E187 | Can Psychiatrists Predict the Unthinkable? | The Lindsay Clancy Case

The Lindsay Clancy case has prompted an enormous debate about postpartum psychosis, criminal responsibility, psychiatric treatment and whether severe mental illness can ever be reliably predicted.

In this episode Dr. Alex examines the case not to deliver a verdict on Lindsay Clancy, but to explore what it reveals about the realities and limitations of psychiatry.

The episode looks at Lindsay Clancy’s psychiatric deterioration after the birth of her third child, her treatment for anxiety, depression and insomnia, her admission to McLean Hospital, the unusually complicated sequence of psychiatric medications she was prescribed, and the competing claims surrounding the case.

It also explores some of the most difficult questions in mental healthcare: How accurately can psychiatrists predict suicide or violence? Can someone appear organised while experiencing psychosis? How difficult can postpartum psychosis be to detect? Can starting and stopping psychiatric medications destabilise someone’s mental state?

Presented by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist. Website: alexcurmitherapy.com

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

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