Before it Had a Name
Before It Had a Name explores the history behind mental health diagnoses like ADHD, anxiety, depression, and trauma. Each episode traces how culture, science, and society shaped the labels we use to understand the human mind today. Hosted by mental health counselor and broadcaster Jon Watkins, this narrative podcast examines what existed before diagnosis, and how changing language continues to shape how we see ourselves and others.
Before it Had a Name
Latest Episodes
PTSD — The Wounds We Couldn’t See
Long before PTSD became a diagnosis, people were already living with the lingering effects of trauma, a body that stayed on alert, memories that refused to stay in the past, and reactions that didn’t make sense even to the people experiencing t...
Anxiety: The Age of Nerves
Long before anxiety became a diagnosis, people were already living with a persistent sense of unease, a mind that couldn’t fully relax, and a body that seemed to anticipate danger even when none was present.In this episode of Before ...
Depression: From Melancholia to Mood Disorder
Long before depression was defined as a medical diagnosis, people were already describing a persistent heaviness that went beyond ordinary sadness.In this episode of Before It Had a Name, we trace the history of depression from ...