Episodes
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Mark Williams
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Welcome to episode 171 with Mark Williams, who is an author, speaker and international campaigner for father’s mental health.
Mark suffered with PTSD and depression after the birth of his son and he suffered in silence for many years while trying to support his wife who was also struggling with her mental health and they were both in at crisis point at the same time.
He is an incredibly active campaigner for parental mental health and has appeared on national radio and television, founded International Father’s Mental Health Day and published 5 books, one of which was made in to a short film by Amazon Prime. And he has also been voted Inspirational Father of the year and local hero at the Pride of Britain Awards.
In this episode I chat to Mark about becoming a dad, how that impacted him mentally, and how he and his wife supported each other through that time when they were both struggling.
We chat about some of the things that can impact new parents and some of the reasons why dads can struggle and we look at how these issues can show up and play out and look at a few things that can be done to help.
We also chat about growing up in a rural area, how working-class people are often forgotten about in mental health advocacy and why community is so important to health.
Follow Mark on social media @
For more info head to How are you Dad, his newest book is available everywhere now!
If you would like to watch this episode or any of the others, you can do so by joining the Patreon community at www.patreon.com/propermentalpodcast. For £3 a month you’ll get early access to any and all episodes that aren’t available to watch anywhere else and help to support the show and keep it fully independent and ad free
You can connect with me on social media @propermentalpodcast or via www.propermentalpodcast.com.
Another great way to support the show and spread the word is to rate, review and subscribe on whatever platform you get your podcasts from.
If you or anyone you know needs to find support in your local area, please go to www.hubofhope.co.uk
Thanks for listening!
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Lily Bailey
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Welcome to episode 170 with Lily Bailey who is an author, journalist and activist who has been writing and speaking about OCD and mental illness for a long time and in this episode, I chat to Lily about her experiences with obsessive compulsive disorder and how it’s affected her over the years.
We also chat her new book, When I Feel Red, written for middle grade age children, about a young girl with Dyspraxia, which is a neurological condition that affects movement and co-ordination and something that Lily has lived with since childhood.
We chat about Dyspraxia, how it’s affected Lily over the years and why she decided to write about it.
We chat about writing for young people, and how she approaches challenging topics like mental illness when writing for young people.
And we chat about navigating the challenging teenage years, being different, trying to fit in, the importance of telling stories and finding compassion for others through reading stories.
This was a really lovely chat and it was fascinating to learn about Dyspraxia and the wider implications of the condition. I highly recommend Lily’s writing as well and the new book is fantastic!
You can follow Lily on social media @LilyBaileyUK
If you would like to watch this episode or any of the others, you can do so by joining the Patreon community at www.patreon.com/propermentalpodcast. For £3 a month you’ll get early access to any and all episodes that aren’t available to watch anywhere else and help to support the show and keep it fully independent and ad free
You can connect with me on social media @propermentalpodcast or via www.propermentalpodcast.com.
Another great way to support the show and spread the word is to rate, review and subscribe on whatever platform you get your podcasts from.
If you or anyone you know needs to find support in your local area, please go to www.hubofhope.co.uk
Thanks for listening!
Monday Feb 19, 2024
John Rattray
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Welcome to episode 169 with John Rattray, who is a former professional skateboarder and the creator of Why So Sad?
Why So Sad? Is a skate and cycling focused campaign with the goal of driving awareness and education around mental wellbeing and suicide prevention.
In this episode I chat to John about getting in to skating and the importance of community and sub cultures.
We chat about his experiences with depression at different points in his life and where the idea for Why So Sad? came from and how Nike got involved to produce a WSS? Signature shoe.
And we chat about some of the themes and ideas that inform John’s work, the Adverse Childhood Experience study and how learning about what’s going on in our brains and our bodies can help us to understand mental distress and what to do about it.
