Can you make any valid generalisations about national character? Can 25 million people who live in the same country really all share the same values, or is it all a fairy tale? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

When someone feels insecure, what does it mean? It is doubting yourself? Not thinking you’re good enough? What is insecurity and how do we deal with it? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

"It’s all good." Is it, though? Optimism is good for our mental health, but is the belief that no matter how dire a situation is, we should always be totally 'it's great!!' taking it too far? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

We look at the many types of parents; adopting a child, via IVF, become a step-parent, or be in a same-sex relationship where the child has the DNA of one, but not the other. new pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

2nd ep in our Grief series. How do we deal with losing a job, a career, our health or our home? Is this sense of loss grief, or something else? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

How do we deal with losing someone we care about, either through death or the end of a relationship? Are there really five stages of grief? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social an me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Families are wonderful, except when they’re not. How do families become estranged? Should you try to reconcile? How do you do it? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Some people never lose their keys or run late. Others always do. Why? What is vagueness? Do some people have a different relationship with reality than others? It is just an attitude? Can it be changed? new pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Love these listener-questions episodes; please keep sending them in!

How much money you have influences how much freedom and autonomy you have. Money worries can lead to stress, anxiety and depression. How can we best deal with them? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Another listener questions ep. How hard should you push your kids? The pros and cons of Tiger Mums. And how do you take care of an ageing parent who doesn’t want to be taken care of? new pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

How are our mind and gut connected? Why does anxiety cause a clenched stomach? Can changing our diet increase our energy, reduce anxiety and improve our mental health? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Former ABC health journalist and now wellbeing expert @Sophie Scott joins @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me to discuss her mental health journey, the things that help her, how to deal with burnout and what sort of leadership is needed in mental health. New pod at podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

One in 20 Australians have ADHD. Given its prevalence, should GPs be given the power to diagnose and treat ADHD? Or is it a specialised condition that needs specialist treatment? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

What is self-talk? Does everyone have a little voice in their head? Or only some of us? How can self-talk help us, and hinder us? Can we control our self-talk? New pod w Ian Hickie and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

For those who enjoy the podcast with @jamesologhlin.bsky.social and me, joint us for this latest exercise in improving your mental health and wellbeing

Dissociation occurs when a person feels disconnected from reality. Are those prone to dissociation more likely to have been subject to abuse when young? Did they initially disengage to cope? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

@ian-hickie.bsky.social and I answer listener questions. How do you deal with tension and conflict at work? Why do some have a fear of vomiting? How do you effectively communicate with a partner who has ADHD, or autism? New pod out now! podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

More listener questions. How do you deal with tension and conflict at work? Why do some have a fear of vomiting? How do you effectively communicate with a partner who has ADHD, or autism? New pod with @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Episodic mental disorders- somethings do just come and go! Do we know why???

What does it mean to know yourself? How do we come to better understand temperament, and our strengths and weaknesses? Is it important that we do so? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

With mental illness, sometimes medication, therapy and lifestyle changes lead to recovery. Other times, people just get better, and no one quite knows why. Do some types of mental illness come and go episodically? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

@ian-hickie.bsky.social and I answer listener questions. Can medicinal cannabis treat mental illness? Why do we sometimes have unpleasant daydreams? How can we make them stop? What effect is the Trump administration having on mental health research? new podcast ep podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

What can we learn from failure? Should we be less obsessed with achieving goals, and focus more on enjoying the journey toward them? We discuss comedian Mark Watson’s book Mortification– Eight Deaths and Life After Them. New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

For those who’ve heard the podcast, or just keen to know more about how your mind and mental health work- and can improve- here’s our best collection of useful info and practical strategies!

@ian-hickie.bsky.social and my new book A USER'S GUIDE TO THE MIND out soon. It's a practical guide to your mind - how it works, how to take care of it, and how we can achieve deeper satisfaction, better relationships and a happier life. Pre order here www.penguin.com.au/books/a-user...

What is enlightenment? As we move through life, do we gradually become more enlightened, or can it happen suddenly? Can mental illness be instantly cured? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

There's a lot to worry about in the world at the moment. Should we feel obliged stay well-informed, even if it negatively affects our mental health? How do we deal with anxiety about world events? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Who's offering what for mental health in the Aust 2025 federal election? Ian and James compare Labor and the Coalition’s mental health promises and policies, and discuss what they have both left overlooked. New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

"Adolescence" is a compelling show that raises issues about teenagers, mental health, social media, family dynamics and the confusion of growing up. But how accurate is it? What did it get right? And wrong? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

What is the relationship between how we look, how we THINK we look, and our mental health? Do those who have Botox, plastic surgery, lifts, tucks, or get a fake tan feel happier afterwards? If so, does it last? new pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Why do people harm themselves? What are the best ways of helping those who self-harm? new pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Some invent untrue parts of their life, even that they have cancer. Why? Some fantasists are after money, but is it really about status and wanting to feel important? And don’t we all embellish stories? New pod 2 w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

1 in 3 Australians face an anxiety disorder at some point. We focus on the environmental causes (exams, spiders, bills) but genetics play a part. How can we understand that aspect better? Ian wants your help New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

What’s it like for kids growing up in homes where a parent has a mental illness? What is the best way to support them? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

What are your fundamental beliefs? Where do they come from? How do they influence your decisions? We might say we have strong beliefs ("People should take care of each other") but how often do we act on them? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Why are some people more competitive than others? Is being ultra-competitive an advantage or disadvantage in life? It might help you win, but will you lose friends along the way? new pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

When something bad happens and we can’t change it – we lose our job, our partner leaves, someone we care about dies – how can we learn to move past anger and frustration and accept the way things are? new pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Looking fwd to discussing my crime novel LIARS at the Woollahra Writers Festival on 29 March w Suzanne Leal tix below only $15 Will discuss red herrings, banana bread and other essentials of good crime writing #Woollahrawritersfestival2025 www.woollahrafestival.com.au/woollahra-wr...

We know exercise is good mental health, but is swimming extra specially good for us? Why does just being near water make us feel good? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Why are about half of NSW Health's Psychiatrists threatening to resign? Is it about money, or the long-term neglect of the mental health system? How can the mental health system be fixed? New Pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

A listener questions podcast ep. Can the mood of those you live with influence your own mood? Why do injured runners hate resting? What determines if an unpleasant event teaches us something, or traumatises us? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Dreams / so much belief about their psychological and personal significance but…..

What are dreams? Random, surreal short films directed by our subconscious? Are they trying to tell us something? Or are they just the brains way of taking out the garbage? new pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...