Christmas presents quite a challenge to those of us with mental illnesses, past trauma or family/relationship issues.

There is a plethora of social, financial, and personal pressures that are simply forced upon us.

In this episode I deconstruct these issues as well as outline my approach to staying sane over the Christmas season. I also answer a collection of questions from you.

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Never before have humans had the ability to completely kill boredom.

At the click of a button we can communicate, watch, read, listen and play. Sounds great, but what is that lack of silence, that lack of ‘sitting with yourself’ doing to our mental states?

In this episode I dissect the overabundance of information that modern society presents to us.

I have been going through a rough time recently. This podcast breaks down my journey through struggle town as well as how I plan to get myself out.

Thank you to everyone who has been messaging me on social/commenting on my videos with their support. It means a lot.

I apologise for the lack of content, I will get back to it as soon as I am well.

In this episode I deconstruct the the impact of grief on my mental state and its relationship to dissociation. The catalyst being my dog Max. He suddenly became very sick and may not make it.

This has caused me to introspect, both on how I am feeling about his situation, as well as how emotionally poignant events impact my mental state as well as how I respond to them in turn…

You can’t be as good a parent, sibling, friend, employee, boss, or anything else if you are emotionally drained, compromised, or suffering from a mental affliction.

The better you are, the better you can help others.

In this episode, I talk about my experiences with mental illness, recovery, psychologists, medication and overcoming the embarrassment of seeking help. 
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If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, self harm or suicidal thoughts, please seek help - there are support services and treatments options that work, as well as people that care. You just need to take that first step …

Take action to first determine how different life events impact your mental state, then work to add more of the positive impacts and cut as much of the negative impacts as possible.

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Writing therapy is one of the core components of my ongoing mental health plan. When I feel a build of of mental pressure - I write!

The page listens and does not judge, and therefore you can tell it anything without fear. Writing enables me to collect, organise and express my thoughts. By writing them down, I am able to detach from them and let them go.

Developing assertiveness is key to ensuring a stable mental state. By actively addressing issues as they arise, you cut them off before they can fester and derail you into bouts of rumination.

In addition, assertiveness easily overcomes bouts of indecision that can plague groups, individuals or businesses. If it is ultimately of little importance, take the initiative and choose

Grief comes in waves.

In this episode, Zachary discusses what grief feels like, as well as the feelings that arise when someone commits suicide.

Regardless of your proximity to the person, their death can be confusing and can significantly impact you.

When I am depressed, the 'pointlessness of life' becomes overwhelming.

This episode addresses why life can feel pointless, as well as some of the ways that I overcome those feelings.

Zachary talks about his day off from life, spent in solitude meditating. No social media, communication, reading, writing or eating; just observing the mind.

"I noticed that my mind would throw up strong urges and emotions. I started to act on them before I realized that I was doing so. This led me to wonder (in normal waking life) how much do my emotions, thoughts and feelings control me? I always presumed that I lead them, but I think I am drastically wrong about that."

"Protect your mental state, that way you are in the best place to help others.

It is important to realise that your mental state is the lens in which you view the world, if it is compromised, so to is your ability to judge the people, events and actions of your life..."

In this episode you will hear about Zachary's experiences with depression, the symptoms and impact on his day to day functioning.

"When I am depressed people want to cheer me up, which is a nice sentiment of course, but it doesn't address the issue completely. It is analogous to complaining that you cant understand a radio and to help, people keep raising the volume. You can hear it just fine, it is the tuning that is the problem"

"When somebody is in a down mental state there is a tendency for them to feel like they have always been in that state.

Personally, when I am going through a bout of anxiety, depression or disociation I feel like I have always been suffering from it. It taints every memory of my past and makes me feel like it will be there for each instance in my future.

To combat this, I have written a 'mental health check list' that outlines that things have and will get better (they always have). As well as lists the activities that have worked for me in the past . 
I leave this on my wall as a reminder and promise to myself that I will try to get better, even if it feels like I can't. 

In this episode I go in depth, explaining what I do to pull myself out of a down mental state..."