Today Alex answers listener questions on a variety of topics including self-harm, talking to complicated people, the function of dark humour, delusional disorder and benzodiazepene addiction.

If you would like to submit a question to a future ask me anything episode, email [email protected]. 

Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant general adult psychiatrist with a sub-speciality in addictions who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. He is also a UKCP registered training psychotherapist, and has a special interest in mindfulness meditation. 

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Sam Kotadia is a Chartered Sports Psychologist. He has worked with high profile clubs such as Colchester United and currently Wrexham AFC, and has featured on the Disney documentary about the club and town “Welcome to Wrexham”.

He also oversees the flagship programme at Empire Fighting Chance (https://www.empirefightingchance.org/), a Bristol-based charity. Sam developed a non-contact boxing programme to help disengaged young people understand resilience and their mind. They work with 5000 young people per year.

We discuss Sam’s approach to and ideas about the mind, developed over 20 years of working with footballers and boxers at both an elite and youth level. We discuss the practicalities of applying these and how they can complement the contrasting approaches that sports coaches and managers can bring.

Sam can be reached on [email protected].

Interviewed by Dr. Anya Borissova - Give feedback here - [email protected] Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

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In this episode, we dive deep into the concept of the Insecure Overachiever—a driven, high-performing individual whose success is rooted in insecurity and self-doubt. We'll explore how this psychological pattern manifests in both popular culture and professional environments, from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders to high-profile law firms, to Simone Biles and the healthcare industry. We'll also discuss the importance of self-esteem, the dangers of relying on external validation, and practical steps to develop a healthy, balanced approach to achievement. Whether you're striving for success or seeking to understand your relationship with it, this episode offers valuable insights and actionable advice to help you achieve from a place of psychological strength.

Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant general adult psychiatrist with a sub-speciality in addictions who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

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If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - [email protected]

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Prentis Hemphill is a writer, an embodiment facilitator, political organiser and
therapist. Prentis has offered embodied practice during moments of social unrest and organisational upheaval, serving as the Healing Justice Director of Black Lives Matter Global Network from 2016 to 2018.

Their work and writing have appeared in the New York Times, and the Huffington Post.
They are a contributor to “You are Your Best Thing”, edited by Tarana Burke and
Brene Brown, “Holding Change” by adrienne maree brown, and “The Politics of
Trauma” by Staci Haines. They host the podcast “Becoming the People.”

On this episode, we discuss their debut book “What it Takes to Heal”, released in the UK on 25 July 2024. We discuss what Prentis' practice of somatics in social movement organisations and with individuals can look like, why personal healing and social change need each other, and Prentis' hopes for the future. 

Interviewed by Dr. Anya Borissova - Give feedback here - [email protected] Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

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Allen Frances is an American psychiatrist and psychotherapist. He is currently Professor Emeritus of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine. He is best known for serving as chair of the task force overseeing the development of the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).  Frances is the founding editor of two well-known psychiatric journals: the Journal of Personality Disorders and the Journal of Psychiatric Practice. He is also the author of Saving Normal (2013) and Twilight of American Sanity : A Psychiatrist Analyzes the Age of Trump (2017).

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi, consultant psychiatrist. 

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - [email protected].

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This week Alex dissects the 1999 Sam Mendes classic "American Beauty", exploring the lives of the Burnham family and their neighbors, delving into themes of suburban superficiality, repressed desires, and the search for meaning in modern life. We also discuss the process of personality growth and individuation, and why its so important to continuing growing psychologically across the lifespan. 

Dr. Alex Curmi is a consultant general adult psychiatrist with a sub-speciality in addictions who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

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Alex chats about how our backgrounds shape us and how we can use different ideas psychiatry, psychotherapy and philosophy to make sense of it all. We'll break down the idea that "It's not your fault but it is your responsibility," and explore how finding the right balance between acceptance and responsibility can help us lead better lives.

Dr. Alex Curmi is a consultant general adult psychiatrist with a sub-speciality in addictions who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

Give feedback here - [email protected]  
Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

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If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - [email protected]

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Alex chats about the distinctions between coaching and therapy through the lens of the "accelerator vs. brake" analogy. Whether you're trying to overcome a personal challenge, find a fulfilling career, or break a habit, understanding when to press the accelerator (taking action and making changes in the external world) versus when to release the brake (addressing internal psychological barriers) is crucial. In this episode we explore real-life examples, practical applications, and the delicate balance between inner work and outer action. 

Dr. Alex Curmi is a consultant general adult psychiatrist with a sub-speciality in addictions who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

Give feedback here - [email protected]  
Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

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If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - [email protected]

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Psychotherapist Arie Winograd (LMFT) has spent the vast majority of his 25-year psychotherapy career treating clients with body dysmorphic disorder. He founded and was the director of the Los Angeles BDD & Body Image Clinic. He is the author of Face to Face with Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Psychotherapy and Clinical Insights. He currently works with BDD clients in his private practice. 

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi, consultant psychiatrist. 

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - [email protected].

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Professor Anthony David trained in neurology before entering psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital in London. He was the Vice Dean for Academic Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) from 2013 to 2018. In 2018, Professor David joined University College London (UCL) as the Director of the Institute of Mental Health.

He has a wide and diverse range of research interests, including schizophrenia, neuropsychiatry, medically unexplained syndromes, and neuroimaging. 

Professor David is the author of over 650 publications in peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals and has also co-authored several books. He also authored Into the Abyss: a neuropsychiatrist's notes on troubled minds: https://oneworld-publications.com/work/into-the-abyss/.

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi, consultant psychiatrist. 

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - [email protected].

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