Pub Psychology: Mad and Bad? What you should know about Personality Disorders

*Important info*. Tickets can only be bought on our Ticket Tailor page. See further info here: tickettailor.com/events/conn8cting/1808804/r/meetup1

About us
Want to learn about psychology, neuroscience and healthcare while meeting like-minded people in London? You're in the right place. Exclusive educational talks and mingling events for young professionals with curious minds.
Our talks cover every topic you can think of. From the psychology of laughter, happiness, decision-making and dreams to regret, psychosis, narcissism, drugs and psychopaths. You'll learn interesting stuff delivered by experts, in-person.
Conn8cting 'TED style' talks are designed for you if you have a professional or personal interest in the topics and want to meet likeminded people.

Learn something new, meet someone new.🧠

*Important info*. Tickets can only be bought on our Ticket Tailor page. See further info here: tickettailor.com/events/conn8cting/1808804/r/meetup1

The Agenda

18:30 - 19:30 - Arrivals & icebreakers
Arrive, mingle and grab drinks. You'll also get the chance to take part in psychology themed icebreakers designed to help you meet others (optional!)
19:30-20:10 - 'TED style' talk
Learn something new.
20:10 - 20:40 - Q and A
Question time - the chance to ask your questions about this topic and anything else you'd like to know with our expert speaker.
20:40 - 22:00 - Networking
This is a great chance to informally meet our speaker and other likeminded people, continuing conversations, drinks, sharing knowledge and reflecting. This part of the event's ideal for anyone with a professional interest who works (or aspires to work) in psychology, neuroscience, education, healthcare or related fields. It's a great way to expand your social and professional network.
21:30 - 22:00 - Pub psychology quiz and more mingling
Test your knowledge with an interactive pub quiz! In groups, you’ll be answering a few psychology themed questions using your phones**.** This is an ideal way to informally network with new people in your team while competing with others!

*Important info*. Tickets can only be bought on our Ticket Tailor page. See further info here: tickettailor.com/events/conn8cting/1808804/r/meetup1

The Talk

1. What are personality disorders?
‘Personality disorder’ (PD) might be the most controversial & subjective of current psychiatric diagnoses. It’s about a pattern of behaviour & inner experience going against cultural norms which are persistent, pervasive, and pathological. But what does this mean for the person or those around them? These experiences are ‘clustered’ around certain specific diagnoses such as ‘antisocial personality disorder’.
2. Why are personality disorders controversial?
Are people with this diagnosis ‘mad, bad or deviant’? And if either of the latter two, does this have anything to do with psychiatry or medicine at all?
Why have highly stigmatising titles (‘borderline’, ‘narcissistic’, ‘schizoid’) re-entered modern discourse in an unhelpful way? Is there a convincing link between symptoms and diagnoses themselves?
3. What’s happening now?
The last 10-15 years have seen a huge groundswell of engagement by people given the ‘personality disorder’ title.
In 2019 the WHO International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) restructured the way PD was classified into a system of severity & a new diagnosis of ‘complex post-traumatic stress disorder’. Has this caused a crisis within the definition & clinical work?
4. What can be done?
Is psychiatry being asked to solve a social problem of people who don’t easily ‘fit’ into our communities & are often marginalised or ostracised? Is the ‘solution’ medicine, talking therapy or something else?

Tickets can only be bought on our Ticket Tailor page. See further info here: tickettailor.com/events/conn8cting/1808804/r/meetup1

The Speaker

Professor Mark Freestone is Chief Education and Training Officer and Dean of Postgraduate Studies at The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, and Honorary Professor of Mental Health at the Centre of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Queen Mary University of London.
With a background in Sociology, Professor Freestone’s work focuses on public and forensic mental health – including research into the efficacy of treatments for those with mental health problems, specifically those at risk of violence or becoming victims of violence. He has consulted on forensic mental health issues for NHS England and the London Violence Reduction Programme, as well as for films and television shows, including the hit BBC drama series, Killing Eve and the recent HBO/BBC black comedy Rain Dogs . In 2020, he published a book based on his research and experiences in psychopathy, Making a Psychopath: My Journey into 7 Dangerous minds.

The Venue
We have exclusive use of the green room (upstairs) at the Star of Kings pub. Further details about the pub can be found here.
Just a short stroll from Kings Cross station, this pub is known for its selection of craft beers and cocktails. You'll also find a highly recommended selection of burgers to choose from and you'll be close to a number of restaurants nearby.
One of the few traditional pubs in Kings Cross, the Star of Kings boasts a large beer garden and classic arcade games downstairs.

FAQs – Pub psychology events

Where can I get tickets?
Tickets can only be bought on our Ticket Tailor page. See further info here: tickettailor.com/events/conn8cting/1808804/r/meetup1

Who attends these events?
This event is open to anyone regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender. We welcome a range of age ranges - most attendees are in their 20s and 30s. The idea is to learn about psychology, neuroscience and healthcare from experts, while meeting likeminded people. Come along if you have an interest in the subject matter and want to network with likeminded people. The event's ideal for anyone with a personal or professional interest working in (or aspires to work in) psychology, neuroscience, education, healthcare or related fields. It's a great way to expand your social and professional network.

Will you sell tickets on the door?
No! All our tickets are sold before the event so please don't arrive on the day as you'll be turned away. Pub psychology events are popular and tend to sell-out. Please get a ticket in advance!

I’m not sure if I’ll arrive in time after work. Should I still come?
Yes! If you have a ticket, please come whenever you can (ideally before the talk begins). For pub psychology events, talks begin 30 minutes after the scheduled start time. This gives you time to settle in, network with others and grab a drink or food. Please double check the event agenda on Ticket Tailor (the platform we use to sell tickets) as times vary depending on the event.

Will I be able to socialise?
Yes! You're welcome to come along if you've simply got a personal interest in the topics. Based on feedback, we’ve also added loads of new opportunities for professional networking. This event's ideal for those with a professional interest working (or aspire to work) in psychology, neuroscience, education, healthcare or related fields. It's a great way to expand your social and professional network. Many people attend alone and please do reach out if you want to be introduced to anyone or need support. For pub psychology events, we recommend arriving early for ice breakers. We’ll have a pub psychology quiz arranged in groups after the expert talk and there’s always a friendly group of us who’ll stay for drinks afterwards.

Are you on social media?
Yes - we are! Join our Whatsapp group to hear about the latest events: WhatsApp Group Invite
You can also follow us on Instagram: @Conn8cting

*Important info*. Tickets can only be bought on our Ticket Tailor page. See further info here: tickettailor.com/events/conn8cting/1808804/r/meetup1