David McLaughlin: How a young loon from Banchory became a TV medical expert

Press and Journal

30-05-2025

When David McLaughlan was a young loon washing pots and pans in the kitchen at Banchory Lodge Hotel, he could never have imagined that one day he would be a medical expert on TV.
But that is exactly what happened when David, who is a consultant psychiatrist, was invited onto the hit daytime show This Morning to answer questions from viewers live on air about mental health.
'Whenever there is a story about mental health or addiction they ask me to come on to be a guest expert,' says David.
'It was a really bizarre and overwhelming experience.
'The studio is huge and there's about eight cameras, plus you've got a producer talking to you in one ear, and then you've people in the studio you're supposed to be talking to too.
'But it was good fun and the presenters Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard are so lovely.
'So yes it was overwhelming but it obviously went well because they've asked me back on again.'
So how did David go from washing pots to prime-time TV?
His journey to becoming one of the leading mental health experts in the UK begins in Banchory where he grew up with his parents Charles and Marion and his three older sisters.
'My parents were originally from South Lanarkshire but they moved to Banchory in the early eighties,' says David.
'My dad worked in construction and was involved in building the Bon Accord Centre so that's why they moved up.
'At the time, house prices in the area were sky high so they moved into this little three-bedroom house in Banchory which was the most incredible place to grow up.'
With his mum Marion working nightshifts as a health care assistant at a local nursing home and his dad Charles latterly working in the oil industry, a strong work ethic is something that was instilled in David from an early age.
'My mum and dad worked really hard,' says David.
'They also instilled the importance of getting a good education so you can have freedom and choices on what you want to do in life.'
Inspired by his parents, David, who attended Banchory Primary School and Banchory Academy, managed to secure his first job at the age of just 12.
'When I was 12, I rocked up to the Banchory Lodge Hotel and asked if they would let me be a dishwasher and that was my first job,' laughs David.
'After that, I worked as a waiter at Banchory Golf Club and I also worked at Tor-Na-Coille Hotel where I did everything from working behind the bar and table service to playing the piano for guests – it was a fun gig.'
While grafting in the hospitality industry, David was also excelling at school where he achieved the grades he needed to study medicine at university.
'At one point I was torn between medicine and law,' says David.
'But my mum became the medical secretary for a psychiatrist, and she managed to get me work experience at the hospital.
'So after that I knew I wanted to go to medical school.'
Flying the nest, David embarked on the next chapter of his life at Dundee University where he studied medicine.
And it was during this time when David developed an interest in mental health.
'It was a five-year medical degree but in the middle of that I took a year out to complete an intercalated degree in neuroscience,' says David.
'It was during that time when I realised that I wanted to become a psychiatrist.
'When I was studying neuroscience the most interesting thing for me was human behaviour, emotions and thoughts.
'Those were the functions of the brain which I thought were totally fascinating.'
As part of the degree, David also studied addiction.
'I was also fascinated by the neurobiology of addiction and understanding the structures and pathways of the brain and how it can result in addiction.'
Despite his interest in working in mental health, David says he faced some resistance which he believes is indicative of an era when mental health was stigmatised even among doctors.
'When I told my tutors at university or the consultants I worked with as a junior doctor that I wanted to do psychiatry, they told me I was wasting my medical degree,' says David.
Determined to follow his heart and his gut, David moved to London where he landed a job at Chelsea Westminster Hospital in London.
He then attended the world class Maudlsey Training Program at The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN).
Amazing opportunities kept coming David's way as he was later awarded a Research Fellowship from the IoPPN and was subsequently made a scholar of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
'Along the way I had people taking me under their wing and giving me opportunities that I didn't think I deserved,' says David.
'But I worked hard and I was nice to people so people gave me chances and I made the most of the opportunities.'
At the age of just 32, David became a consultant psychiatrist.
'I became a consultant at quite a young age,' says David.
'Then I became the clinical director of a chain of independent hospitals.'
Most recently, David has taken on the role as a visiting consultant at The Priory mental health hospital in Roehampton.
Although the private hospital has made the headlines for treating celebrities, David says people from all walks of life come through the doors.
'The Priory gets lots of media attention about celebrities who have gone there in the past and occasionally now there's still high-profile people who attend,' he says.
'But we look after everybody.
'I've got patients who are hairdressers, builders and teachers.
'It's a really incredible job with really interesting patients.
'So I look after people with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), anxiety, depression, OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and sometimes people going through a bereavement or a break-up or stress and burn out.
'And of course, I also support people with addiction including lots of people with issues with alcohol and cocaine.'
Determined to support as many people as he can with their mental health and wellbeing, David has also launched Curb, a self-management app to help people to cut down or quit drinking alcohol.
And one of the first people to congratulate David on the launch of the app was the TV personality and entrepreneur Spencer Matthews.
'Spencer is a lot of fun,' says David.
'We first met about three years ago when we were invited by Meta to run a workshop on 'Mindful Mixology' at Soho Farmhouse.
'Essentially Spencer showcased his alcohol-free spirits brand CleanCo and I ran a mindfulness session and spoke about ways we can enjoy life even more by drinking a little bit less.'
And when it comes to his own mental health and wellbeing, David, who married his soulmate Adam at Marr Lodge in Braemar last year, loves to swim.
'Swimming to me is meditative because you have to regulate your breathing when you're in the water,' says David.
'And a lot of other noise is blocked out because you're in this very calming environment in the water.'
As someone whose glass is always half full, David is excited about the future both personally and professionally.
'I would love to slow down a bit and maybe have children at some point,' says David.
'I'm incredibly lucky to have the most incredible husband, Adam and I think we're at point now where we could give a really good life to any children were fortunate enough to have.
'The dream is to eventually buy or build a house on the edge of one of the Lochs on the West Coast.
'In terms of professional hopes, I feel really lucky that I've been given an incredible education and I think I'm a pretty good psychiatrist.
'I know this sounds a bit grandiose, but sometimes I feel like I have a duty to make the most of the opportunities I've been given and to try and give a bit back.'
For more information about David, check out his Instagram page @offdutydoctor or for more about his app go to the website curb.health
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