It sounds like a simple question but, of course, it is never as simple as that. In this Ep, the good doctor tries to shed some light on the mechanisms behind why some many people suffering from depression have benefited from a drug intervention

Cognitive Distortions

Apr 5th, 2019 36m 25s

Only two days after our last Ep and here comes another, which we couldn't wait to share!Wikipedia defines a cognitive distortion as an "exaggerated or irrational thought pattern". Back in the 90s, the great Aaron T Beck recognised that there we

Depression in Men and Hidden Depression

Apr 3rd, 2019 27m 54s

Here in the UK, three times more men take their lives than women but, more generally, twice as many women report suffering from depression. As we know, depression is far from the only reason people will take their own lives, but are there reaso

Anxiety and Depression

Mar 29th, 2019 21m 52s

In this Ep, we talk about one of the main causes of depression and, some might say paradoxically, one of its main symptoms. However, closer examination of anxiety and the ways it can take over peoples' lives, one gets more of an understanding o

The Father of Psychoanalysis

Mar 23rd, 2019 20m 18s

Please accept our humble apologies for the long periods of silliness in this episode. We got carried away and had too much fun. There is no excuse, except that Ziggy Freud did do some extraordinary things in the way of science. We try to keep i

Mailbag #3: More on Bipolar and the Fascinating Topic of Epigenetics

Mar 16th, 2019 32m 59s

Our sack continues to bulge! In this week's rummage, we talk a bit more about bipolar and jam about epigenetics, which is a wide topic, but does have some relevance in the theories of why some mental illnesses are thought to have a genetic comp

Loss, Grief and Depression

Mar 14th, 2019 1h 1m

This bonanza, super-sized episode covers in great detail the process of grief and how it links (or not) to clinical depression. We also take a look at Richard's story - a friend of both of us who lost his sight aged 24 and battled with loss and

SAD or Winter Depression

Feb 2nd, 2019 41m 8s

Well, we all made it through January and those cold mornings and early darkness can be grim. But some people really suffer in the winter to the point where they become clinically depressed. This is known as SAD or "Winter Depression" and in thi

Beautiful Words Describing Depression

Jan 30th, 2019 15m 6s

Here's a little quirky little mid-week number. We have been reciting poems and song lyrics to each other as we often do in our down time, but have noticed how well well non-prose can describe the despair. But that's what poetry is all about rig

Suicide and Assessing Risk

Jan 26th, 2019 31m 1s

One of the reasons to start the podcast was to examine certain common misunderstandings about mental health, to try to offer some comfort to those who think their situation is hopeless and show them that it is far from that. As such, this is on

Mailbag #2: Horatio's Coping Mechanisms

Jan 19th, 2019 20m 30s

In our episode on depression in women, we mentioned Horatio and his "catching the snowball" metaphor. Horatio is one of our Unknown Depressive Heroes. He has been in touch a few times since the podcast started from deepest Borneo. Actually not

The Gender Gap - Is There a Female Depression?

Jan 19th, 2019 34m 6s

In this one, we go on a bit (firstly about warm, insipid beer) and then, much more importantly on the subject of whether there is a difference in the way men and women present and experience depression. We cover a lot of ground from biology, pr

Mailbag #1: inflammation, lists and not giving yourself a hard time

Jan 16th, 2019 12m 10s

In the first of our extra mid week treats, we open our bulging sack and display it for all to see: we will talk about a new theory of depression linking it to a physical reaction to infection, taking the best bits from CBT and tackling the guil

Depression Caused by Physical Illness

Jan 12th, 2019 22m 10s

Although we were both a little jaded when we started this one, we soon got into it because the subject was fascinating, i.e. what physical maladies can lead to depression... there will be some surprises and new things to learn. So it's not "all

Does Social Media Cause Depression?

Jan 5th, 2019 19m 23s

Due to press reporting of this issue this week, we have decided to publish this one early. We had a really interesting chat on how Social Media has added both a new risk to people with vulnerability to anxiety and depression but also a new tool

Depression and Creativity

Dec 29th, 2018 29m 42s

In this episode we are on coffee, BUT manage to rattle on about how creativity can be born out of depression and also how the process and stresses of constantly creating brings its own stresses and issues. The Depressive Hero of the Week is Spi

Bipolar Depression

Dec 23rd, 2018 16m 46s

In this episode we look at Bipolar depression. What it is, how it presents and what can be done about it. We also introduce the idea of a "Depressive Hero of the Week" - this week Paul is using the example of the great Stephen Fry, a comedic he

The Causes of Depression

Dec 16th, 2018 27m 8s

In this episode we look at some of the theories what makes people depressed. You won't be surprised to learn that it is not often straightforward.This is "Why the long face?" in which we lift the lid on depression in a sometimes lighthearted an

What is Depression?

Dec 15th, 2018 29m 21s

In this episode we look at the different types of depression and how they affect sufferers. Some of it may surprise you.This is "Why the long face?" in which we lift the lid on depression in a sometimes lighthearted and always non-judgemental w

Coming Out

Dec 14th, 2018 25m 42s

This is "Why the long face?" in which we lift the lid on depression in a sometimes lighthearted and always non-judgemental way.It is a conversation between two old friends, usually over a drink or two.Paul has been a psychiatrist for 20 years a

Rate