You can watch Why So Sad? here: Nike SB | Why So Sad? Comic | Skateboarding and Our Mental Health (youtube.com)
And the Your Brain on Sport video is here: Your Brain on Sport (nikesb.com)
And you can follow John on social media @ratt_ray
The books that John mentions in the episode are: What Happened to You? by Dr Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey, Lost Connections by Johann Hari, Waking Up, Alive by Richard Heckler
If you would like to watch this episode or any of the others, you can do so by joining the Patreon community at www.patreon.com/propermentalpodcast. For £3 a month you’ll get early access to any and all episodes that aren’t available to watch anywhere else and help to support the show and keep it fully independent and ad free
You can connect with me on social media @propermentalpodcast or via www.propermentalpodcast.com.
Another great way to support the show and spread the word is to rate, review and subscribe on whatever platform you get your podcasts from.
If you or anyone you know needs to find support in your local area, please go to www.hubofhope.co.uk
Thanks for listening!
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Jess Greenfield
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Welcome to episode 168 with Jess Greenfield, who is a multi-instrumentalist and a singer with Wonder 45 and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying birds.
In this episode I chat to Jess about singing, the music industry and balancing being a mother and a touring musician.
We also chat about Jess’ experiences with post-natal mental health issues, the impact that had on her family and how she got through it.
We chat about the vulnerability of singing, parental anxiety, asking for help and the loss of identity that comes with becoming a parent.
There is also loads of music chat in this one! It was great to hear about everything Jess is doing with Wonder 45 and of course we chat about how Jess came to join Noel Gallagher’s band and what it’s like to play on some of the biggest stages in the world.
Jess was also good enough to let me use one of Wonder 45’s singles as part of this episode! I used an incredible live audio of the song Cry and you can also watch that here:
Cry - Wonder 45 - Live Studio Session (youtube.com)
You can follow Jess on social media @greenfiledsings and @wearewonder45
Her website is www.jessgreenfiledmusic.com
If you would like to watch this episode or any of the others, you can do so by joining the Patreon community at www.patreon.com/propermentalpodcast. For £3 a month you’ll get early access to any and all episodes that aren’t available to watch anywhere else and help to support the show and keep it fully independent and ad free
You can connect with me on social media @propermentalpodcast or via www.propermentalpodcast.com.
Another great way to support the show and spread the word is to rate, review and subscribe on whatever platform you get your podcasts from.
If you or anyone you know needs to find support in your local area, please go to www.hubofhope.co.uk
Thanks for listening!
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Nadia Gilani
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Welcome to episode 167 with Nadia Gilani, who is a writer and yoga teacher.
Nadia was introduced to yoga as a teenager when her Mum took her along to a class as a way of helping her mental health.
Since then, yoga has been a constant and important part of her life but her relationship with the practice has not always been a smooth one.
In this episode I chat to Nadia about her experiences with mental illness that started when she was a teenager.
We chat about that first yoga class, what led her there and the impact that finding yoga has had since.
And we chat about eating disorders, sobriety and recovery and we chat about movement, physical health and why wellness is bullshit.
Of course, we chat a lot about yoga, how it can be beneficial with regards to mental health but also how it’s not the answer to everything like it’s often sold to be.
I absolutely loved chatting to Nadia! We had one of those wonderful conversations that goes absolutely everywhere and we really got in to some big topics.
I highly recommend her book The Yoga Manifesto which covers a lot of the themes we talk about here and a lot more besides. It’s out now and available everywhere.
You can follow Nadia on social media @theyogadiddident and learn more about her work via her website https://nadiagilani.co.uk
If you would like to watch this episode or any of the others, you can do so by joining the Patreon community at www.patreon.com/propermentalpodcast. For £3 a month you’ll get early access to any and all episodes that aren’t available to watch anywhere else and help to support the show and keep it fully independent and ad free
You can connect with me on social media @propermentalpodcast or via www.propermentalpodcast.com.
Another great way to support the show and spread the word is to rate, review and subscribe on whatever platform you get your podcasts from.
If you or anyone you know needs to find support in your local area, please go to www.hubofhope.co.uk
Thanks for listening!
