Beyond Madness

Loss and Grief

The loss of someone close to us is a reality that has either already happened, or will happen to each one of us. Loss is an inevitable consequence of life, but as inevitable as it is, are we ever fully prepared for how it impacts us? Prof Mark Goldblatt and…

2 May 2023 53 min

Bullying

As a parent, one of the more difficult and challenging scenarios would be to discover that your child is being bullied, or is a bully. The stereotypical image of a brute harassing your child remains, but in reality the phenomenon of bullying extends beyond childhood, and certainly beyond the playground…

25 Apr 2023 58 min

Alcoholism and The 12 Steps

The ‘12 steps’ are synonymous with alcoholism... but what are these ‘steps', and do they provide a blueprint for recovery related only to alcoholism? To discuss these and other questions, we are joined by David Webb - a medical doctor and an Associate at Houghton House Addiction and Mental Health…

18 Apr 2023 1 hr 01 min

Self-Help: A Means to What End?

It has been said that South Africa has a mental health crisis, and that the solution starts with “educating ourselves”, specifically about mental health and the various illnesses. That sounds like 'self-help'... but what does it really mean? Prof. Dan Stein and Dr David Webb are our guests for this…

14 Feb 2023 1 hour

Palliative Care, Assistance with Dying

'Assisted dying' involves patients with incurable illnesses, whose condition is not amenable to meaningful relief, such that their lives are - in their opinion - not worth living, and from which they seek an end. One of the arguments against legalising assisted dying in South Africa was that patients had…

7 Feb 2023 56 min

Psychotherapy: When is Enough?

Are we living in an increasingly 'therapised' world, where the solution to every problem is therapy or counselling? Have we become a society where problem-solving within the context of our personal lives requires professional assistance? Provocative questions - with possibly no clear answers. Joining us on this episode to discuss…

31 Jan 2023 57 min

Chromosomes, Feelings & Gender

We are living through times where terms like 'gender incongruence' and 'gender dysphoria' constitute - for some - the beginning of a journey of 'gender-affirming' care, with all that it entails. In this episode, we go on a journey of exploration with Dr Wendy Duncan and Dr Elna Rudolph.

24 Jan 2023 56 min

Religion, Beliefs and Well-being

A recent article in The Spectator magazine posed an intriguing question: “Is losing God making America miserable?”. The percentage of Americans believing in God has dropped from more than 90% in the period between 1944 and 2011, to 81% as of May 2022. The article further noted that depression and…

17 Jan 2023 53 min

Animals and Healing

The role of 'companion animals' in providing comfort for those living with mental health problems has been studied, with positive benefits demonstrated. Dogs are the most commonly used in these situations, but what about horses? In this episode, we’ll be focusing on Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) - with guests Sarah…

10 Jan 2023 58 min

Mindfulness and Self-Awareness

We live in a world of distractions. Does one need to be an adherent of a specific philosophical approach to find inner peace? Or can one access it by adopting a way of being that might contribute to improved emotional health? Could 'mindfulness' be that way? On this week’s episode,…

6 Dec 2022 1 hr 01 min

Mental Health in the Workplace

A successful business has many components. Increasingly, organisations are focusing on employee wellness, understanding that a healthy workforce is a fundamental requirement for organisational health. Whilst physical health has been an obvious priority, the importance of mental health is now more clearly understood to impact significantly on employee performance… and…

29 Nov 2022 1 hr 01 min

Burnout and Compassion Fatigue

Healers are expected to heal, always. Patients (and their families) have expectations of being healed, always. Expectations. But what if the healer is depleted emotionally, physically, burnt out, incapable of giving what is expected - compassion, as part of the healing. Who heals the healer... and what happens to the…

22 Nov 2022 1 hr 01 min

The Gut, the Brain and Mental Health

The gut and the brain are linked, and that link may be more than the gut simply sending a message to the brain after a meal to signal satisfaction. What if the gut was a brain, of sorts? What if your mental health potentially depended on your gut health… could…

15 Nov 2022 1 hr 03 min

Serotonin: What's the Fuss?

Is depression caused by a 'chemical imbalance'? Is the serotonin theory of depression valid? How do antidepressant medications work? Does 'Big Pharma' influence narratives that serve their interests... and what about the patient? We speak to Prof. Michael Berk and Prof. Colleen Aldous to find out. Plus - we learn…

8 Nov 2022 1 hr 03 min

Body Image and Aesthetic Surgery

What motivates someone to seek out cosmetic procedures? Vanity? Perceived need? Or actual need? Is feeling uncomfortable with one’s appearance not legitimate reason enough? What are the benefits, and the risks? To explore these and other issues, on this week’s episode we welcome Dr Gereth Edwards and Dorianne Weil.

1 Nov 2022 59 min

Victims and Perpetrators

South Africa has one of the highest rates of femicide in the world. We speak to the father of a victim about the tragic event, and the criminal justice system. We discuss the issue of parole for perpetrators, the 'victim offender dialogue' component of the rehabilitation process, and the impact…

25 Oct 2022 1 hr 02 min

Abortion: Whose Life Is It?

The WHO reports that 121 million pregnancies annually are unintended, further noting that 6 out of 10 unintended pregnancies end in abortion. The WHO further notes that 45% of abortions are unsafe, with a maternal death rate of unsafe abortion being between 4.7% to 13.2%. Aside from physical consequences, there…

18 Oct 2022 59 min

Traditional Healers and Healthcare

Traditional healers... who are they, what do they do, and how are they involved in the lives of many South Africans - as healers - outside of the formal medical setting? To dissect this, we are joined by Prof. Solly Rataemane and Dr Lerato Dikobe-Kalane.

11 Oct 2022 1 hr 03 min

Women’s Mental Health

Does women’s mental health differ from men’s mental health? Is gender a critical variable, and does it play a role in how mental illness expresses itself? These questions form part of our conversation for this episode, where we are joined by two psychiatrists - Prof. Soraya Seedat and Prof. Solly…

9 Aug 2022 1 hr 02 min

Depression: A Role for Ketamine?

Depression is a debilitating condition, and medication can take weeks to provide relief. Suicide is a risk, and potential consequence. Psychiatry, as a discipline, has long sought a drug that might provide rapid resolution of both depressive symptoms, as well as suicidal thoughts. Could an anaesthetic agent, ketamine, be that…

2 Aug 2022 57 min