We're All Mad Here Geneva Atkinson

“One of the issues I have [with depression] is that I don’t want to drag other people down. It’s a kind of pre-judgement about the situation - the other person might not even feel like that, but I don’t want to kill the mood. There’s a lot of internalised shame around what it means to be a man.”

On this week’s episode, I’m joined by Michael, an extremely eloquent young author, who speaks about the complex nuances that can prevent men from seeking help for mental health problems, as well as what he personally does to cope. Sinead also joins us, supporting Michael’s views and discussing the men’s mental health campaign that she has recently launched.

BetterHelp discount code: www.betterhelp.com/allmadhere

You can find Michael's work here: www.howtokeepstill.com

You can find Sinead's campaign here:

Campaign Launch: Sunday 30th September (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/silence-kills-tickets-49537875118?aff=ebdssbdestsearch)
If you are unable to attend the fundraising event, you can donate to MindfullAus- a non-profit organisation who run workshops and programs, teaching others on mental illness, resilience and the tools it takes to be well (https://gogetfunding.com/silencekills/)

‘We couldn’t just leave. We would have to rent a cabin where my dad couldn’t find us’. What happens when your biggest role model becomes terrifying and tyrannical? How do children of violent abusers deal with the memories later in life? We explore these topics with Belinda Wood as she tells us about what it was like growing up in fear of her father, and how her own marriage has been affected.

Resources Mentioned in This Podcast:

Domestic Violence Hotline Australia: 1800 737 732
Lifeline Suicide Hotline: 13 11 14
BetterHelp Counselling: www.betterhelp.com/allmadhere
Belinda's Instagram: @belle_natural
Belinda's email: belinda3986@gmail.com

I’m joined today by Doctor Prash Puspanathan, a doctor of medicine at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Dr. Prash has a Masters in Psychological Medicine and is currently a psychiatric registrar with special interest in the use of psychedelic substances in the treatment of psychological conditions. These conditions include PTSD, treatment resistant depression and the anxiety that comes with terminal illness. He speaks to us today about the profoundly positive effects these substances can have, and the barriers that currently exist when trying to do medical research about them.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

BetterHelp: www.betterhelp.com/allmadhere (Follow this link to get a discount on your first session)

Betterhelp: www.betterhelp.com/allmadhere
Today I speak to the person who inspired me to start this podcast, and who experiences arguably one of the most misunderstood conditions in psychological literature. Amber is a trans-female data analyst living in Newcastle Australia who has dissociative identity disorder, or what is popularly known as 'multiple personality disorder'. She has been a 'multiple' for most of her adult life, and has been working deeply to understand and accept her identities. She describes her experience as being 'like living in a share-house. I don't have any control over what anyone else does, I can only make sure that everyone is happy'. She describes how having multiple identities impacts her romantic relationships, and how having a 'team' of identities on hand is a bit like having a superpower.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

BetterHelp: www.betterhelp.com/allmadhere

Amber's email: amberxoxtaylor@gmail.com

Free Resources for Hosts, Alters, Counsellors and Friends of People with “Multiple Personalities”: http://www.net-burst.net/counselor-therapist/dissociative-resources.htm

Check out Betterhelp, an amazing online counseling service that matches you with a therapist who is PERFECT for whatever you need. It only takes 5 minutes, so start getting help right away. If you follow this link, you'll get a discount off your first session: Betterhelp.com/allmadhere

Dr. Reid Wilson is a licensed psychologist who directs the Anxiety Disorders Treatment Centre. He is also Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He is an international expert in the treatment of anxiety disorders, with books translated into nine languages. He designed and served as lead psychologist for American Airlines' first national program for the fearful flier. Dr. Wilson served on the Board of Directors of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America for 12 years. His free self-help website - www.anxieties.com - serves 500,000 visitors (20 million hits) per year. He serves as the Expert for WebMD's Anxiety and Panic Community. Television appearances include The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Katie Show, Good Morning America, CNN, CNN-Financial Network, A&E's Hoarders, MTV's True Life. Today on our podcast, he will be going into detail about the powerful techniques that he teaches people to help them overcome their disorders, and how these techniques can also be used outside of a mental health context. He tells us what it was like to create the first program for frequent fliers, and leaves us with a message of hope for anyone who is encountering difficulty with anxiety.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Reid Wilson's new online self help program: http://noiseinyourhead.com/

Reid Wilson's Website: www.anxieties.com

Burnout and empathy fatigue are highly under-recognised problems amongst those who work in helping professions. Mental health issues in these jobs are incredibly common. Today, my guest Caitlin addresses these topics. Caitlin is a mental health worker delivering rehab programs to inmates within the prison system. She has experienced significant mental health issues of her own due to the heavy emotional stress of her job. She speaks to us today about how her clients are ‘let down the by the system’, and how ‘offending doesn’t happen in a vacuum”. She will also talk about how carers and those in helping professions such as teaching, medicine, and mental health can end up burning out because of the high level of empathy required to do their jobs. She will share what helped her during her worst times, and offer a message of solidarity.