Embracing the Mind

In our final episode of this season, we discuss the Australian Government's #EndGenderBias survey with MP Ged Kearney, before getting the final thoughts of our amazing list of guests. We talk about some of the improvements that have been made in research, before hearing stories of self-empowerment, finding purpose through adversity, and the power of self-worth.Thank you for listening to this season of Embracing the Mind.TW: This episode contains discussion of eating disorders, mental illness and childbirth trauma.Embrace is supported by it principal partner Rio Tinto and Telethon Trust.

We've made it to the two-part finale of this season of Embracing the Mind! In this episode, we will be discussing the changing face of women's healthcare in Australia since the 1970s, before we hear from MP Ged Kearney about her role as convenor of the National Women's Health Summit.We'll then hear from our guests on what it's like to feel unsupported accessing healthcare, the importance of early education for young people to tackle stigma, and how validation can be the first step towards healing.TW: This episode contains graphical medical content, and discussion of miscarriages, mental health issues and gender-based violence.Embrace is supported by principal partner Rio Tinto and Telethon Trust.

We've got a special bonus episode today! Karen was recently joined by Rio Tinto operational contracts supervisor Klara van den Burg, a mental health champion in her workplace.Klara talks about learning to embrace her neurodiversity at work, and overcoming challenges of working on a FIFO roster with kids. Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto, and Channel 7 Telethon Trust. TW: This episode contains discussion of mental health concerns.

In today's episode, we discuss the ongoing oestrogen patch shortage, the rapid rise of Ozempic, and the health outcomes of grandparents who are forced to take guardianship over their grandkids.CW: This episode contains references to mental health issues and medical trauma.Embrace is supported by principal partner Rio Tinto and Channel 7 Telethon Trust.

It was only in 1980 that the term 'hysteria', so often applied as a catch-all for emotional women, was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. These oversimplifications created a context where women became experts at masking - hiding symptoms for fear of dismissal or worse, lobotomy.Today, we'll be talking about the impact of masking on the diagnosis pathway for neurodivergence.CW: This episode contains references to mental health issues.Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto, and Channel 7 Telethon Trust.

Strap in, because we have a lot to get through in today's episode. From cosmetic surgery to early onset menopause as a result of a hysterectomy, and the gendered roles of grandparenting, join us for our latest look at women's health. TW: This episodes contains references to medical trauma.

TW: This episode contains references to eating disorders.Today we're talking about how incidents like the thalidomide tragedy caused women to largely be removed from health research, leading to incomplete and underrepresentative data on aspects of health including symptoms for neurological conditions.ADHD resources:The Year I Met My Brain, by Matilda BoseleyADHD Girls to Women, by Lotta Borg SkoglundWomen and Girls on the Autism Spectrum, by Sarah Hendrickx

In episode three, we're starting to discuss women's health in earnest. We'll discuss the rise of the morning sickness medicine thalidomide despite there being zero research done on its health outcomes, before hearing from guests about fibroids, premature births, the menstrual cycle, and the gender bias in healthcare.

In the second episode of our series on Women's Wellbeing, we will hear from more of our interviewees about their experiences around societal expectations and stigma. We'll also discuss the pervasive role Reference Man has come to play in all our lives.

Season three of Embracing the Mind will focus on Women's Wellbeing. In our first episode, we're going to focus on the societal pressures and obstacles that women have historically faced, and how these are still impacting our lives today.

Welcome to season three of Embracing the Mind, our investigation into women's wellbeing.You’ll hear from ministers, educators, celebrated authors, advocates and business leaders. Some of the stories we have to share in this series may trouble you, but the heart of Embracing the Mind has always been in telling stories that are profoundly human. Season three coming on 16 July.

We bring this special three-part investigation into birth trauma to a conclusion by discussing the stigma parents can face and the importance of validation from healthcare professionals. We also examine the other layers of support available to young families, and the importance of storytelling as a means of combating stigma, creating change and providing purpose. TW: This episode contains discussion of content that may be distressing to some viewers, including still birth, depression, discussions of trauma, dissociation and postpartum psychosis. If this episode has caused you distress, please reach out to a loved one or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can also call the PANDA National Helpline on 1300 726 306, Monday-Saturday. Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto. You can follow our host Alix @drwoolard on Instagram.

TW: This episode contains discussion of content that may be distressing to some viewers, including dissociation, burnout, intrusive thoughts, compulsive behaviour and suicidal OCD. In our episode on obsessive compulsive disorder, I speak to Dr Leigh Sheppard about how receiving a diagnosis of OCD changed her career trajectory, and now sees her treating patients with OCD at her GP clinic, and making a difference with her not-for-profit OCDWA. I’m then joined by Curtin University’s Dr Rebecca Anderson, who busts a few myths about what OCD commonly looks like and tells me about the treatments available to people with the condition. If this episode has caused you distress, please reach out to a loved one or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto. You can follow our host Alix @drwoolard on Instagram.