Monday Jan 29, 2024
Tate Smith
Monday Jan 29, 2024
Monday Jan 29, 2024
Welcome to episode 166 with Tate Smith, who is an award-winning trans activist, consultant and speaker.
Tate started to experience anxiety at high school but this had nothing to do with his gender.
It was only later on in his teenage years that he became aware of what it means to be trans and was able to start making sense of himself.
In this episode I chat to Tate about anxiety, why it started and how it affects his life.
I also chat to Tate about coming out as trans, how that was received in his workplace and the last few years he has spent working towards becoming his true self.
We discuss stigma, hate and misunderstanding and we discuss joy, freedom and authenticity.
It was also fascinating to get Tate’s perspective on the current men’s mental health crisis as someone who has presented as both female and male
Tate is so wonderfully open about his life and his experiences and it was great to chat, to debunk some myths and look at men’s mental health from a completely different perspective.
You can follow Tate on social media @tatemichaelsmith
Learn more about his activism and consultancy via his website www.tatesmith.uk
If you would like to watch this episode or any of the others, you can do so by joining the Patreon community at www.patreon.com/propermentalpodcast. For £3 a month you’ll get early access to any and all episodes that aren’t available to watch anywhere else and help to support the show and keep it fully independent and ad free
You can connect with me on social media @propermentalpodcast or via www.propermentalpodcast.com.
Another great way to support the show and spread the word is to rate, review and subscribe on whatever platform you get your podcasts from.
If you or anyone you know needs to find support in your local area, please go to www.hubofhope.co.uk
Thanks for listening!
Monday Jan 22, 2024
Roxy Longworth
Monday Jan 22, 2024
Monday Jan 22, 2024
Welcome to episode 165 with Roxy Longworth.
When Roxy was 13, she was coerced then blackmailed into sending explicit photos, which were spread around her school.
The school blamed all of this on Roxy and the shame and embarrassment that was heaped down on her, by the very establishment that was supposed to be looking after her, took a huge toll on her mental health and eventually led to self-harm and hearing voices.
At 14 she suffered a psychotic breakdown and was hospitalized.
She spent the next four years rebuilding her mental health, and her life, and she wrote about all of this in the memoir ‘When You Lose It’.
The book is an incredibly emotional read. Half is written by Roxy from her perspective, the other half is written by her Mum and it details the impact that mental illness has on both the person experiencing it and the people that love them and have to help them through it.
In this episode I chat to Roxy about being a young person and growing up in this technology driven age. We chat about the events that led to the photos being taken and shared and everything that happened after.
We chat about psychosis, self-harm, being in hospital and working with difficult emotions like anger and shame and we chat about the experience of writing the book, reading her Mum’s side of the story and the complex relationships between teenagers and parents.
I reached out to Roxy after reading her book, which I found incredibly moving and challenging to read. She has a wonderful understanding of everything that happened and her own mental health and it was a privilege to chat to her about all of it.
The book is available in all good book shops and you can follow Roxy on social media @roxylongworth_
If you would like to watch this episode or any of the others, you can do so by joining the Patreon community at www.patreon.com/propermentalpodcast. For £3 a month you’ll get early access to any and all episodes that aren’t available to watch anywhere else and help to support the show and keep it fully independent and ad free
You can connect with me on social media @propermentalpodcast or via www.propermentalpodcast.com.
Another great way to support the show and spread the word is to rate, review and subscribe on whatever platform you get your podcasts from.
If you or anyone you know needs to find support in your local area, please go to www.hubofhope.co.uk
Thanks for listening!
Monday Jan 15, 2024
Ian Tucknott
Monday Jan 15, 2024
Monday Jan 15, 2024
Welcome to episode 164 with Ian Tucknott who is a creative coach, arts educator and the curator of the Mental Wealth Festival which is hosted by City Lit.
The festival is an annual event that provides a forum for informative, challenging and inspiring discussion through workshops, talks, exhibitions, and other activities.
In this episode I chat to Ian about the festival, the incredible work that they do and how it has evolved over the years.
We talk about Ian’s own mental health challenges and how a mixture of art, creativity and a men’s retreat helped him to overcome them.
