Lively Minds, the UK Mental Health Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

We take a deep dive into SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), which is the most commonly prescribed form of antidepressant in the UK. We discuss with Consultant Psychiatrist: Dr Alex Curmi what we know about the effectiveness of SSRIs, what we don't, and why there is so much debate about their use.

Check out the Thinking Mind Podcast by searching for it wherever you get your podcasts.
Or you can find it on Spotify by clicking here

In particular, you might be interested in Alex's conversations with

• Prof Joanna Moncrieff about her skeptisim of SSRIs

• Prof David Taylor about SSRI research, their effectiveness and side effects

Mark Horowitz's website can be found here


Weblinks are provided in good faith and Lively Minds is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Please note that this show does not constitute medical advice and is not a replacement for seeking professional help. You can find out more about the show and get signposting to support on our website livelymindspod.com


Follow @livelymindspod on social media, click here or links https://www.bio.link/livelyminds 


00:00 Introduction to Lively Minds Podcast
00:19 Today's Topic: Antidepressants and SSRIs
00:47 Guest Introduction: Dr. Alex Kmy
01:52 Understanding SSRIs: Mechanism and Function 
03:21 Hosts' Personal Experiences with SSRIs
09:39 Debate on SSRIs: Effectiveness and Over-Prescription
22:19 Effectiveness of SSRIs: Research Insights
25:34 Understanding Antidepressant Effect Sizes
25:49 Comprehensive Depression Assessment
26:20 Exploring Treatment Options Beyond Antidepressants
27:23 SSRIs for Various Mental Health Conditions
28:47 The Role of Psychological Interventions
29:46 Personal Development and Mental Health
31:20 Debating the Usefulness of Diagnoses
32:28 Personal Journey with SSRIs
34:36 Stigma and Medication
37:11 Modern Life and Mental Health
39:57 The Mystery of How SSRIs Work
41:22 Supporting Patients in Tapering Off SSRIs
44:47 Alternative Biological Treatments for Depression
46:05 The Future of AI in Psychiatry
46:57 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Sorry for the delay

How might the impact of detachment from their mother and birth family affect care-experienced children and young people's behaviour and relationships? And how can we support care-experienced children and young people to process their feelings? 

We welcome back to the podcast Ciara McLelland, who specialises in working with children and families impacted by adverse childhood experiences, to find out more about the impact of grief and loss on the brain and body. Ciara is a trainer from Trauma Informed Consultancy Services. 

For this episode, we are partnering with The Creative Life Story Work Podcast who are posting it on their feed too! Head over to their show to hear more about how art, artists and creative activity can be used to help care-experienced children make sense of their past and build a brighter future.

Follow @livelymindspod on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and more at https://www.bio.link/livelyminds

Please note that this show does not constitute medical advice and is not a replacement for seeking professional help. You can find our more about the show and get signposting to support on our website anyamedia.net/livelyminds

What is mindfulness? What's the difference between mindfulness and doing things 'mindfully'? What does evidence about the positive impact of mindfulness tell us about the origins of our mental health struggles?

We'll be discussing these topics with Dr Afrosa Ahmed, who has just written a book: "Mindful Healing, 5 Simple Steps to Transform your Life" published by Michael O'Mara Books.

A practising GP in the NHS for over 20 years, as well as a Harley Street-based mindfulness coach, Afrosa launched life-coaching programme MindfulDoc in 2020.

In her book, Afrosa shares her knowledge of how we can incorporate the ancient practice of mindfulness into our everyday lives. Mindfulness is now endorsed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the NHS. 

"Mindful Healing, 5 Simple Steps to Transform your Life" is published by Michael O'Mara Books.

Follow @livelymindspod on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and more at https://www.bio.link/livelyminds

Please note that this show does not constitute medical advice and is not a replacement for seeking professional help. You can find our more about the show and get signposting to support on our website anyamedia.net/livelyminds

In 2022, a survey revealed that only 11% of people working in the UK’s film and TV sectors considered the industry to be a mentally healthy place to work.

As the latest iteration of the “Looking Glass” survey is launched, we speak with Rupert Jones-Lee, Head of Research and Impact at the Film & TV Charity, about the mental health challenges faced by those in the film and TV industry.

We talk about the reasons behind these mental health struggles, the measures currently being implemented to address them, and the further actions needed to create a healthier work environment.

Do you work in the screen sector? You can complete the latest Looking Glass Survey by clicking here.

Other links:

• If anyone has questions about the survey they can email research@filmtvcharity.org.uk
• Link to the Looking Glass 2022 report: https://filmtvcharity.org.uk/research-impact/reports/looking-glass-22-report/
• Charity website: https://filmtvcharity.org.uk
• The Film & TV Charity’s 24 hour support line is 0800 054 0000. 
• Webchat and email can be reached via https://filmtvcharity.org.uk/get-support/24-hour-support-line/
• Whole Picture Toolkit: https://filmtvcharity.org.uk/get-support/support-for-organisations/the-whole-picture-toolkit/

Content Warning
There is a brief reference to statistics around suicidal ideation.

Follow @livelymindspod on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and more at https://www.bio.link/livelyminds

Please note that this show does not constitute medical advice and is not a replacement for seeking professional help. You can find our more about the show and get signposting to support on our website anyamedia.net/livelyminds

Hi everyone, just a quick podcast update today.

