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Kyle MacDonald

@kylemacd.bsky.social

1K followers 723 following 1.3K posts

Psychotherapist | Author | Broadcaster | Co-host of “The Nutters Club” on NewstalkZB | Director at the Robert Street Clinic | Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa - New Zealand 🇳🇿 💚 | See link to buy my book “Shit Happens”: bit.ly/4c2LuCC

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Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 3h

This week on The Nutters Club, Hamish and I spoke with Charlotte Bell about bipolar disorder, addiction and recovery. I’ve written a bit more about shame, support, and why recovery usually needs more than willpower. psychotherapy.nz/bipolar-addi...

psychotherapy.nz

Bipolar and Addiction: Recovery Needs Support - Off the Couch - Kyle MacDonald

Bipolar and addiction recovery is rarely tidy. Both can involve shame, secrecy, fear, and the exhausting work of trying to appear fine when things are not fine at all.One of the difficulties is that a...

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 3h

Instagram head Adam Mosseri is expected to testify in Meta’s social media addiction trial. Whatever the legal outcome, these cases raise important questions about platform design, responsibility, and how we understand compulsive digital use. buff.ly/aNpYDJ9

Instagram executive takes the stand in Meta trial

Instagram head Adam Mosseri testified in the social media addiction trial against Instagram's parent company, Meta.

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

On Sunday, Hamish and I spoke with Charlotte Bell about bipolar disorder, addiction, treatment, and the role of support in recovery. Her story is a reminder that shame thrives in silence, and that asking for help can be part of change. buff.ly/6kzya3v

Bipolar, Addiction and the Power of Support - The Nutters Club

A published author who spent years battling addiction alongside bipolar disorder says learning to accept difficult emotions and ask for help became central to her recovery. Speaking on The Nutters…

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

A $4.4m expansion of the Waimarino Centre in Raetihi is underway. The article links rural health inequities, mental health distress and unemployment — a useful reminder that wellbeing is shaped by access, place and community infrastructure. buff.ly/4xYxdYW

#regional: $4.4 Million Rural Health Boost: Waimarino Centre Expansion Underway in Raetihi - Waatea News: Māori Radio Station

A long-awaited $4.4 million redevelopment of the Waimarino Health Centre is officially underway, with Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton hailing the project as a major victory for Raetihi and a rural […]

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Off the Couch: From the Archives... What counts as “normal” in mental health? Kyle revisits how psychotherapy can widen that question, and why distress needn’t be treated as separate from being human. buff.ly/Mw1tIV1

What's normal? - Off the Couch - Kyle MacDonald

In my line of work I’m often asked by people, is this normal? Mostly I’ve tended to suggest that I may not be the best person to ask, and joke that being a therapist can give one a skewed sense of…

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Reposted by Kyle MacDonald

Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

NZ's far-right, anti-science, anti-vaccine, disinfo, & conspiracy accounts (which demonstrate considerable imbrication through network bridging, & bonding effects) are increasingly vocal about Nov's general election, & influencing voting behaviours to dismiss, & decry Labour, & Greens. #nzpol

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Yay Greens and all (obv.) but I really don't trust Opportunity. Their political naiveté may come back to bite us all in the ass. (I hope I'm wrong.)

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

A useful short piece on neuroaffirming mental health care: recognising neurodivergence, trauma and diverse lived experiences matters if therapy is going to feel respectful, accessible and genuinely helpful. buff.ly/N09zcgo

Healing Spaces Highlights Need for Neuroaffirming Mental Health Care in North Vancouver

Local counselling practice underlines the importance of mental health care that recognizes neurodivergence, trauma and diverse lived experiences.

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Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

On The Nutters Club last Sunday, Hamish and I talked about people using ChatGPT and Gemini for emotional support, and tried it live after the Warriors loss. I’ve written more about why AI may help in moments, but shouldn’t replace being known by another person. buff.ly/MDNKhj2

Can AI Really Help With Mental Health Support? - Off the Couch - Kyle MacDonald

AI mental health support is no longer a future problem. People are already using chatbots to talk about grief, panic, loneliness, relationships and distress, often at the very moment they need…

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Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

God this “the only thing we are going to talk about is no new taxes” is so fucking bleak

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Hamish and I explored AI and mental health on The Nutters Club last Sunday. Chatbots can offer immediate reassurance and simple strategies, but they’re not therapy, and they’re not a person. Useful as a bridge perhaps, not a replacement for real human help. buff.ly/6geuk4J

Can AI Really Help With Our Mental Health? - The Nutters Club

Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming a place people turn to for emotional support, but questions remain over whether a chatbot can ever replace genuine human connection. The issue was…

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Psychobiotics and anxiety are getting a lot of attention. This is a useful look at the gut-brain question, and a reminder to be cautious when “cure” language starts to run ahead of the research. buff.ly/dvZBjJN

Can a Probiotic Cure Your Anxiety? Here's Everything You Need to Know About Psychobiotics

Psychobiotics are trending, but can they actually cure your anxiety? We talked to a gut-brain gastroenterologist to learn whether the research supports the hype.