We also talk about the importance of having any sort of creative outlet and how being creative can help us to understand and express ourselves and understand the world around us.
I met Ian last year as part of the Mental Wealth Festival and knew straight away that he would make a brilliant guest. It was absolutely wonderful to chat to him and explore his ideas around art and everything else.
Follow Ian @iantucknott @mentalwealthfestival @citylit
Find out more about the festival here: Mental Wealth Festival 2023 | City Lit
If you would like to watch this episode or any of the others, you can do so by joining the Patreon community at www.patreon.com/propermentalpodcast. For £5 a month you’ll get early access to any and all episodes that aren’t available to watch anywhere else and help to support the show and keep it fully independent and ad free
You can connect with me on social media @propermentalpodcast or via www.propermentalpodcast.com.
Another great way to support the show and spread the word is to rate, review and subscribe on whatever platform you get your podcasts from.
If you or anyone you know needs to find support in your local area, please go to www.hubofhope.co.uk
Thanks for listening!
Monday Jan 08, 2024
Steve Warwick
Monday Jan 08, 2024
Monday Jan 08, 2024
Welcome to episode 163 with Steve Warwick, who is a men’s mental health advocate, eating disorder survivor and the man behind the Instagram page Healthy Done Sexy.
In this episode I chat to Steve about his relationship with food from a creative perspective and a mental illness perspective.
We chat about Steve’s history with Bulimia, how it showed up in his life and how he learned to manage it.
We also chat about his diagnosis of BPD, what that means to him and what it was like to get diagnosed at a young age with a mental illness that is hugely misunderstood.
And we chat about getting sober, fitness, healthy eating and why it’s so important for men to join the conversation around eating disorders.
I’ve done a lot of episodes about food and mental health but this is the first one with a male guest. It was wonderful to get Steve’s perspective on such complex topic!
You can follow Steve on social media @healthy.done.sexy.
If you would like to watch this episode or any of the others, you can do so by joining the Patreon community at www.patreon.com/propermentalpodcast. For £5 a month you’ll get early access to any and all episodes that aren’t available to watch anywhere else and help to support the show and keep it fully independent and ad free
You can connect with me on social media @propermentalpodcast or via www.propermentalpodcast.com.
Another great way to support the show and spread the word is to rate, review and subscribe on whatever platform you get your podcasts from.
If you or anyone you know needs to find support in your local area, please go to www.hubofhope.co.uk
Thanks for listening!
Tuesday Jan 02, 2024
Aidy Smith
Tuesday Jan 02, 2024
Tuesday Jan 02, 2024
Welcome to episode 162 with Aidy Smith who is an award-winning broadcaster, journalist, content creator and speaker and the only TV presenter in the UK with Tourette Syndrome.
Aidy created The Three Drinkers on Amazon Prime; the show has released 3 seasons since 2019 in over 100 territories and 10+ languages around the world.
In this episode I chat to Aidy about Tourette Syndrome, when it showed up in his life and the impact it has had on his mental health over the years.
We chat about the stigma around Tourette’s, what the condition actually is and the day-to-day realities of living with tics and twitches.
And we chat about bullying, finding work, the drinks industry and how Lewis Capaldi at Glastonbury this summer was so important for raising awareness around Tourette’s.
It was an absolute pleasure to chat to Aidy! He has an incredible story and it was amazing to hear all about his mindset and approach to life.
You can follow him on social media @sypped and connect via his website www.aidysmith.com
If you would like to watch this episode or any of the others, you can do so by joining the Patreon community at www.patreon.com/propermentalpodcast. For £5 a month you’ll get early access to any and all episodes that aren’t available to watch anywhere else and help to support the show and keep it fully independent and ad free
You can connect with me on social media @propermentalpodcast or via www.propermentalpodcast.com.
Another great way to support the show and spread the word is to rate, review and subscribe on whatever platform you get your podcasts from.
If you or anyone you know needs to find support in your local area, please go to www.hubofhope.co.uk
Thanks for listening!