A Need To Read

Exploring the most dangerous and normalised mental health condition, with Warren Ward

In this Episode I chat with Warren Ward about Eating Disorders. If this topic is triggering or not going to be helpful for you, please consider another episode. 
 
Warren Ward is a psychiatrist who writes about philosophy, culture, travel and the history of ideas. Warren is an Associate Professor at The University of Queensland and has held the position of Director, Queensland Eating Disorders Service (QuEDS) since 2005. He is Chair of the Queensland Health Eating Disorder Advisory Group and co-author of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry (RANZCP) Clinical Practice Guidelines for Eating Disorders. In 2017 he received the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Eating Disorders (ANZAED) Distinguished Achievement Award. 
 
Books discussed:
Master And Emissary by Iain McGilchrest
Crime And Punishment & The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
George Saunders books (Civil War Land In Bad Decline I WOULD RECCOMEND THIS IT IS SO SO SO SO GOOD)
Lovers of Philosophy and Renourish by WARREN WARD
 
Support for me/the show: www.patreon.com/aneedtoread
Contact: aneedtoread.podcast (at) gmail . com 

Threats to Gay Rights with Prof Ronan McCrea

Ronan Mccrea is a professor of European and Constitutional Law at UCL. In this podcast we discuss the gay rights movement, it's history, future, and threats. 
 
Ronan's book 'The End Of The Gay Rights Movement' is out now. 
 
Got a burning desire to write to me? aneedtoread.podcast at gmail .com
Support: www.patreon.com/aneedtoread
 
THANK YOU XXXX

Nature's last dance with Natalie Kyriacou

Natalie Kyriacou is an environmentalist and author from Australia. Her book, Nature’s Last Dance, looks to inspire awe and wonder in its readers with an entertaining selection of stories from nature, stories of citizen scientists, fish with STD’s, rogue Emus and so much more.
 
To support A Need To Read please head to
www.patreon.com/aneedtoread
or
www.buymeacoffee.com/aneedtoread
 
To chat: aneedtoread.podcast@gmail.com 

Boosting your immune system with Prof Dan Davis

 
support
- www.buymeacoffee.com/aneedtoread
- www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread for 10% off your first month of therapy online
- https://get.descript.com/i51fa3crfprh I use descript to edit this episodes and it couldn’t be easier. It turns any audio in to studio quality 

A Doctors story in the Central African Republic with Katie Treble

Katie spent 6 months in one of the world’s most forgotten countries — the Central African Republic. In this episode, we sit down in person to chat about her experiences there working as a medical doctor with Doctors Without Borders.
 
This is a story of people who have been ignored for too long — of grief, resilience, and what it means to show up in the darkest places.
 
Her book, Field Notes from Death’s Door, is available wherever you get your books. It’s excellent, and I genuinely recommend you give it a read if you can.
Today’s paid partner is BetterHelp, to get 10% off your first month of online therapy with a credentialed therapist head to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread
 
 
 
 
A Need To Read is partnered with The Breath Space, a online Breath-work education and practise portal that I have been using for the last couple of months, alongside my course to become a breath-work facilitator. To check out how breathwork can help you, follow the link and use the code ED for 50% off your first 2 months. 
https://courses.thebreathspace.co.uk/your-breath-space-online-membership 
 
You can also support my work by heading to www.buymeacoffee.com/aneedtoread 
 
Any feedback is welcome: aneedtoread.podcast@gmail.com 

Unmasking Autism & ADHD with Ellie Middleton

Today’s paid partner is BetterHelp, to get 10% off your first month of online therapy with a credentialed therapist head to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread
 
In this episode, I sit down with Ellie Middleton — author of Unmasked and How To Be You — to talk about the messy, powerful journey of self-discovery through a late diagnosis of autism and ADHD.
From anxiety misdiagnoses and burnout cycles to the pressures of “being normal” and the power of simply understanding yourself, Ellie opens up about it all.
We also dive into reading habits, writing under pressure, self-compassion, and learning to be a big brave girl (in the surf).
 