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Reposted by Kyle MacDonald

ꕷꛕ𖣠𖢧𖢧 𖦪ꚶꕷꕷ𖤟ꚳꚳ (2-1) @pscottrussell.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

“If our viral moment contributes anything to the ongoing cultural conversation about how we judge what we see online, I hope it reminds us to be more comfortable saying, ‘I don’t know the whole story.’”

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Clearmind has published a patent application for an MDMA plus PEA combination aimed at PTSD, anxiety and eating disorders. Interesting signal of where the field is heading — but patents are not evidence. Careful trials and regulation matter. buff.ly/g1rMsgl

Patent Application Published: MDMA-N-Acylethanolamines for the Treatment of PTSD, Anxiety, and Eating Disorders | Psychiatric Times

Clearmind patents MDMA plus PEA combo aiming to boost PTSD, anxiety and eating-disorder therapy as FDA issues new psychedelic trial guidance.

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Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Useful RNZ piece on the long road off antidepressants, and Dr Hinemoa Elder’s call for more mental health care in NZ. Deprescribing isn’t just a medication question; it’s also about whether people have enough support around them. buff.ly/8kQhede

Deprescribing: The long road off antidepressants

A growing movement is challenging how antidepressants are prescribed and stopped.

Reposted by Kyle MacDonald

FookyFBSandcat @funkypuffin56.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

This is essential reading i think Absolute joke . Disgusting (Paywalled) www.thepost.co.nz/politics/361...

Ministers bypassed usual process to hand-pick new Nursing Council candidates

Every practitioner appointee came from a minister or MP, while officials’ nominees missed out.

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Meta’s settlement with 47 states and territories over allegations its platforms were designed to keep teens using them is a reminder: "addiction" questions aren’t only about individual self-control. Design and incentives matter. buff.ly/tiN7gbq

Meta’s teen addiction problem comes with a multi-billion dollar price tag

A landmark settlement between Meta and 47 states and territories over allegations that its social media platforms were designed to keep teens hooked was announced Wednesday.

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Useful, practical explainer on aged care assessments: start early, describe your usual days rather than your best ones, bring a support person if helpful, and ask clearly what support is funded and what you may need to pay. buff.ly/jRkunvm

Here’s what to keep in mind before and after an aged care assessment

It might be tempting to focus on your ‘good days’. But here’s what to keep in mind when an assessor asks about your health and everyday life.

Reposted by Kyle MacDonald

Mike 🇺🇦🕯️ @mike-teevee-1971.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Sadly, this response from journalists, journalists, and they're not alone, actually illustrates the problem. As someone who is tragically online, and broadcast adjacent, I felt like reading "Dirty Work" revealed little that I didn't know but laid it out in a very coherent manner... 1/n

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The “maxxing” trend is an interesting lens on optimisation culture: when every part of life becomes something to improve, self-help can start to feel like pressure — and anxiety can follow. buff.ly/58u4vcN

Our obsession with ‘maxxing’ everything is causing anxiety — not self-improvement

The ‘maxxing’ trend encapsulates our increasingly intense optimisation culture, in which we systematically seek to improve different aspects of our thinking, feeling and functioning

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Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Police are not always the right response to mental distress. But if they step back, there needs to be a safe, properly resourced alternative. RNZ reports PSA concerns that current changes could put both workers and patients at risk. buff.ly/bn5tivn

Police withdrawal from mental health jobs dangerous for workers and patients - PSA

The public service union says moving to the next stage of police's withdrawal from mental-health-related jobs is dangerous for health workers and patients.

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

McMaster data suggests the odds of Canadians having both a mood or anxiety disorder and a substance use disorder nearly doubled from 2012–2022. A reminder that mental health care needs to be able to respond to complexity, not just single diagnoses. buff.ly/OJ4nD3n

Why anxiety and mood disorders are skyrocketing in Canada — and who is being hit the hardest

Meanwhile, the odds of having both a substance use disorder and a mood or anxiety disorder nearly doubled in the same 10-year period.

