Past Programs
Diseases and Disorders - 2006
2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002
Epilepsy: taming seizures and dispelling myths
30/12/2006
Until the 18th century, epilepsy was associated with the supernatural or seen as the work of the Devil, and it continues to be surrounded by social stigma. There's still a hard core of sufferers who aren't helped by medication - despite the plethora of new drugs under development. Meet a brave young girl who turned to brain surgery after years of daily, debilitating seizures, a woman whose life has been transformed by a nerve stimulator implanted in her chest, and a geneticist who gives us hope for the future.
First Broadcast 25 February 2006.
Hearing Voices - the invisible intruders
22/07/2006
Around 10 per cent of the population hear voices that aren't there. Some people can live harmoniously with them, but for those whose voices are associated with a psychiatric illness, they can be frightening and menacingly real. We discuss the latest research on how auditory hallucinations occur in the brain, what it's like to live with voices in your head—and the healing power of the international Hearing Voices Network.
Multiple Sclerosis - when your brain lets your body down
20/05/2006
Scientists are still puzzled about the causes of multiple sclerosis. It's a disorder of the brain and nervous system, which usually affects young people in the prime of their lives and can cause extreme disability. We hear some of the latest research into the causes of MS and speak with a man who's lost vital movement in his body, but has found a remarkable resilience in his mind.
Fragmented minds, part 2
08/04/2006
Schizophrenia is caused by a complex range of genetic and environmental factors but it can seem to occur out of the blue. We hear from a father who first knew his son had schizophrenia when he found him curled up in his wardrobe, psychotic, frozen with fear. We find out about some of the early warning signs and how young people with schizophrenia can be helped to cope with the social isolation and impaired thinking abilities that result from this debilitating brain disorder.
Fragmented minds, part 1
01/04/2006
One in one hundred people in Australia will develop schizophrenia during their lifetime – it's frightening and alienating, devastating the lives of individuals and their families. Psychiatrists and researchers are still puzzled by the complexity of the disorder. We hear about some recent fascinating insights into the causes and risk factors for schizophrenia. And a young woman tells of her lonely battle to tame her fragmented mind.
Outsider art
11/03/2006
For some individuals living with psychosis, art-making becomes an act of necessity, a way to bring coherence to experiences that threaten to overwhelm. We meet an artist whose hallucinatory episodes serve as inspiration for paintings and drawings, as we learn about the fascinating history of outsider art.
Epilepsy - Taming seizures and dispelling myths
25/02/2006
Until the 18th century epilepsy was associated with the supernatural or seen as the work of the devil, and it continues to be surrounded by social stigma. There's still a hard core of sufferers who aren't helped by medication - despite the plethora of new drugs being developed. Lynne Malcolm speaks with a brave young girl who turned to brain surgery after years of daily seizures, a woman whose life has been transformed by nerve stimulator implanted in her chest and a geneticist who gives us hope for the future.
What's in a face?
18/02/2006
Faces are the most important biological stimuli we see and we've evolved to be exquisitely sensitive to the most minute changes in another person's face. But what happens when our brain's ability to recognise the human face breaks down? In All in the Mind this week, some intriguing research on how our brains process faces, and we hear one inspiring woman's story of what it feels like not to even recognise her family and friends, and what strategies she uses to adapt to her condition of 'face blindness'.