Ellie and I have decided to reduce the frequency of Lively Minds to once a month. The main reason for this change is that, as you know, we produce the show in our spare time, and maintaining a fortnightly release schedule has become challenging alongside our other commitments.
We aren’t going anywhere! The next episode of Lively Minds will be released on the first Friday of July. Following that, new episodes will be published on the first Friday of each month.

We also hope that moving to a monthly schedule will allow us to dedicate more time to each episode. Those of you who have ventured into podcasting understand the constant balancing act between regularly releasing episodes and ensuring the content is high-quality.

We have some exciting ideas for future episode formats, including something we’re calling "voice notes." Ellie and I will exchange voice notes over several weeks or even months, gradually building a conversation around a specific topic. This approach, the idea for which came from the brilliant Podcraft podcast, allows each of us to respond thoughtfully and research before we reply.

I'm also eager to create episodes that blend previous interviews with new conversations to delve into specific themes. One idea is a show titled “The Figments of My Imagination Are Out to Get Me,” which will explore the evolutionary history of anxiety and why this essential human feeling can sometimes spiral out of control.

So, please keep listening, sharing, and telling others about the show. If you are able to, please donate to us at buymeacoffee.com/livelyminds. If you haven’t yet, please rate or review us on your podcast app—it really helps boost our visibility and motivates us to create new content.

Until July, bye for now.

Australia’s nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award 2024, Matt Ottley, talks to us about his new work The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness, which explores experiences of bipolar and psychosis through art, word and music. 

Matt Ottley is an internationally acclaimed and multiple award-winning neurodiverse artist, author and composer from Australia, with more than forty picture books to his name.

You can find out more about The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness by following these links
https://mattottley.com/the-tree-of-ecstasy/

Matt Ottley’s website
Publisher: One Tentacle’s website

Follow @livelymindspod on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and more at https://www.bio.link/livelyminds

Please note that this show does not constitute medical advice and is not a replacement for seeking professional help. You can find our more about the show and get signposting to support on our website anyamedia.net/livelyminds

“Sometimes, people just need to be really very sad together”

In this episode, we will be talking with funeral celebrant - or ‘funeralist’ - Andy Jones about funerals and mental health. 

We ask Andy what ingredients he thinks a funeral needs in order to best support the wellbeing of those that have lost someone.

We also discuss how, as someone who spends his life around death and grieving, Andy looks after his own mental wellbeing.

You can hear Andy interviewed on the Cinematologists podcast by clicking here

He will also be interviewed on an upcoming episode of the Endings podcast, which you can find here.

Follow @livelymindspod on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and more athttps://www.bio.link/livelymindshttps://www.bio.link/livelyminds

Please note that this show does not constitute medical advice and is not a replacement for seeking professional help. You can find our more about the show and get signposting to support on our website anyamedia.net/livelyminds

What is Dramatherapy? How does it work? And how can it help us make better sense of our mental health? 

In this episode, Ellie and Will chat with Ciara McClelland of Dream Together, who is a registered dramatherapist and social worker.

We explore dramatherapy's application in both individual and group contexts. From facilitating personal healing journeys to shedding light on pressing social issues, dramatherapy emerges as a powerful tool for fostering self-awareness and collective understanding.

We will also discuss how dramatherapy helps to reclaim the way we understand ourselves, leading to profound insights into the complexities that shape our lives.

Please note: case study examples are 'mock ups' of therapeutic scenarios for which consent has been given.

Follow @livelymindspod on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and more at https://www.bio.link/livelyminds

Please note that this show does not constitute medical advice and is not a replacement for seeking professional help. You can find our more about the show and get signposting to support on our website anyamedia.net/livelyminds

Did you know, that in the UK, anyone - no matter what their qualifications or experience - can set themselves up as a counsellor, a psychotherapist, or indeed use any job title except for a chosen few that are protected by law?

In this episode, we will be talking Phil Doré and Amanda Williamson about regulation - or rather, the lack of it - in mental health care in the UK.

Amanda Williamson is a Senior Accredited Counsellor and Coach working in private practice. Following her experience of abusive therapy as a trainee, she joined Phil Doré as part of Unsafe Spaces and campaigned for the regulation of counselling and psychotherapy.

Phil Dore is a mental health nurse who has spent most of his career in the NHS, which is where he currently works. He started the Unsafe Spaces blog and together with Amanda, Phil wrote the Unsafe Spaces report in 2016 (see link below)

Now you may be wondering why we are interviewing people who wrote a report that’s now 8 years old?

Well, the reason is because - as we’ll hear later - everything in that report remains equally as relevant, if not more so today.

Links 

Link to the Unsafe Spaces report

Link to the investigation by the Daily Express

Link to the Professional Standards Authority's 'Share Your Experience' form

General advice on choosing a therapist in the UK

• https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/talking-therapy-and-counselling/how-to-find-a-therapist/
• https://positivemindpractice.co.uk/blog/finding-accredited-therapists/

Follow @livelymindspod on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and more at https://www.bio.link/livelyminds

Please note that this show does not constitute medical advice and is not a replacement for seeking professional help. You can find our more about the show and get signposting to support on our website anyamedia.net/livelyminds