The Proper Mental Podcast

Vulnerability, authenticity and transitioning in a prison with activist Jaxon Feeley

Welcome to episode 188 with Jaxon Feeley, who is a Life and Mindset Coach, motivational speaker and TV personality.

Jax served in the military as an RAF Corporal for 4 years, which included a tour of Iraq, before joining MHP Hindley as a prison officer.

Throughout his life, Jax had been through plenty of mental health struggles but had always managed to pull through and distract himself through his work.  Eventually things got to a point where he had to face these struggles head on and face some things that he had been ignoring since childhood.

Jax came out as transgender and made the decision to transition from female to male whilst still working at the prison.  He served 3 years as a female officer, and 3 years as Jaxon.

Since leaving the prison service, Jax has been on a mission to advocate for the trans community and demonstrate the sort of visibility that he needed to see all those years ago.

In this episode I chat to Jax about his time in the military, some of the mental health struggles he faced through this time and how they ultimately led him to start questioning his gender identity.

We chat about showing up and being vulnerable, asking yourself difficult questions, living authentically, learning how to be your true self and his recent appearance on Channel 4’s Hunted.

Jax has an incredible story and it would have been really easy to make this a whole episode about gender but we had so much more to talk about than that alone!

Follow Jax on social media @jaxryderfeeley

Learn more here: Professional Mindset Coach | Motivational Speaker | Jaxon Feeley

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 you can submit questions for upcoming guests!  You’ll also be helping 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!

Prison, identity crisis, resilience and fitness with Chris Baker, the one armed bank robber.

Welcome to episode 187 with Chris Baker, who is a mentor, coach and public speaker.

Chris got in to crime at a young age and spent a long time bouncing in and out of prison.  He ended up losing an arm in a motorbike crash while being chased by police and this sent him in to a spiral of depression and self-loathing and he was also sentenced to longer stretch inside.

Chris decided that he didn’t want to keep repeating this cycle and set out to make some changes.  He started reading, working on himself and exploring Adverse Childhood Experiences studies and the links between childhood trauma and repeat offenders.

Now Chris works with prisons, schools and business’ delivering talks about his own experiences to promote resilience and inspire hope.

In this episode I chat to Chris about his early years growing up and how he started to get in to trouble.

We chat about going to prison, why so many people can’t get out or stay out and what needs to change in the prison system, particularly with regards to mental health.

And we chat about losing an arm, losing identity, building resilience, lessons from fitness and making big changes.

You can learn more about Chris and his work at chrisbakerspeaker and follow him on social media @chris_baker_

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 you can submit questions for upcoming guests!  You’ll also be helping 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!

The Poetry Project. From depression and darkness to awareness and inspiration on a global scale.

Welcome to episode 186 with James McInerney, who is the creator of The Poetry Project.

James started off experimenting with words by writing out his thoughts and feelings to instrumental film scores and he found that expressing himself through poetry helped him navigate his way through depression.

After publishing several books, he launched The Poetry Project with the aim of spreading mental health awareness, throw people in at the deep end and inspire them to think, pause and reflect.

Since his first piece was displayed on a train station platform, the project has grown and James’ words have been displayed by some of the world’s biggest brands and in iconic locations all over the globe.

In this episode I chat to James about his experiences with depression and these experiences led him to poetry.

We chat about the origins of The Poetry Project, how he got it started and how it spread all over the world.

We chat about creativity, self-expression, healthy distraction and why, when it comes to mental health awareness, it can be useful to throw people in at the deep end.

I stumbled across one of James’ poems in a Portland shopping mall last summer and it really was striking to see the word ‘depression’ in big letters on the wall in the middle of a huge shopping centre.  I love anything that takes mental health outside of the usual clinical spaces and it was awesome to chat to James about his work and the impact that he’s having.

You can follow James on social media @poetryproject08 and @millsmc07

Learn more on PROJECTS | James McInerney Poetry

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 you can submit questions for upcoming guests!  You’ll also be helping 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!

Lessons in life, love and longevity with 103 year old physician Dr Gladys McGarey

Welcome to episode 185 with Dr. Gladys McGarey, who is a 103-year-old still-consulting doctor who is internationally recognised as the ‘Mother of Holistic Medicine’.

Dr Gladys was born in 1920 and grew up in India.  She joined Women’s Medical College during the second world war and when she began practising, women couldn’t even have their own bank accounts.