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Interesting report on a major study suggesting depression may disrupt the production of new neurons in the hippocampus. A useful reminder that depression is not just “low mood” — it involves real brain processes as well as lived experience. buff.ly/4wqz7XS

Depression may shut down the brain’s ability to make new neurons

A major study found that adults with depression show disrupted production of new neurons in the hippocampus, potentially weakening the brain’s ability to separate new experiences from painful…

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Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

A provocative title, but a useful question underneath: what are we carrying that may be affecting our wellbeing? Sometimes the first step is simply recognising the weight before trying to put it down. buff.ly/LmsI7J3

Are You a Spiritual Pig-Pen?

What you’re carrying may be making you sick.

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

A useful JAMA Network Open paper comparing methadone and buprenorphine-naloxone among opioid overdose survivors. The details matter here, especially for how services support people after a crisis. buff.ly/ymTOE1v

Methadone vs Buprenorphine-Naloxone in Opioid Overdose Survivors

This cohort study uses target trial emulation to compare the mortality outcomes associated with methadone vs buprenorphine-naloxone treatment among individuals with a past-year opioid overdose in…

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Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

It would now, actually, be funnier in a way if the book isn’t about TPU and doesn’t even mention it.

Reposted by Kyle MacDonald

Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

This needs a serious look -- NZ First copied their health policy almost word-for-word from the website of an advocacy group stuffed with fringe practitioners and for-profit "supplement" pedlars... www.stuff.co.nz/politics/361...

NZ First’s health policy copy-pasted from advocacy group’s website

New Zealand First released a health policy on Sunday that is largely copy-and-pasted from a charitable trust called Make New Zealand Healthy.

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I have wondered whether Hager’s book might be about the COVID disinformation campaign aimed at NZ and the Ardern govt by foreign actors, through 2020-2021, and how it persists. Thought I’d just pop it here on the off chance I’m right. #HagerBingo

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Or, hear me out here, we could just LISTEN TO TEACHERS

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Middlemore Hospital staff declare healthcare 'crisis'

Middlemore Hospital staff declare healthcare 'crisis'

More than 200 healthcare professionals at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital have signed a letter warning they are in a crisis, calling on Health New Zealand to prioritise patient and staff safety.

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Off the Couch: From the Archives... Attachment theory can help make sense of why intimacy sometimes feels anxious, distant or difficult. This older piece remains a useful starting point. buff.ly/Fe1RTYS

When love is difficult - Off the Couch - Kyle MacDonald

Over the last couple of chats on Radio Live Sunday Morning, Mark Sainsbury and I have talked about love and attachment and in the last of our talks on the topic we discussed insecure attachment, how…

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Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

RNZ reports on a landmark Nature Mental Health study linking eating disorders to genes, with hope this could support earlier intervention. The key question is how findings like this translate into timely, useful care. buff.ly/YC9fllH

Experts hope findings linking eating disorders to genes will lead to early intervention

Behind the devastating reality of eating disorders, scientists are finding clues written into our genes, in a landmark international study that could change treatments

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

A sad report about Pete Marsh and a long history of contact with mental health services. It raises the hard question of how care systems support people over time—not just in acute moments, but through loneliness, disconnection and ongoing need. buff.ly/9hHhfU4

The lonely, tragic death of talented and kind Pete Marsh

Pete Marsh was a talented and sensitive man whose demons could not be assuaged.

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Anxiety and depression after a baby arrives are usually discussed in relation to mothers. This piece looks at partners too, and how their distress can be missed in public conversation and doctors’ offices. New families often need support as a whole system. buff.ly/cjKCrZ9

https://buff.ly/cjKCrZ9

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Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Reports of 10–14-year-olds caught in addiction in Fiji are confronting. Childhood drug use needs to be treated as a child protection and mental health issue, with care and support at the centre. buff.ly/QCDVTiI

Children as young as 10 trapped in drug addiction

Children as young as 10 to 14 years old are becoming trapped in drug addiction in Fiji, Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran […]

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Short piece on postpartum depression and the fear many women have about confiding when they’re struggling. That fear can be a real barrier to care, and it’s why non-judgemental conversations about postnatal mental health matter. buff.ly/veAPNr6

Psychiatrist talks postpartum depression

Board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Mena Mirhom discusses the fear many women hold in confiding to mental health professionals about postpartum depression.

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Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

AI “twins” of therapists raise more than a tech question. In therapy, trust, privacy, consent and accountability are central. Helpful tools may emerge, but clients need to know who, or what, they are actually engaging with. buff.ly/KGEU8w8

Reposted by Kyle MacDonald

Andrew Dickson @andrewdickson13.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

So my new article asks why Swarbrick’s economics sounds so unusual in NZ politics, and why voters may be responding to it. Ok fine, I eventually mention Warren Mosler. andrewdicksonnz.substack.com/p/chloe-swar...

andrewdicksonnz.substack.com

Chlöe Swarbrick Knows Something About Money

The Greens’ co-leader just edged Nicola Willis on economic trust. Her language about debt, spending and productive capacity helps explain why.

