Past Programs
Depression - 2006
Mother's Little Helper on the Couch
03/06/2006
In the late 1950s the first of the psychiatric wonder drugs hit the United States with a vengeance - and in the 70s Valium was widely prescribed to women as 'mother's little helper'. It was seen as the biological revolution that overthrew Freudian psychotherapy, as the dominant treatment for psychiatric problems. But in today's Prozac era, what's changed? Lynne Malcolm speaks with psychiatrist and cultural historian Jonathan Metzl, who looks at modern psychiatry through a gender and cultural lens.
The brain and Omega 3 - fishy or fact?
18/03/2006
It's now recognised that Omega 3, essential fatty acids mainly found in fish, can help to prevent conditions like cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis – but the evidence is accumulating for just how important fish oil is for mental health and wellbeing. We hear some remarkable findings from a British study looking at the effect of giving fish oil supplements to children with ADHD and learning difficulties. And the figures showing significantly lower depression rates in countries which eat lots of seafood may give you an idea for tonight's dinner!
The prison of depression - a conversation with Dorothy Rowe
11/02/2006
Dorothy Rowe has always seen herself as an outsider, yet this psychologist and prolific author is considered one of the 50 wisest people in the UK and her many books continue to sell like hot cakes. Depression, she says, is an intolerable prison we build for ourselves, but we can escape by choosing to change the way we interpret our lives. Hear her controversial yet heartfelt views on the 'prison of depression' in this frank conversation with Lynne Malcolm.
The Other End of Shyness
04/02/2006
Do you privately shake with nerves or shyly blush when the attention is on you? Most people experience some form of shyness but others are so immobilised by the fear of being judged negatively that they can barely function. Social phobia is the third most common mental illness after depression and substance abuse. We hear about one woman's 20 year struggle with social anxiety and some recent scientific findings about the brain activity associated with this disorder.