TW: This episode contains discussion of content that may be distressing to some viewers, including mention of suicide. Today, we’re focusing on the impact that working FIFO, or fly-in-fly-out, can have on a person’s mental health. We speak to Matt Resta who works in the mining industry, about the ups and downs he’s faced living between site and his home, and why he’s decided to become an advocate for mental health in his workforce. We also speak to Dr Laura Fruhen, of Radboud University in the Netherlands. Before Laura moved overseas, she worked on a project with WA’s Mental Health Commission examining the mental health of FIFO workers. She tells us about the findings from that work, including some of the factors that can impact mental health on site. If this episode has caused you distress, please reach out to a loved one or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto. You can follow our host Alix @drwoolard on Instagram.

TW: This episode contains discussion of content that may be distressing to some viewers, including serious injury following a car accident, burn injury and depression. Today, we’ll be looking at post-traumatic growth – where people have been able to unlock newfound perspectives after suffering hardship. In this episode, we’re going to speak to 18-year-old Josh Forde, whose entire future was rewritten following an awful car accident just one year ago. Josh’s attitude in the months after the crash is a testament to his character and his ability to find the positives in anything. We’re then joined by Dr Lisa Martin from the Fiona Wood Foundation, who unpacks some of the theories about how post-traumatic growth occurs. If this episode has caused you distress, please reach out to a loved one or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto. You can follow our host Alix @drwoolard on Instagram.

TW: This episode contains discussion of content that may be distressing to some viewers, including anxiety and stigma. In today’s episode on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, we speak to PhD student Kate Fitzgerald. Kate received a diagnosis of ADHD just before the referral system was met with substantial delays through the COVID period. She explains how to get a diagnosis, and how ADHD affects her day-to-day. Telethon Kids Institute researcher and UWA PhD student Irene Mateo Arriero then explains the best practice for parents and family members to discuss their child’s ADHD with others, and counters the common misconceptions around overdiagnosis. If this episode has caused you distress, please reach out to a loved one or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto. You can follow our host Alix @drwoolard on Instagram.

TW: This episode contains discussion of content that may be distressing to some viewers, including anxiety and stigma. In today's really special episode, we will be speaking to 8-year-old Andre and his big sister Summer, who is 9 years old. Andre has a diagnosis for autism spectrum disorder, and we’ve gone to his house so he and Summer can ask me questions about my own experiences with autism, which my brother also has a diagnosis for. We’re then joined back at the office by CliniKids and Telethon Kids Institute’s Dr Gail Alvares, who tells us about the importance of listening to people with autism when doing research. If this episode has caused you distress, please reach out to a loved one or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto. Check out Andre's favourite surfing group oceanheroes.com.au or on Instagram @oceanheroes You can follow our host Alix @drwoolard on Instagram.

TW: This episode contains discussion of content that may be distressing to some viewers, including OCD, suicidal ideation and vocal tics. In today's episode, we'll be discussing one of the more misunderstood health conditions, Tourette Syndrome, or Tourette's. Today's first guests are mother and son Mandy and Conor Maysey, who join us to dispel common misconceptions about Tourette's, which Conor first realised he had after a traumatic period in his early 20s. The pair also discuss the great work being done by the Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia, of which Mandy is president. We are then joined by Telethon Kids Institute Senior Research Fellow and mum to a daughter with Tourette's, Dr Melissa Licari, who shares details about her campaign to launch Australia's first national research project evaluating the unmet needs of people with Tourette's and other tic conditions. If this episode has caused you distress, please reach out to a loved one or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto. You can follow our host Alix @drwoolard on Instagram.

TW: This episode contains discussion of content that may be distressing to some listeners, including childhood trauma. We’re going to do things a little differently today. You see, it turns out it’s not all that easy to get someone diagnosed with sociopathy or psychopathy to talk about their experiences. So instead, we’re going straight to the research and talking to Dr Jacob Dye, a researcher at Federation University who does all sorts of interesting work looking at dark triads and other traits that are present in these disorders. If this episode has caused you distress, please reach out to a loved one or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto. You can follow our host Alix @drwoolard on Instagram.

TW: This episode contains discussion of content that may be distressing to some viewers, including depression, drug-related harm and PTSD. Over the next two episodes, we're going to discuss a couple of topics to which quite a bit of stigma is still attached. So we're changing up our format a little bit, going straight to some wonderful researchers in these fields. Today, we will be joined by ECU's Dr Stephen Bright, who tells us why dependence is the preferred term over addiction in research, dispels misconceptions around having an 'addictive personality', and shares insights into his research on pill testing. If this episode has caused you distress, please reach out to a loved one or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto. You can follow our host Alix @drwoolard on Instagram.