People say "Trust your gut. If you feel something, act on it." But often our feelings push us to act impulsively. Anger rarely prompts sensible action. When should we trust our feelings, and when shouldn't we? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

How do we talk to those who are dying? Do you try to act normal and pretend it’s business as usual, or is everything different now? Why does it feel so awkward? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Why aren’t resources shared evenly across the health system? Why can getting an ADHD diagnosis be so challenging? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

What determines how high your libido is? Are some people asexual? Is our level of sexual desire more a reflection of our biology, or our personality? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Why do some people cry every week, while others haven’t cried since they were four? How do we strike the right balance between controlling our emotions, but not repressing them? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Why is trust in government and media declining? What can be done to restore trust in our institutions? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Are some people loners from birth, or is it a learned behaviour? Is it okay to be a loner? Can it be unhealthy? new pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

More listener questions. What is an existential crisis? What is the connection between bipolar disorder and the body clock? How much do we know about what really goes on behind anyone else’s eyes? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

What is consciousness? Is it being aware of your thoughts? What does it have to do with our memory, feelings and imagination? Do we all experience it in the same way? Are animals conscious? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

What happens when you realise that some of the things you dreamed of happening in your life, aren’t ever going to happen? How do you make peace with reality? new pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

How should people discuss their mental illness with an employer? Should you disclose it a job interview? After you have been offered a job? Or not at all? new pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Why are some people tidy and others messy? If you’re tidy, does it mean you’re organised? If you untidy at home, does it suggest your whole life is a mess?A bit of myth-busting. New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Australia will soon ban many social media platforms for those under 16. Is it a good idea? Will it help young people? Does the evidence in favour of the ban stack up? Will there be unintended consequences? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Do you have a favourite child? Were you a favourite child? Or the opposite? How can being, or not being, the favourite affect us? Is it really a parent’s fault if they like one kid more than the others? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

How do you tie your shoelaces, slice onions and type? Is it just repetition and muscle memory? Or is your brain in charge, directing every movement? How do our brain and body interact to get us through the day? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

What relationship challenges can those with bipolar disorder and other moods disorders face? What about those in relationships with them? How can those challenges best be dealt with? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

Lots of discussion re safety or otherwise of melatonin preparations; a timely discussion

As we age, should we accept the fact that we are slowing down, or struggle against it? What is the best mix of fighting and accepting? New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

How can a manic episode affect someone’s sexuality? Plus, new research on Melatonin underlines the importance of taking care of your body clock. New pod w @ian-hickie.bsky.social and me podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/m...

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...