Gambling, in one form or another, has been part of human societies for centuries. Those wanting a betting opportunity could find one if they looked hard enough, but it was a far cry from the gambling bombardment we’re exposed to in the Western world today.

Australians lose more than $30 billion a year to gambling, and new figures show New South Wales residents lost $2.5 billion on the pokies alone in just three months in 2025.

The barrage of odds, ads and the growing prevalence of gambling influencers can feel inescapable, drawing millions of young men into a dangerous game with virtually no winners.

Dr Michael Zhang is a psychologist specialising in behavioural addictions. His work led to the creation of Incumental, a new app designed to support recovery from gambling problems. He says it’s not about willpower, it’s about learning new ways to respond, building new habits, and finding people who understand.

This is Dr Michael Zhang…

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https://incumental.com/

When you hear the word psychiatrist, you might think medicating mental illness, but there’s more nuance to it than that.

Psychiatry brings together biology, psychology medicine and lived experience to understand what’s going on in someone’s mind and how to treat it.

Aleem is a Pakistani Australian who migrated here 16 years ago, became a psychiatrist and in doing so recognised a major need to increase access to psychiatric services particularly for people in regional areas. He’s since founded HelloDoc, a nationwide telehealth service connecting thousands of people with psychiatrists across Australia.

We discuss the ins and outs of psychiatry, where medication fits in, how culture shapes the way mental health is understood, why so many adults are being diagnosed with ADHD later in life and more.

This is Aleem Khan…

Sydni grew up on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu, in a tight-knit community with a culture she says expects men to be tough and keep their emotions to themselves.

Her father was one of those men. Loving and strong, but never one to share what he was going through.

When her younger sister went missing in late 2023, Sydni and her family were thrust into the national spotlight overnight, facing huge stress and the brutal commentary of countless strangers online.

Sydni’s dad flew to Los Angeles to search, and tragically never returned home, the immense distress of the situation contributing to his suicide.

It pushed Sydni into the darkest period of her life, grieving her father and questioning everything while trying to protect her son.

Now, a year on, she’s slowly rebuilding herself, launching her own mental health brand to create change and raising her son to be able to share his feelings.

This is Sydni Kobayashi...