Minding Your Mind

What runs in families and what doesn’t? We inherit eye colour and height, but can our parents also pass on an anxious temperament? What about optimism? A quick temper? Shyness? Ambition? A vulnerability to depression?  We discuss what we inherit, and what we don’t.

If you have any questions or comments email Ian and James at [email protected] . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.

To find out more about depression and support services you can contact Head to Health at www.headtohealth.gov.au  Beyond Blue at www.beyondblue.org.au , Lifeline at www.lifeline.org.au or on 13 11 14 and www.headspace.com . Thanks to Future Generation Global

As children grow up, how do they learn to assess risk and make good decisions? How do parents help kids learn to weigh up risks, when usually their instinct is to protect the little darlings. At what age should you let your kid walk to the shops alone? Where is the sweet spot between ‘helicopter parenting’ and going ‘free range’? Daisy Turnbull, author of 50 risks to take with your kids, joins us.

If you have any questions or comments email Ian and James at [email protected] . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.

To find out more about depression and support services you can contact Head to Health at www.headtohealth.gov.au  Beyond Blue at www.beyondblue.org.au , Lifeline at www.lifeline.org.au or on 13 11 14 and www.headspace.com . Thanks to Future Generation Global.

Anxiety is the most common mental health problem in children. Children can feel anxious about meeting new people, entering new situations, being alone, school marks, dogs, and more. Being a bit anxious about danger keeps kids safe, but too much anxiety can feel horrible, and stop kids from socialising and experiencing new things. What can parents do to help an anxious child?

If you have any questions or comments email Ian and James at [email protected] . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.

To find out more about depression and support services you can contact Head to Health at www.headtohealth.gov.au  Beyond Blue at www.beyondblue.org.au , Lifeline at www.lifeline.org.au or on 13 11 14 and www.headspace.com . Thanks to Future Generation Global.

When someone tries to take their own life, it’s common for family, friends and workmates to think, ‘What did I miss?’ What are the signs someone is considering suicide? What can you do if you notice them?

If you have any questions or comments email Ian and James at [email protected] . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.

To find out more about depression and support services you can contact Head to Health at www.headtohealth.gov.au  Beyond Blue at www.beyondblue.org.au , Lifeline at www.lifeline.org.au or on 13 11 14 and www.headspace.com . Thanks to Future Generation Global.

The term ‘Self Help’ is a promise; ‘If you do this activity, you will feel better’. But which Self Help practices actually help? We assess common self-help practices, from yoga to reading, exercise to socialising, meditation to ‘purposeful activity’ and assess the benefits of each.

If you have any questions or comments email Ian and James at [email protected] . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.

To find out more about depression and support services you can contact Head to Health at www.headtohealth.gov.au  Beyond Blue at www.beyondblue.org.au , Lifeline at www.lifeline.org.au or on 13 11 14 and www.headspace.com . Thanks to Future Generation Global.

Are we humans primarily rational or emotional? Are our decisions driven by carefully worked out thoughts? Or are we bundles of emotion, driven by feelings? When you make a big decision, do you work out the pros and cons in a rational way? Or, deep down, are feelings – fear and hope especially – in the driver’s seat? How much does the balance between making emotion and thought based decisions vary between people?

If you have any questions or comments email Ian and James at [email protected] . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.

To find out more about depression and support services you can contact Head to Health at www.headtohealth.gov.au  Beyond Blue at www.beyondblue.org.au , Lifeline at www.lifeline.org.au or on 13 11 14 and www.headspace.com . Thanks to Future Generation Global.

Despair and Hope. Opposite sides of the same coin. What is despair? Is it normal and natural, or a sign of poor mental health and something that should be ‘cured’?

Can despair be appropriate and even, sometimes, useful?  What about hope? Is it a bright shiny jewel that helps us through tough times, or dreamy escapism?

Does hope that things will improve sustain us in the tough times, or is it just a way of avoiding reality ?

If you have any questions or comments email Ian and James at [email protected] . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.

To find out more about depression and support services you can contact Head to Health at www.headtohealth.gov.au  Beyond Blue at www.beyondblue.org.au , Lifeline at www.lifeline.org.au or on 13 11 14 and www.headspace.org.au. Thanks to Future Generation Global.

Sam Hockey’s first experience of the mental health system was as a young person seeking help. Now he works within the mental health system. We hear how Sam’s experience as a patient has shaped his work, and his views on how to improve mental health and it’s treatment.

You can listen to the Facing It podcast co-hosted by Sam and Haley Venables here.

If you have any questions or comments email Ian and James at [email protected] . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.

To find out more about depression and support services you can contact Head to Health at www.headtohealth.gov.au  Beyond Blue at www.beyondblue.org.au , Lifeline at www.lifeline.org.au or on 13 11 14 and www.headspace.org.au. Thanks to Future Generation Global.

Who do you trust, and why? With COVID, our trust is being tested. What level of trust do families, communities, workplaces and societies need to operate effectively? Why can trust break down? What happens when it does? How do you build it back up again?

If you have any questions or comments email Ian and James at [email protected] . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.

To find out more about depression and support services you can contact Head to Health at www.headtohealth.gov.au  Beyond Blue at www.beyondblue.org.au , Lifeline at www.lifeline.org.au or on 13 11 14 and www.headspace.org.au. Thanks to Future Generation Global.

What is the difference between religion and spirituality? What influence does each have on our mental health? The ABC’s Geraldine Doogue joins us to examine what ‘spirituality’ can mean, and  whether feeling connected to something  bigger that yourself is good for your mental health.

Geraldine mentions two books in the podcast, The Politics of Hope by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and Intimacy and Solitude by Stephanie Dowrick. Both are readily available online through your preferred search engine.

Geraldine also co-hosts the popular podcast Long Distance Call with her daughter Eliza Harvey.

If you have any questions or comments email Ian and James at [email protected] . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover.

To find out more about depression and support services you can contact Head to Health at www.headtohealth.gov.au  Beyond Blue at www.beyondblue.org.au , Lifeline at www.lifeline.org.au or on 13 11 14 and www.headspace.org.au. Thanks to Future Generation Global.