| Event Name | Date |
| July Social | 1st July |
| Shayna Weisz on Mental Health | 10th July |
| Maeve Hanan on Food Panic | 18 August |
July Social
Join us from 7.30 pm on Tuesday 1st July in the Library at the Town Wall on Pink Lane, near Newcastle Central Station, to meet fellow skeptics and to shape the future of skepticism in the North East.
Come for drinks, casual debunkings and maybe even some skeptical gaming!
‘What’s wrong with me?’ How mental health awareness might be making us feel worse – Shayna Weisz
Thursday 10th July 2025, 7.30pm (doors at 7pm)
Concert Room, Tyneside Irish Centre, Gallowgate St. NE1 4SG
Pay-as-you-feel ticketing (suggested price £5)
All civil humans welcome
We’re living through a boom in mental health awareness, where psychiatric diagnoses and psychological language have become part of everyday life. But what if this growing focus on labelling our dysfunctions and differences isn’t actually helping us feel better? What if, in turning inward to try and fix ourselves, we’re being quietly discouraged from questioning the world around us? In this talk, I’ll explore the shaky scientific foundations of modern psychiatry, the growing tendency to medicalise distress and difference, and the lesser-known cultural and political roots of therapeutic thinking. I’ll argue that as we increasingly look inward for solutions, rather than outward at the systems shaping our struggles, we risk losing sight of what’s really hurting us. This talk invites a critical rethink of the stories we tell ourselves – and each other – about mental health, identity, and what it really means to be “normal.”
Shayna Weisz is a PhD student from London researching the gender politics of mental health discourse. She is interested in how gender roles and expectations inform mental health narratives, and the explicit and more insidious harms they may (re)produce for women. With a background in psychology, philosophy, and sociology, Shayna aims to critically interrogate and expose the often overlooked social and political roots of psychiatric thinking. She is passionate about debunking pseudoscience, having uncomfortable conversations, and questioning the status quo in order to bring about real social change.
“When healthy eating turns harmful: How ultra-processed food panic fuels anxiety and disordered eating.”
Thursday 14th August 2025, 7.30pm (doors at 7pm)
Tyneside Irish Centre, Gallowgate St. NE1 4SG
Pay-as-you-feel ticketing (suggested price £5)
All civil humans welcome!
“When healthy eating turns harmful: How ultra-processed food panic fuels anxiety and disordered eating.”
From best-selling books to viral TikToks and food documentaries, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have become public enemy number one in the world of nutritional ‘wellness’. But is the panic justified – or are we being fed a different kind of harmful message?
In this talk, registered dietitian Maeve Hanan will break down what UPFs actually are, the roots of UPF panic and what the evidence really says about them. We will also explore how the cultural obsession with purity and perfection in eating can do more harm than good, all too often spiralling into food anxiety and disordered eating. This talk challenges black-and-white thinking around food, encourages a more balanced perspective, and asks: what if our fear of food is more dangerous than the food itself?
Maeve Hanan is a Registered Dietitian who specialises in disordered eating and food freedom. She’s the founder of DieteticallySpeaking.com, a platform offering evidence-based information, practical tools, courses, and one-to-one support to help people build a healthier relationship with food. Maeve advocates for a compassionate, weight-inclusive approach to nutrition, and is passionate about cutting through the online noise by sharing clear, evidence-based messages (primarily via her newsletter and Instagram page via @dieteticallyspeaking).