E191 | Netflix’s Stanford Prison Experiment: The Danger of Unearned Power
The Thinking Mind: Mental Health & Personal GrowthShow Notes
What happens when ordinary people are handed power over others, and how do they respond when that power is taken away? Do you have an inner monster waiting to be unleashed? In this episode, psychiatrist Dr Alex examines Netflix’s The New Stanford Prison Experiment, exploring what the controversial reality series can and cannot—tell us about human nature. Dr Alex discusses how leaders emerge, how people gain status and why having authority doesn’t automatically earn respect. He also consider...
More from The Thinking Mind: Mental Health & Personal Growth
A major new government review has been published into mental health, ADHD and autism. Some headlines have framed it as a warning about ADHD and autism being overdiagnosed, but is that really what the report says? In this episode, Dr Alex looks at the executive summary of the review and explains why the findings are more complicated than some of the coverage suggests. Dr Alex discusses the report’s concerns about underdiagnosis, misdiagnosis and overdiagnosis, the difference between having t...
We talk constantly about “mental health”, but do we actually know what it is? Psychiatry is very good at defining mental disorders: depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, anxiety and many others. But that raises a more fundamental question: what does a mentally healthy person actually look like? In this episode, Dr Alex is joined by philosopher and psychotherapist John T. Maier, author of the forthcoming book The Minds We Want: A Theory of Mental Health. They discuss whether mental health is...
In this clip from E184 of the podcast, Dr Alex Curmi explores the psychology of the “nice guy” through the film Obsession (2026). He examines the difference between genuine kindness and niceness, and why suppressing desire, anger and assertiveness can have unhealthy (even dangerous) consequences. Listen to the full episode released on July 24th 2026 for the full analysis of Obsession. Presented by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapis...
How did amphetamines help shape the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia? In this clip from From E185 of The Thinking Mind Podcast, Dr Alex speaks with Professor Justin Garson about the experiments that helped transform psychiatry’s understanding of psychosis and schizophrenia. They discuss how amphetamine-induced psychosis led researchers to focus on dopamine, how Solomon Snyder’s work helped establish the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia, and why this became such an influential turning...
This is a shorter Thinking Mind update on a developing story - our usual long-form episodes will continue as normal. Dr Alex discusses reports that a forthcoming government review could significantly change how ADHD is assessed and supported in England. He explains the proposed shift toward a more "needs-based system", why it is being considered, and the potential implications for people seeking diagnosis and treatment. Dr Alex also highlights three concerns about how such a system might work...