Gladys co-founded the American Holistic Medical Association and she was the first physician to utilise acupuncture in the U.S.

In this episode I chat to Dr Gladys about her childhood in India, her early interest in healing and what it was like to be a female doctor when being a female doctor wasn’t a thing.

We chat about training during WW2, how that influenced the language used in medicine and how she moved towards a different approach and started to think holistically.

We chat about finding purpose, learning to listen, claiming your voice and why grief is something that we do rather than something that happens to us.  And we chat about the 5 L’s that underpin Dr Gladys’ approach to a long and fulfilling life.

Dr Gladys is also a bestselling author and her latest book ‘The Well-lived Life’ is out now.

You can follow Dr Gladys on social media @begladmd and learn more about her life and work on her website www.gladysmcgarey.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 you can submit questions for upcoming guests!  You’ll also be helping 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!

Menopause and mental health with Dr Louise Newson

Welcome to episode 184 with Dr Louise Newson, who is a G.P, menopause specialist and member of the UK Government’s Menopause Taskforce who has been described as the ‘medic who kickstarted the menopause revolution.’

She is also an award-winning educator and author and regularly appears in the media as an expert in women’s hormone health.

In this episode I chat to Louise about menopause and perimenopause and how they can impact on mental health.

We chat about what the menopause is, signs and symptoms of being menopausal, the hormones involved and what happens both physically and mentally during this process.

And we chat about HRT, misdiagnosis and why it’s common for women to be incorrectly prescribed SSRI’s and the complicated discussion around mental health issues and hormones.

I learned an incredible amount from both this conversation and from reading Louise’s book – The Definitive Guide to Perimenopause and Menopause – and the paper back is out now.

You can follow Louise on social media @menopause_doctor and learn more via her website at www.drlouisenewson.co.uk or www.balance-menopause.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 you can submit questions for upcoming guests!  You’ll also be helping 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!

Performance art, self expression, addiction and exhibition with The Artist Taxi Driver

Welcome to episode 183 with The Artist Taxi Driver, who is an artist, taxi driver, educator and speaker who is also known as Mark McGowan.

Mark discovered art as part of his mental health recovery when he was an inpatient.  He uses the media, activism and mental health to create daily artworks.

Mark’s form of performance art over the years has included eating a swan in protest against royalty and the upper classes, he attempted to cartwheel 60 miles along Brighton beach in protest against diminishing coast lines and he has crawled for sixty miles, with a rose between his teeth, 18 boxes of chocolates tied to him and a sign on his back saying ‘Could You Love Me?’ this was to make people think about those who are alone at Christmas.

In this episode I chat to Mark about performance art and how he got started.  We chat about self-expression, addiction, social media, the power of performance and all sorts of other things.

We also chat about the Live Lounge exhibition that Mark is curating at The Bethlem Gallery, what he’s got plans and some of the things happening there between now and July.

You can read more about it here Exhibition: Bethlem Live Lounge - Bethlem Gallery

 

You can follow Mark on social media @theartisttaxidriver and look at his art work here: TheArtistTaxiDriver - Etsy 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 you can submit questions for upcoming guests!  You’ll also be helping 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!

Dance music, hedonism, breaking down and breaking through with Manchester icon DJ Paulette

Welcome to episode 182 with DJ Paulette, who is a renowned DJ, radio broadcaster and author who has spent more than three decades entertaining crowds all over world and breaking down racial and gender barriers along the way.

She was the first female DJ to hold residency at The Hacienda, playing weekly at the ground-breaking LGBTQ+ club night ‘FLESH’ in the early nighties, and went on to have residencies at Heaven and Ministry of Sound, before serving successful stints in Paris and Ibiza.

In 2022 she was the first woman to win the prestigious DJ Mag Lifetime Achievement Award.

Her debut book ‘Welcome to The Club: The life and lessons of a black woman DJ’ was published earlier this year to huge acclaim.

In this episode I chat to DJ Paulette about the mental health challenges she has faced throughout her life.

We chat about dance music, hedonism and burnout and we chat about breaking down, breaking through, asking for help and just how vital music and community are to mental wellbeing.

You can follow DJ Paulette on social media @dj_paulette1

Her website can be found at https://djpaulette.co.uk/

**PROPER MENTAL LIVE – TICKETS ON SALE NOW!**

https://opendoorcharity2.beaconforms.com/form/02ec51d1

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 you can submit questions for upcoming guests!  You’ll also be helping 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!

