Three Episodes from the series “All In The Mind”: ‘Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Surgery of the Psyche’, ‘Mental Illness and the Medical Profession’, ‘Life Beyond Coma and Brain Injury’

Go back to Resource Library
By April 17, 2015 No Comments

Authors: ABC Radio National JOURNALISTS: Natasha Mitchell and David Rutledge

Year: 2002

Event: 2002 TheMHS Awards

Subject:

Type of resource: TheMHS Awards

Award state: NSW

Award level: Winner

Award category: Broadcast

Abstract: These three programs received considerable feedback from listeners, as has All In the Mind generally, a new program on ABC Radio National with a focus on issues of the mind. It is clear that listeners want to hear people talk about their own experiences of their mental health and the concerns they have about it. The program has, we hope, helped establish another space for dialogue on national radio about these important issues. Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Surgery of the Psyche. Cosmetic surgery is on the increase in Australia, and it’s the subject of considerable social debate and is also the brunt of much popular humour and speculation. This program sought to raise awareness about the damage that cosmetic surgery can do in people who live with a little discussed psychological affliction. The program shares the story of one New Zealand woman, who has not spoken about her son’s experience before – he committed suicide late last year. The feature also grapples with questions of professional responsibility and psychological training amongst cosmetic surgery professionals. Mental Illness and the Medical Profession This program aired the personal stories of two medical professionals, one of them a psychiatrist and the other a medical specialist, about their own experiences of mental illness. Life Beyond Coma and Brain Injury This program is a story of coma, consciousness and total dissemination of the self. What happens when you emerge from a coma with a severely traumatised brain? At what point does you inner life story begin again? When Ruthann K. Johansen’s son was plunged into a coma after a car accident, she embarked on a difficult journey that she likens to giving birth a second time. It radically reshaped her understanding of what defines ‘selfhood’ – and the key role of language, story telling and relationships in its difficult reconstruction. (Edited excerpt from a description by the reporter Natasha Mitchell)

This resource is only available for subscribers. If you have a subscription, please log in. Otherwise, click here to purchase a subscription.