The Thinking Mind Podcast: Psychiatry & Psychotherapy

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, but is that really what the report says?

In this episode, Dr Alex looks at the executive summary of the review and explains why the findings are more complicated than some of the coverage suggest...

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, anxiety and many others. But that raises a more fundamental question: what does a mentally healthy person actually look like? 

In this episode, Dr Alex is joined by philosopher and psychotherapist John ...

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 genuine kindness and niceness, and why suppressing desire, anger and assertiveness can have unhealthy (even dangerous) consequences.

Listen to the full episode released on July 24th 2026 for the ful...

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 Garson about the experiments that helped transform psychiatry’s understanding of psychosis and schizophrenia.

They discuss how amphetamine-induced psychosis led researchers to focus on dopamin...

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 government review could significantly change how ADHD is assessed and supported in England. He explains the proposed shift toward a more "needs-based system", why it is being considered, and the potent...