The Gender Identity Development service was the only gender identity clinic for people under the age of 18 in England and Wales. Operating since 1989, it was closed on March 28 2024. In today's episode we speak to Marcus Evans, who was previously on the board of governors for the service.  Marcus was also one of the whistleblowers (along with his wife Sue Evans) responsible for bringing the clinic under judicial review. Among other topics, today we discuss:  - The series of events which led to the clinic's closure  - The problem with the gender affirmative model of approaching ..read more

Mark L. Ruffalo, M.S.W., D.Psa., is a psychotherapist in private practice in Tampa, Florida, and serves as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and Adjunct Instructor of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine. He has broad clinical experience in the psychoanalytic treatment of mood disorders, personality disorders, and psychosomatic illness, and has particular interest in the psychotherapy of schizophrenia. He is also the editor-in-chief of the Carlat Psychotherapy report. In today's episode we discuss borderline personality dis ..read more

Kat Brown is an author & journalist whose work on mental health stigma and other social and entertainment commentary has appeared in The Telegraph, The Times and The Guardian. Her first book, No One Talks About This Stuff, is an anthology sharing people’s untold experiences of infertility and baby loss. Her second book, It's Not A Bloody Trend: Understanding Life as an ADHD Adult, was published a month before her first, which is a ridiculousness she really enjoys. Interviewed by Dr Alex Curmi. If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can em ..read more

Kat Brown is an author & journalist whose work on mental health stigma and other social and entertainment commentary has appeared in The Telegraph, The Times and The Guardian. Her first book, No One Talks About This Stuff, is an anthology sharing people’s untold experiences of infertility and baby loss. Her second book, It's Not A Bloody Trend: Understanding Life as an ADHD Adult, was published a month before her first, which is a ridiculousness she really enjoys. Interviewed by Dr Alex Curmi. If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can em ..read more

Rose Cartwright is an author and screenwriter. She is the author of the 2015 book Pure about her experiences with OCD which subsequently became a Channel 4 television show with the same name. She is also a screenwriter and executive story editor on the upcoming Netflix sci-fi series Three Body Problem . Her new book The Maps We Carry is out now https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-maps-we-carry/rose-cartwright/9780008591885.   Watch this podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyECqiNNj_4 In this episode Rose and Alex discuss her experiences including the pros and cons of ..read more

Today we discuss prescription psychiatric medications as they are used for major mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and ADHD,  and we outline 8 principles as to how they can be used in a safe rational way.  See 13th edition of the Maudsley guidelines here: https://www.clinicaltoolkit.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/9781119442608.pdf Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant general adult psychiatrist with a sub-speciality in addictions who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust ..read more

Robin Ince is a comedian, author, broadcaster and a populariser of scientific ideas. He is best known as the co-host of the BBC Radio 4 series The Infinite Monkey Cage with Professor Brian Cox. He also co-hosts the podcast Book Shambles with Josie Long, An Uncanny Hour and Science Shambles with Dr Helen Czerski, all three of which are a part of The Cosmic Shambles Network. His most recent books are I'm a Joke and So Are You, The Importance of Being Interested – Adventures in Scientific Curiosity, and Bibliomaniac: An Obsessive’s Tour of the Bookshops of Britain. Interviewed by Dr. Anya Boriss ..read more

W. Keith Campbell, PhD is a nationally-recognized expert on narcissism, personality, and cultural change.  is the author of more than 200 papers and several books including the latest, The New Science of Narcissism. You can learn more about Dr. Campbell's work here: https://www.wkeithcampbell.com/about Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com Joi ..read more

Caffeine is a central nervous stimulant and one of the most widely consumed drugs in the world. Today Alex, Anya and Rebecca discuss caffeine, their experiences trying to cut down and stop their use of caffeine, the withdrawal symptoms they experienced and how they plan to use caffeine in the future. They also discuss how caffeine acts on the brain and how it may impact us psychologically. Dr. Alex Curmi, Dr. Rebecca Wilkinson and Dr. Anya Borissova are all practising psychiatrists and members of the royal college of psychiatry (MRCPsych).  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Insta ..read more

In today's episode we discuss how you can come to understand the psychology of your culture, your society and your zeitgiest, and how this can help you when you are trying to determine your own values. In particular we describe three virtues upheld by Western culture; Freedom, Happiness & Convenience, and we discuss the benefits and dark sides of each.  Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant general adult psychiatrist with a sub-speciality in addictions who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psyc ..read more