes. In this quick update, Dr Alex shares what listeners can catch up on now, what

What the Manosphere Gets Wrong About Evolutionary Psychology (Key Moment w/ Dr Paul Eastwick)

In this exceprt from E179 of the Thinking Mind Podcast, Dr Paul Eastwick explains the “EvoScript” — the popular version of evolutionary psychology that many people have a

E184 | Thinking Films: Obsession (2026)

Can we really love another person, or only the version of them we have created in our minds? Today Dr Alex explores Obsession, directed by Curry Barker, a psychological

E183 | Finding Your Life's Meaning (w/ Dr. Joel Vos)

This week Dr Alex speaks with psychologist and philosopher Dr Joel Vos about what it really means to live a meaningful life. They explore why modern culture can leave peo

Key Moment: What We Get Wrong About Depression (and Anti-Depressants)

This is an excerpt from E178 of the Thinking Mind Podcast. In this clip, Alex speaks with neuroscientist and author Dr Dean Burnett about whether depression should really

E182 | Can AI Cause Psychosis? (w/ Dr. Tom Pollak)

Today Dr Alex speaks with consultant neuropsychiatrist and immunopsychiatry researcher Dr Tom Pollack about one of the strangest and most urgent questions emerging in men