What We Talk About
The cycle of burnout and the misdiagnosis of anxiety and depression
Ellie’s late diagnosis journey and the “lightbulb” moment in therapy
Masking and why “being normal” is so damn exhausting
Reading as a neurodivergent person — fiction, nonfiction, and dropping the book snobbery
Writing two books in under two years (and nearly breaking herself doing it)
Neurodivergent time vs. linear time — and why “spinning out in space” matters
The power of somatic work, surfing, and getting comfortable looking silly
Gendered differences in how autism and ADHD are recognised
Internalised ableism and the fear of being your unmasked self
Self-compassion as a daily practice, not a one-time fix
 
Links & Resources:
Follow Ellie: @elliemidds on Instagram / TikTok / LinkedIn
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @aneedtoread
 
A Need To Read is partnered with The Breath Space, a online Breath-work education and practise portal that I have been using for the last couple of months, alongside my course to become a breath-work facilitator. To check out how breathwork can help you, follow the link and use the code ED for 50% off your first 2 months. 
https://courses.thebreathspace.co.uk/your-breath-space-online-membership 
 
You can also support my work by heading to www.buymeacoffee.com/aneedtoread 
 
Any feedback is welcome: aneedtoread.podcast@gmail.com 

Books for boys w Lucas Oakeley

Boys read less than girls. That’s what the stats say, and today, writer, Lucas Oakley joins me to chat about why this is and gives some direction for guys looking to get into reading.
 
Today’s paid partner is betterhelp, for 10% off your first month head to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread
 
books discussed
Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Mothers by Chris Power
All that man is by David Soles
Men without women by Murakami
Reservoir Bitches by Dahlia De La Cerda
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
Four Three Two One by Paul Auster
A Little Life by Hanya Yangahara
Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
 
For info on his new book and book club for boys follow Lucas on Instagram:  @LucasOakeley
 
buy me a coffee if you like, www.buymeacoffee.com/aneedtoread
 
Feedback/comments welcome: aneedtoread.podcast@gmail.com
 

Depression: chemical imbalance or something else? with Joanna Moncrieff

Today’s paid partner is BetterHelp, to get 10% off your first month of online therapy with a credentialed therapist head to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread
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Today's conversation is with Joanna Moncreiff, the author of 'Chemically Imbalanced: the making and unmaking of the serotonin myth'. We discuss the history of the link between depression and serotonin, side effects of taking SSRI's and the emerging mental health treatment methods that we should be wary of. 
 
For help understanding how you can come off Anti Depressants, follow this link 
- 
 
A Need To Read is partnered with The Breath Space, a online Breath-work education and practise portal that I have been using for the last couple of months, alongside my course to become a breath-work facilitator. To check out how breathwork can help you, follow the link and use the code ED for 50% off your first 2 months. 
https://courses.thebreathspace.co.uk/your-breath-space-online-membership 
 
You can also support my work by heading to www.buymeacoffee.com/aneedtoread 
 
Any feedback is welcome: aneedtoread.podcast@gmail.com 

Irelands native rainforests with Matt Smith

Matt Smith is a former professional surfer and sailor, now he spends his time on the west coast of Ireland as CEO of the charity HOMETREE (https://www.hometree.ie/about).
 
You can find him on Instagram @thehonestcaptain where he talks about his projectsshow support 
www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread
www.buymeacoffee.com//aneedtoread 

Welcome back

Welcome back! I’ve been away for a while, and never even said see ya later or goodbye. 
This episode covers a little bit about why I stopped the podcast, what I’ve been up to, and where the podcast will go in the future. 
books recommended:
100 years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Reservoir Bitches by Dahlia de la Cerda
Someone To Love You In All Your Damaged Glory by Raphael Bob Wakesburg 
 
COMING UP: interviews with Matt Smith (Hometree CEO) & Ellie Middleton (author of UNMSKED & How To Be You), and a review of ‘The Compassionate Mind’ by Paul Gilbert 
 
let me know if you have any suggestions for guests or topics you want me to look in to aneedtoread.podcast@gmail.com
 
sponsors: www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread for 10% off your first month of therapy