Suicide & Co. a charity that is on a mission to open the conversation around suicide-related grief.

Welcome to episode 181 with Amelia Wrighton, who is the co-founder and CEO of Suicide & Co, a charity that is on a mission to support bereaved individuals and open the conversation around suicide-related grief.

Amelia set up Suicide & Co. with Emma Morrisroe after they met at work and realised that they shared the same experience of losing someone to suicide.

The charity provides one-on-one professional support through talking therapies and a Helpline that is staffed by bereavement counsellors as well as providing all sorts of resources and initiatives to spark conversations and encourage conversations around bereavement from suicide.

In this episode I chat to Amelia about her own tragic loss, the impact it had and how that led to eventually setting up this incredible charity. 

We chat about some of the complexities around this very specific type of grief, about using the right words, the importance of knowing how to have conversations about suicide related grief.

It was wonderful to chat to Amelia, to hear about the incredible work that her team are doing and learn more about how to have difficult but important conversations.

Learn more about this incredible organisation and access support via their website www.suicideandco.org

Follow on social media @suicideandco

PROPER MENTAL LIVE 17 MAY 2024

Tickets here: https://opendoorcharity2.beaconforms.com/form/02ec51d1

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 you can submit questions for upcoming guests!  You’ll also be helping 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!

From being pronounced dead at the side of the road to BBC's The Traitors and the mental struggles in between with Andrew Jenkins

Welcome to episode 180 with Andrew Jenkins, who is a mental health advocate, speaker and star of the hit BBC series The Traitors.

At the age of 21, Andrew was in a car accident that left him pronounced dead at the side of the road.

He spent 5 weeks in a coma and when he woke up, was told that he might not recognise his family or be able to walk.

The impact that this had on his sense of self, his identity and his life in general would lead to more struggles with mental ill health for the next 20 odd years before Andrew was able to get some help and guidance with his mental state and begin to grieve for the life that he believed he had lost.

In this episode I chat to Andrew about his life growing up in Wales before the crash and the immediate aftermath.

We chat about the impact that this event had on his mental health and why he suffered in silence for so many years.

And we chat about how he got help, got better and how this is driving him to do the work that he does now and the impact that this is all having.

Of course, we chat all about The Traitors and about men’s mental health, grief, building self-awareness, how hard it can be to tell your family that you love them but why it’s so, so important.

Andrew is a lovely guy who is determined to make a real difference in the mental health space and he’s been doing incredible work since being on the tele earlier this year.  It was really lovely to chat to him all about it!

Follow him on social media @andrewjenkinsofficial and @strengthinyou.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 you can submit questions for upcoming guests!  You’ll also be helping 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!

3 Dads Walking for suicide prevention

Welcome to episode 179 with Tim Owen, Mike Palmer and Andy Airey, who are collectively known as the 3 Dads Walking!

Tim, Mike & Andy are 3 dads, bereaved by suicide who have been walking in memory of their daughters, Emily, Beth & Sophie.

In 2021 they walked 300 miles between their 3 homes, to highlight the fact that suicide is the biggest killer of young people across the entire UK.

In 2022 they set off again, this time walking 600 miles, between the parliaments of the 4 nations, petitioning the Government to make suicide prevention a compulsory part of the school curriculum.   They collected over 100,000 signatures for this petition, which prompted a debate in the House of Commons and led to them sitting down with the Prime Minster.

Along the way they have raised more than 1 million pounds for PAPYRUS, a UK charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people.

This year, they will be undertaking the Walk of Hope, covering 500 miles and visiting newly opened offices of PAPYRUS all over the U.K, many of which have been setup thanks to the dads’ fundraising efforts.

They also have a book out any minute now, it’s called Three Dads Walking: 300 Miles of Hope and it’s been written up from diary entries that the dads have been writing throughout their adventures.

What The 3 Dads have achieved over the last few years is nothing short of incredible and this episode is both heart breaking and heart walking and everything in between.

It was an honour to chat to Tim, Mike and Andy.  They speak so openly and warmly and I found our chat incredibly moving but a lot of fun too!

Follow them on social media @3dadswalking and keep update with this year’s campaign via their website www.3dadswalking.uk

Learn more about the incredible work of PAPYRUS here www.papyrus-uk.org

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!