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Sleep loss may make it harder for us to adapt to threat, which could help explain why anxiety often worsens when we’re exhausted. Useful reminder: sleep is part of the anxiety picture, not just a background lifestyle issue. buff.ly/qqSqhNE

Lack of sleep may cause anxiety by making us less adaptable to threats | New Scientist

People who were deprived of sleep overnight didn't seem to adapt to being in a potentially threatening space, which may help explain the link between a lack of shuteye and anxiety

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Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

On The Nutters Club, Hamish and I spoke with Bridget Coward about the death of her son Bradley. I’ve written further about grief after suicide: the questions, guilt and love that can sit together, and why small acts of support matter. buff.ly/BsxVRdz

Grief After Suicide: Carrying Love and Loss - Off the Couch - Kyle MacDonald

Grief after suicide is often grief with extra weight attached. Alongside the sadness there may be shock, confusion, anger, guilt, and the painful search for an explanation that may never fully arrive.

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

A useful Yale Medicine piece on teens, caffeine, sleep and anxiety. The loop is easy to miss: tiredness leads to caffeine, caffeine pushes sleep later, and exhaustion builds. Sleep habits matter when we’re thinking about young people’s mental health. buff.ly/78Hsaw1

Wired and Tired: How Caffeine Is Reshaping Teen Sleep

Caffeine’s toll on teens, Yale Medicine experts say, is more complicated than most parents realize.

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

On Sunday night's The Nutters Club Hamish and I were joined by Bridget Coward, who spoke about her son Bradley and her grief after his death by suicide. A moving reminder that grief has no fixed timeline, and that small, ongoing acts of checking in can matter. buff.ly/VJDijvu

Tokoroa mother shares grief after son's death in hope of helping others - The Nutters Club

A Tokoroa mother who lost her son to suicide earlier this year says she is speaking publicly about her grief in the hope his death can help others struggling with their mental health. Bridget Coward…

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Interesting PTSD research: 3MDR combines virtual reality, treadmill walking, exposure and EMDR-informed memory processing. In a small study, symptoms improved and gains were present at 12 months, though without a control group the findings need caution. buff.ly/Ii2Xmbs

Innovative virtual reality treadmill therapy offers relief for treatment-resistant PTSD

A new study shows that 3MDR therapy—which combines treadmill walking, virtual reality, and eye movement tasks—significantly reduces PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms in military veterans, first…

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Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

An under-16 social media ban may sound simple, but this student-led Bay of Plenty survey is a reminder that young people have their own practical concerns. Any serious online-safety policy should include the people it affects. buff.ly/8capb0r

Teen's survey says harm of social media ban would ‘outweigh the benefits’

A student-led survey found 65.8% of respondents opposed a social media ban.

Reposted by Kyle MacDonald

Russell Brown @publicaddress.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

In shock news the subjects of the teen social media ban whose heads everyone has been talking over turn out to have coherent thoughts on the matter that someone should possibly listen to at some point. www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/student-l...

Teen's survey says harm of social media ban would ‘outweigh the benefits’

A student-led survey found 65.8% of respondents opposed a social media ban.

Reposted by Kyle MacDonald

Alice Soper @alicesoapbox.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

So that Green supermarket policy must have gone down very well with certain focus groups huh

Reposted by Kyle MacDonald

Dylan Reeve @dylanreeve.com · 15/09/2026

Good thing New Zealand isn't blindly pursuing a massive investment in LNG importation infrastructure... That would be a very stupid and poorly timed decision.

Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Maine is set to receive at least $56M from a Meta settlement over claims relating to teen social media addiction. Whatever the legal framing, it’s another sign of how seriously youth social media use is now being taken. buff.ly/IFiX12Q

Maine to get $56M from Meta settlement over teen social media addiction

The $17B agreement with 47 states requires the social media giant to add stronger child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms.

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Kyle MacDonald @kylemacd.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Off the Couch: From the Archives... Some of what we learn early lives less as a story we can tell, and more as patterns our bodies know. This piece on implicit memory, attachment and therapy is still worth revisiting. buff.ly/T9jIml4

Just like riding a bike - Off the Couch - Kyle MacDonald

Do you remember learning to ride a bike? Some of us do, and some don’t. However I bet none of us remember learning to walk, yet we still know how to do it. This is the difference between implicit…

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