E115 - Do We Medicalise Unhappiness? (with Prof. Brendan Kelly)

Professor Brendan Kelly is a leading psychiatrist, author, and researcher. He is a Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin and Consultant Psychiatrist at Tallaght University Hospital. He has authored over 20 books, including, The Science of Happiness, The Modern Psychiatrist's Guide to Contemporary Practice and Resilience: Lessons from Sir William Wilde on Life After Covid.

Among other things, in this episode we explore the complex relationship between happiness, society, and mental health. We discuss the different kinds of happiness and the common pitfalls people encounter when chasing it and the balance between individual responsibility and societal influence in shaping mental health. Brendan also shares insights from his background in Buddhism, including the belief that there is no fixed ‘self’ and how this perspective can lead to a more mentally balanced life.

You can access Brendan's book The Modern Psychiatrist’s Guide to Contemporary Practice for free here:

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-mono/10.4324/9781003378495/modern-psychiatrist-guide-contemporary-practice-brendan-kelly

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training.

If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line.

Alex is not currently taking on new psychotherapy clients, if you are interested in working with Alex for focused behaviour change coaching , you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com with "Coaching" in the subject line.

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