FND - the most common disorder you’ve probably never heard of; political polarisation; All in the Mind Awards judge ZeZe

You’ve probably heard the term ADHD – or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – more and more in recent years. Almost 200,000 of you are waiting for a diagnosis and services are struggling to keep up with the demand. Last year twenty four different services told BBC Verify that it would take them eight years to get to everyone on their waiting lists. Now the NHS in England is setting up a taskforce to look at ADHD diagnoses.In this special programme on Adult ADHD, Claudia Hammond and guests ask how did we get to this point, and what can be done to shorten the waiting lists and to make sure people get a timely diagnosis if they need one? Claudia's guests are: Robin Ince - stand-up comedian and science presenter who recently received his own diagnosis of ADHD as an adult; Dr Jessica Eccles - a psychiatrist who does assessments for ADHD and has ADHD herself; and Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan - a neurologist who says we should be more careful about who receives a diagnosis.Producer: Lorna Stewart

6 Maj 28min

A new series of All in the Mind kicks off with the first of the finalists in the All in the Mind Awards. Seven hundred of you entered the awards and our judging panel had the tricky task of choosing just nine finalists. The first of those is Rachel who was nominated by her husband Sam for all the support she offered him through his depression and psychosis. They tell Claudia Hammond their story.And in the studio with Claudia is Daryl O'Connor, Professor of Psychology at the University of Leeds. He's got research about a new approach to persuading people with psychosis to look for and accept psychological support. And Claudia speaks to psychotherapist Sophie Scott about how to persuade a loved one to get professional help when they don't want to.And finally, new research showing that the psychological benefits of a holiday last longer than you think - but only if you really do switch off from work. And you can make them last even longer by being active on holiday rather than flopping by the pool every day. Daryl and Claudia discuss.Presenter: Claudia Hammond, Producer: Lorna Stewart Studio Manager: Sue Maillot Programme Coordintator: Siobhan Maguire Content Editor: Holly Squire

29 Apr 28min

In the second of two special holiday episodes Claudia Hammond and an expert panel of psychologists look to the future. A new year is upon us, a time when we often find ourselves reflecting on the year gone by and thinking about what comes next. Thinking about the future comes so naturally to most people that we don't realise what a complicated - and essential - skill it is. Catherine Loveday, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Westminster, explains how our ability to mentally time travel into the future is useful for everyday tasks as well as fundamental to shaping our identity.Daryl O’Connor, Professor of Psychology at the University of Leeds, discusses how thinking about the future motivates us in the present.And Peter Olusoga, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, describes how professional sportspeople use visualisation and future thinking to improve sporting success - and what the rest of us can learn from that.Together they discuss how we hold ideas of the future in mind, whether unbounded optimism is the best way ahead – or not, and how to science-proof our favourite future planning at this time of year - new year's resolutions.If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, including urgent support, a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Lorna Stewart Content Editor: Holly Squire Studio Manager: Emma Harth Production Co-ordinators:  Siobhan Maguire and Andrew Rhys Lewis

31 Dec 202429min

In the first of two special holiday episodes, Claudia Hammond and an expert panel of psychologists look back, nostalgically. At this festive time of year, you might be thinking wistfully about Christmas past – perhaps you’ll be rewatching old films, arguing over a game of Monopoly, or listening to Christmas music that drives you mad. Maybe you are looking back with rose-tinted spectacles on the Christmases gone by that seem somehow more magical than they are now. Or perhaps it’s hard to look back without feeling a tinge of sadness. Whether you fall on the more bitter or more sweet side of bittersweet, this is the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia. And it is particularly rife at this time of year.But nostalgia wasn't always just a feeling. Historian Agnes Arnold Forster tells Claudia and the panel that once it was viewed as a disease so deadly that it appeared on thousands of death certificates. And now this poignant emotion stirs political action, bonds us to others, and guides our very understanding of ourselves.Peter Olusoga, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, Daryl O’Connor, Professor of Psychology at the University of Leeds, and Catherine Loveday, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Westminster, join Claudia in the studio to discuss how leaning into nostalgia can help us feel better, reduce pain and even inject a bit of romance into life.Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Lorna Stewart Content Editor: Holly Squire Studio Manager: Emma Harth

24 Dec 202429min

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

8 Okt 202427min

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

1 Okt 202427min

Claudia Hammond has her surfboard and wetsuit at the ready to investigate whether surfing could improve her mental health. And she speaks to Ariane Gerami from the University of Bristol to find out whether the enthusiam for surfing to help your mental health is coming ahead of the evidence.Claudia is joined in the studio by psychologist Dr Peter Olusoga at Sheffield Hallam University. They talk about a study that's found the need for uniqueness has dwindled over the last 20 years. And one of our listeners got in touch to ask why she felt so much grief for someone she had never met, following the death of Michael Mosley . Claudia speaks to sociologist Dr Ruth Penfold-Mounce from the University of York, and psychologist Dr Dara Greenwood from Vassar College in New York, to discuss why we can feel such an intense loss for someone we've never met. And the All in the Mind Awards are open for entries. We hear from Ben May from bereavement charity The New Normal, who won the project category in 2023. Full details about the awards are in the programme, or at bbc.co.uk/radio4/allinthemind where you’ll find full terms and conditions too. Entries close at 1pm on 8th January 2025.Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell Editor: Holly Squire Production coordinator: Siobhan MaguirePhoto credit: The Wave

17 Sep 202427min