All in the Mind Folgen

Could we be misunderstanding eating disorders for some patients? Research suggests that more than 30 percent of inpatients being treated for an eating disorder are also autistic. Claudia Hamond talks to Professor Kate Tchanturia from Kings College London, and Fiona Hollings, expert by experience, who helped develop a new approach to treating eating disorders in people with autism. What are your strongest memories from your teenage years? For good and bad Dr Lucy Foulkes, from Oxford University, argues that our adolescence shapes us. She talks to Claudia about taking teenage love more seriously, having empathy for risk-taking teens, and how to look back on your adolescence more fondly.And Professor Daryl O’Connor, from the University of Leeds, discusses new research which shows that focussing on positive memories can help people who have previously been depressed feel happier. He and Claudia discuss how this might be useful if you feel your mood start to drop.Producer: Lorna Stewart Editor: Holly Squire Studio Manager: Tim Heffer

Members of the UK military piloting unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones, operate from Lincolnshire - a long way from frontline battlefields in the Middle East. Via their drones' cameras, they can watch their enemy targets for days or even weeks at a time. But while they might be physically safe, their close-up views of traumatic events can cause mental harm. In this episode, Claudia Hammond speaks to a former pilot of military drones. They are joined by Professor Dominic Murphy, who is head of research at the Combat Stress Centre for Applied Military Health Research, and Professor Peter Lee, an ethicist from the University of Portsmouth. Together, they discuss the issues faced by military drone pilots. In the studio, Claudia is accompanied by Professor Catherine Loveday, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Westminster. They discuss the news that a new type of drug for schizophrenia has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the USA, and what this could mean for those with the condition. They also pore over a recent piece of research that revealed AI chatbots might be able to pull people out of the rabbithole of conspiracy theories. And the All in the Mind Awards 2025 are open for nominations! You can nominate the individual, group or professional who really helped with your mental health. In this episode, we hear from Josephine Barclay, who won the individual category in 2023, along with her daughter Maudie, who nominated her. If you'd like to nominate someone, you’ll find everything you need to know by going online to bbc.co.uk/radio4/allinthemind. Full terms and conditions are available there too. You have until 1pm on Wednesday the 8th of January 2025 to get your nominations in.If you are affected by anything in this programme, details of organisations offering support with mental health and self-harm, or feelings of despair, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionlinePresenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell Editor: Holly Squire Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire

Functional Neurological Disorder, or FND, is the most common disorder you’ve probably never heard of. Some say it might be as common as MS or Parkinson’s and yet it’s not well known even by many medical professionals. It can cause seizures, paralysis, convulsions and changes in sensation, as well as pain, fatigue and memory difficulties.It’s caused by a problem with the system in the brain that connects us consciously into our bodies, leaving sufferers unable to access their bodies properly. Because it doesn’t show up on scans and tests it is often not diagnosed effectively, and patients can face difficulties accessing the help they need or even being believed that their symptoms are real.Claudia Hammond sits in on a consultation at the Maudsley Hospital between Emma, a new patient who is having exactly those problems, and Mark Edwards, Professor of Neurology and Interface Disorders at King’s College London. She also meets Callum Alexander, a recovered patient who now volunteers for the charity FND Hope. He was referred by Mark for specialist neurophysiotherapy with Glenn Nielsen at St George’s University Hospital, which had immediate results. Glenn tells us that FND can cause the brain to become excessively focused on actions are normally automatic, such as walking, and that redirecting the brain’s attention can be one way of alleviating it.Meanwhile, Emma is relieved she finally has a name to put to her condition and Mark is pushing for more positive diagnoses of FND.Back in the studio, Claudia is joined by Kavita Vedhara, Professor of Health Psychology at Cardiff University. With increasing polarisation in the US in the run up to the forthcoming presidential election, she presents a study that sheds light on how we might view people who are more nuanced in their approach to controversial topics.You might expect people who are able to express both sides of an argument to thrive in social situations. However, this new research suggests that people with nuanced views are seen as less likeable than those with polarised views, even by those who agree with that person’s ultimate position. How does that impact our chances of being able to have reasoned political debates?The 2025 All in the Mind Awards are now open for nominations. You can nominate individuals, professionals and groups who have helped you in your hardest times.Claudia catches up with ZeZe Sohawon who nominated her psychiatrist Dr Claire Purcell for an award in 2021. Since then ZeZe has set up a youth autism and mental health charity, Emotion Dysregulation and Autism, helping autistic young people who struggle with their emotions leading to mental health problems. The charity is about to start delivering a peer support programme in Birmingham hospitals, and she’s done all of this while studying for a Neuroscience degree. This year she’s a judge for the All in the Mind Awards and tells Claudia why she thinks people should take part.You can find out more about the awards in the programme or by going to bbc.co.uk/radio4/allinthemind where you’ll also find full terms. Entries close 8th January 2025 at 1pm.Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Ben Motley Studio Manager: Emma Harth Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire