The Proper Mental Podcast

Samantha Renke

Welcome to Proper Mental episode 92 with Samantha Renke, an actress, presenter, disability activist, inclusion and equality consultant and keynote speaker.

She is a columnist for the Metro and often writes about what it is like to be disabled in a disabling word.

After finishing university Sam became a teacher before moving to London to pursue a career in media and is now a regular on TV and radio as well as winning the best actress award at the LA Diversity Film Festival.

Growing up with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Sam made a decision early on in life to not be restricted by the opinions of others and has always strived to live life on her own terms and in her own fabulous way.

We chat about the process of writing her new book and why she was determined to be completely open and honest about her life.

We chat about anxiety and mental health, dealing with ablism, the importance of embracing bad days and how her beloved sphinx cats have helped her in her darkest moments.

Sam has energy to spare and I think I laughed my way through the whole conversation.  It was an absolute pleasure to chat to her and I can’t wait for you to hear it!

You can follow Sam on Instagram @samantharenke or Twitter @SamanthaRenke

Her website is samantharenkeofficial.com – Samantha Renke and her book ‘Best Thing Since Sliced Bread’ is out now!

Here’s a link to this month’s Pod Bible featuring yours truly: 

PodBible022_KermodeMayo.pdf (podbiblemag.com)

You can catch up with me at www.propermentalpodcast.com  or connect with me via social media @propermentalpodcast.

If you would like to support Proper Mental by buying me a virtual coffee, please go to www.buymeacoffee.com/propermental

Another way to support 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!

Chris & Stu

Welcome to Proper Mental episode 91 with Chris Glasson & Stu Whiffin!

Chris & Stu are the hosts of Hardcore Listing, a weekly podcast where they get (trick) a huge variety of guests to pick their top 5’s on a chosen subject.

One thing that I love about their show is that, in amongst the insults, offensiveness and general stupidity, they regularly end up talking about some really challenging subjects and they do so in a really lovely and compassionate way.

And that’s exactly what they end up doing in this episode!  We chat about loneliness and the importance of environment and we chat about piss taking, friendship and showing vulnerability.

I had the pleasure of meeting these guys earlier in the year and it was really cool to catch and have a natter.  I really felt like I was chatting to a couple of mates and I laughed a lot during the conversation.

You can listen to Hardcore Listings in all the usual places but here’s a link to my episode on Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/episode/483HoPfIUTTHU1OgedSmqt?si=VlePj-_USg6rnxBxaxm8Ng

You can connect with the lads on social media @hardcorelisting @stuwhiffin @redshiftrebels

You can catch up with me at www.propermentalpodcast.com  or connect with me via social media @propermentalpodcast.

If you would like to support Proper Mental by buying me a virtual coffee, please go to www.buymeacoffee.com/propermental

Another way to support 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!

British Podcast Awards 2022

Proper Mental was recently nominated at The British Podcast Awards!

This is the submission clip that I submitted to the judges and below is the description that went with it.

For a completely independent podcast like mine to even be nominated is incredible really and although I didn’t win, I did get to have a day out to London with my wife and on the whole, it was a positive experience and I’m really proud of the nomination.  I’m pretty sure I was the only mental health related podcast at the event which in itself is a wonderful thing!

Thanks for listening!  Enjoy!

“The aim of Proper Mental is to normalise open conversations about mental health and mental illness.  Some of these are lived experience, some focus on specific diagnosis or an aspect of mental wellbeing and some are just a chat.  

I work hard to include all aspects of mental ill health and additional factors that add to the stigma.  Inclusion and diversity are important to me and I believe that compassion for others and all aspects of mental health is key to the conversations that I have. 

I want to be relatable, to make people feel seen and less alone and I want to create a resource for people to learn about the complexities of mental health.  This isn’t a sad stories podcast and although I’m discussing challenging topics, I don’t want it to be challenging for the listener or the guest.  I always think about how the conversation is helping anyone who listens and I don’t dwell on the hard stuff just for the sake of it.  There is a strong focus on hope and recovery and I’m aware of what can be considered useful or triggering for my listeners. 

My role is simply to make the guest feel comfortable enough to talk.  Creating the space for them to fall into, that’s where the magic happens and I understand when to lean in and when to pull back.  Connecting through stories is a very human experience and having these big conversations, in a relaxed way, can be a powerful thing.”

0:00 – 01:55 Paul Mort is a bestselling author and 2 x Master Coach of the year.  I chat to him about his mental health breakdown that led to a viral video about suicide and the work he does now with men in the mental health space. 

TW: Suicide, substances, strong language.

01:59 – 06:39 Stevie Georgina is a YouTube Vlogger who began making videos about crochet and other arts and crafts as part of her recovery after being sectioned.  She suffered a breakdown due to undiagnosed Type 2 bipolar disorder.  We chat about the importance of creativity and self-expression and how arts and crafts can help us to heal.

06:35 – 10:50 Frank Turner is an English singer/song writer and mental health advocate who recently celebrated a number 1 album.  We chat about his own experience with mental ill health and substance abuse.

TW: Substance abuse

10:54 – 12:50 Brendan Geoghegan and Matthew Riley are the hosts of the LGBTQ+ podcast, Bottoming.  In this clip you can hear Brendan chatting to me about the additional mental health stigma faced by the LGBTQ+ community and the importance of connecting with your therapist.

12:54 – 14:30 Dr Emilia Thompson is a registered nutritionist and women’s coach and we chat about mindset and the role of positive self-talk and how these things impact mental wellbeing.

Jay Wheeler Part 2

Welcome to Proper Mental episode 90 part 2 with Jay Wheeler, a former soldier and street artist who creates under the name Love Art Global.

After 15 years in the army and multiple tours overseas, Jay was medically discharged with a diagnosis of PTSD.

In part 2, Jay’s story carries on from where we left off in the previous episode.

We chat about Jay discovering art and how that started to bring him back to life.

Jay tells me about his now infamous LOVE tag, the meaning behind it and the effect it’s had on his life and the lives of others.

We chat about tagging around Europe, connecting with others, the importance of self-love and learning to be well again.

We also chat about Fudge, who is Jay’s dog and best friend, and the part that she plays in Jay’s recovery.  And we chat about Jay’s love of the A-Team and he tells me an amazing story about his hero Mr T!

Jay is an incredible man who has been to hell and back several times over but continues to spread love around the world with his art.

It was an honour and a privilege to hear him tell his story and I can’t thank him enough for his time and his friendship.

You can connect with Jay on all social media platforms @loveartglobal

You can catch up with me at www.propermentalpodcast.com  or connect with me via social media @propermentalpodcast.

If you would like to support Proper Mental by buying me a virtual coffee, please go to www.buymeacoffee.com/propermental

Another way to support 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!

Jay Wheeler Part 1

Welcome to Proper Mental episode 90 part 1 with Jay Wheeler, a former soldier and street artist who creates under the name Love Art Global.

After 15 years in the army and multiple tours overseas, Jay was medically discharged with a diagnosis of PTSD.  In part 1 of this episode Jay takes me through his childhood in Wolverhampton and the traumatic upbringing that led him to joining the army.

We talk about his early years as a squaddie in Germany and what it was like to go to war.

Jay talks me through his time in Kosovo, training Iraqi soldiers in Iraq and the horrors of Afghanistan that led to his medical discharge.

Jay’s story then takes us back to Liverpool where suicide attempts become a regular occurrence and we talk about the darkest days of Jay’s mental health struggles.

Jay and I recorded this in person at his home in Liverpool where all of this took place.  He has an incredible story and an important story but it is not always easy to listen to so I’m putting it out in two parts so that you, the listener, can decide how and when you hear it.

If any of the content above might be too close to home or if today is not the best day to hear it then you can jump in at part 2, which picks up with art and recovery and works towards a happy ending.

It’s an incredibly moving conversation that I am immensely proud of and I can’t thank Jay enough for the faith and trust he has put in me to help him tell his story.

You can connect with Jay on all social platforms @loveartglobal

You can catch up with me at www.propermentalpodcast.com  or connect with me via social media @propermentalpodcast.

If you would like to support Proper Mental by buying me a virtual coffee, please go to www.buymeacoffee.com/propermental

Another way to support 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!

Kitty & Alex Tait

Welcome to Proper Mental episode 89 with Kitty & Alex Tait who are the owners of The Orange Bakery and the authors of Bread Song.

Kitty started to struggle with her mental health around the age 14 to the point where she had to stop going to school.

As well as contact with CAHMS, her family tried all sorts of things to support and distract her but nothing seemed to help until she watched her father, Alex, baking bread.

The process of preparing and baking bread started to bring Kitty comfort and have an incredible impact on her mental health and it wasn’t long before she was sleeping in the kitchen, borrowing oven space from the neighbours and making enough bread to feed the whole street.

This would lead to Alex leaving his job and working with Kitty to launch The Orange Bakery which instantly became a much-loved feature in the local community.

Kitty and Al joined me to chat about Kitty’s mental health struggles from both their perspectives.

We chat about baking and how it became so vital to Kitty’s mental health, we chat about the importance of having a creative outlet, being part of a community and doing nice things for other people.

You can connect with Kitty & Al on social media on any of the following

@the_orangebakery

@kittytaitbaker

@kittys.kits

@breadsong.bakes

Or via their website www.theorangebakery.org

You can catch up with me at www.propermentalpodcast.com  or connect with me via social media @propermentalpodcast.

If you would like to support Proper Mental by buying me a virtual coffee, please go to www.buymeacoffee.com/propermental

Another way to support 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!

Daragh Fleming

Welcome to episode 88 with Daragh Fleming, a writer, poet and mental health advocate from Cork, Ireland.

Daragh started talking and writing about mental health after his own experiences with mental ill health.  He found that writing allowed him to process his thoughts and feelings in a positive way and this led to him setting up the award nominated blog Thoughts Too Big.

The roots of Daragh’s own mental health struggles started after his childhood best friend died by suicide and it was after he started to experience panic attacks that he decided to undergo therapy and start unpicking the grief around this tragic event.

Daragh and I caught up to talk about learning to actually feel feelings, about writing, grief and his love of travel.

We also chat about navigating the world as an introvert, getting triggered by social media and building good mental health routines.

Daragh and I have been Instagram pals for a while now, so it was awesome to meet properly and have a really good chat!

You can connect with Daragh on social media @daraghfleming or @thoughts2big or via his website www.thoughtstoobig.ie

His newest poetry collection Poems That Were Written On Trains, But Weren't Written About Trains is out now and you can get it here:  Poems That Were Written On Trains, But Weren't Written About Trains by Daragh Fleming | Waterstones

You can catch up with me at www.propermentalpodcast.com  or connect with me via social media @propermentalpodcast.

If you would like to support Proper Mental by buying me a virtual coffee, please go to www.buymeacoffee.com/propermental

Another way to support 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!

Ben West

Welcome to episode 87 with Ben West who is a mental health activist, campaigner, speaker and author.

Ben was only 17 when he lost his younger brother to suicide.  This event has driven him to become one of the most active campaigners in the U.K.

He has raised thousands of pounds through his Walk to Talk project and regularly speaks at schools and events to raise awareness about mental health.

Most recently Ben has been calling for change in the way that the education system deals with the mental health of students.  He is working towards making mental health first aid training a compulsory part of teacher training and his petition is currently up to 300,000 signatures.

Earlier this year Ben published his first book titled ‘This Book Could Save Your Life’ which details his journey and everything he has learned about mental health along the way.

Ben and I chat about dealing with grief, the stigma around suicide, dealing with burnout and making changes in schools and universities.

You can connect with Ben on social media @iambenwest and read more about his activism and campaigning via his website Ben West - Mental Health Campaigner

You can catch up with me at www.propermentalpodcast.com  or connect with me via social media @propermentalpodcast.

If you would like to support Proper Mental by buying me a virtual coffee, please go to www.buymeacoffee.com/propermental

Another way to support 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!

That Meditation Guy

Welcome to episode 86 with Jimmy Wightman, a meditation teacher and the founder of Delve Deep Meditation School.

He began his journey in to meditation while searching for something to help with chronic insomnia that he started to experience when his party lifestyle caught up with him.

This journey has taken him around the world to study meditation in many different forms and becoming a meditation teacher.

In this episode, Jimmy takes me through his experiences with insomnia and describes how finding meditation had a huge different to his ability to sleep.

We chat about the benefits of building a regular practice and the science and philosophies behind the four main types of meditation.

We also chat about the science behind meditation and how it can help our mental state and we chat about the true meaning of happiness and what it means to be truly happy in life.

Meditation is a big part of self-care and can be very beneficial to mental wellbeing so it was awesome to learn all about it from Jimmy and get some ideas on how to get started.

You can follow Jimmy on social media @that_meditation_guy and learn more about working with him via his website www.delvedeep.com.

You can catch up with me at www.propermentalpodcast.com  or connect with me via social media @propermentalpodcast.

If you would like to support Proper Mental by buying me a virtual coffee, please go to www.buymeacoffee.com/propermental

Another way to support 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!

Maty Sene Carpenter

Welcome to episode 85 with Maty Sene Carpenter who recently featured in the Channel 4 show, The Simpler Life.

The premise of the show was to see how 24 people would get on when they stepped out of their modern lives to spend 6 months living as a traditional Amish community.

Maty and the rest of the participants moved on to a 16 hectare farm in Devon, without gas or electricity, and farmed the land for food while all living and working together.

At the time of the show starting, Maty’s mental health was in a really bad place and she jumped at the chance to escape from the distractions of modern life.

We chat about her experiences on the farm and the process of stepping in to a more traditional, old fashioned way of life and everything this did for her mental health.

We chat about anxiety, connection, hard work and living as part of a community. 

We also chat about Maty’s decision to stop taking her medication while on the show and how she’s been adjusting back in the real world.

I really enjoyed The Simpler Life and following the ups and downs of the community so it was great to chat to Maty and hear about it in depth.

You can watch the show on 4 on Demand here: The Simpler Life - All 4 (channel4.com)

You can connect with Maty on social media @matysenecarpenter

You can catch up with me at www.propermentalpodcast.com  or connect with me via social media @propermentalpodcast.

If you would like to support Proper Mental by buying me a virtual coffee, please go to www.buymeacoffee.com/propermental

Another way to support 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!