“I realised just how bad Dad's living conditions were about a year after his death. I was talking to a cousin of mine who had recently become a police officer. It’s not often that you get a chance to have a firsthand glimpse into the seedy underbelly of the society you live in ... “

In this episode, I share Ch 3, of Under The Influence - Reclaiming My Childhood,

One of the best ways to reduce the severity and duration of a panic attack (or anxiety in general) is to become present state aware.

This involves taking slow and deep breaths, while focusing your attention onto your senses. What can you see, hear, taste, touch and smell right now? Focus on that!

Look after yourself as a matter of priority this Christmas.

The added social and financial pressure of this time of year can be the tipping point for those of us with mental illness or a history or trauma.

In this episode I discuss why this happens, and what you can do to manage yourself this festive season!

Today I am joined by Fred Saleeba. He shares the his journey of escaping the monotony of regular life, into one of vagabonding - travelling the world for the sake of travel, no destination, no base, just for the experience.

This interview gets quite personal with Fred discussing issues with (and how he is working on) self confidence and forming new relationships.

“Believe it or not, I wrote this story about you. Yes, you. The person reading this right now. True, I don’t know your name, where you were born or what you do for work, but that doesn’t really matter.

I am going to be honest. I like you, the real you that is. The you that exists beyond those small details.”

Listen to the rest of your story, as well as find out about the release of ‘How To Get Your Sh!t Together’

This episode has three parts:

1) I give a preview reading of my next blog post titled “If someone opens up about their trauma - believe them!”

2) I answer three Patreon supporter questions

3) Updates on the progress of How To Get Your Sh!t Together, as well as some other housekeeping.

Enjoy!

After posting a picture on social talking about the risk factors for suicide, I was DM’d by multiple men.

They told me that due to the new PC culture, they felt victimised and unworthy of support - particularly relating to mental health, and that this was contributing to their suicidal feelings.

This podcast is my response for them.

Social media is a double edged sword. It is an amazing tool to catch up, connect and dispel feelings of loneliness, however it comes at a cost.

It exposes you to the unfiltered thoughts of others. On occasion, this will be triggering. Worse still, you never know when this will occur.

If you suffer from a chronic illness, but don’t want to let that stop you from following your dreams, this episode is for you.

Kelly Paris joins me on the podcast to discuss how she manages her chronic illness (fibromyalgia +) yet still manages to follow her dreams.

We discuss the importance of finding a good therapist, focusing on your ‘why’, taking rest days when needed, learning to rely on yourself, as well as looking for the ‘yes’ rather than focusing on the ‘no’ …

The following five things have done wonders for my mental health - they have become daily musts. In this episode I discuss why they have made such a massive difference in my life, and why you should try them for yourself.

As a small thank you to my Patreon supporters, I answer their questions as a Podcast, Blog, or Video.

Today I am answering 4 questions here:
- How do you manage relationships when one person has a mental illness?
- I struggle to talk when I am depressed. How can I express myself better?
- What can I do if my illness cannot be treated?
- How can I find work with acquired brain injury, and how do I deal with societies focus on perfectionism?

In this episode I share part 2 of my second book ‘Upgrade’.

A flock of Naturals struggle to survive in an increasingly Integrated world …

”The Priest winced as he got down on to his knees and began to pray. The years of prostration had taken its toll on his old joints, yet he never complained. He recounted the stories, lit the candles and performed the rituals, as was dictated by his tradition.”

Despite the fact that 1 in 5 people are currently suffering from a mental illness (1 in 2 over the lifespan), mental illness is highly stigmatised.

In this episode I delve deep into the possible causes and solutions to this stigma. I also talk about dealing with the possibility of ‘attention seekers’ or ‘fakers’ as well as how to best ensure that your family and friends know you will be there for them should they need your support.

In this episode I share chapter two of my first book 'Under The Influence - Reclaiming My Childhood'

“I always knew that my dad was an addict, but it took me a while to truly understand the difference between my dad and my friends’ dads. However, as I moved from primary school into high school, the differences became more and more apparent ...”

Shihan Cameron Quinn has been training Kyokushin Karate for 47 years. He has worked with elite athletes, sporting teams and professional martial artists. He is a best selling author, and does speaking engagements and training seminars around the world …

Ava is a two year old girl who is receiving treatment for Stage 4 high risk Neuroblastoma. This is a very aggressive form of cancer, with a survival rate of 40%. If Ava's chemotherapy treatments are successful, she faces a 75% chance of relapse with in 6 months - unless she receives a trial vaccine…

At 26 years old Toby Carr underwent spinal surgery to address a large disc extrusion at C6/C7 (the base of the neck).

“The worst case scenario is you’ll never walk again … and you’ll have limited use of your arms and hands.” …

Balancing mental illness with your identity can be quite hard - how much of yourself should you share?

The impact of stigma, judgement and the chance for a fall back into a mental health crisis all impact how you respond when someone asks if you are okay …

I’m an introvert. That means I prefer quieter social gatherings and work places, and fewer but deeper connections.

In this episode I talk about how I ensure that I remain social and guard my mental state, as well as offer advice to people to find their ideal job doing something they love, rather than forcing themselves to work doing something they despise …

In this episode I share part 1 of my second book ‘Upgrade’.

"Enter a dystopic future where integration with technology may cost us our humanity. A bleak prediction of a world where consumerism and technological advancement has been taken to the extreme."