The Lonely Chapter

Sam Maclean
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The Lonely Chapter is a podcast for people who are doing okay on the surface, but quietly unsure how to live well. Through calm, thoughtful conversations, host Sam Maclean sits down with guests from a wide range of backgrounds to explore the lessons they’ve learned through life, work, struggle, change, and growth. These are not conversations about having it all figured out. They’re reflections on meaning, identity, resilience, and what it looks like to live well when life doesn’t follow a straight line. Some episodes are long-form interviews. Others are solo reflections. All are designed to help you feel a little more oriented in your own life.

  1. 13 uur geleden

    Why Peace Was Harder to Survive Than War | Liz McConaghy | #111

    War gave Liz purpose. Peace nearly took her life. Liz McConaghy spent 17 years flying on the RAF Chinook Fleet, completing deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and serving on the Medical Emergency Response Team. Surrounded by people, purpose and teamwork, she learned to function in some of the most dangerous environments imaginable. But the chapter that nearly ended her life began after she left. Following a medical discharge from the RAF, the loss of her military identity, the breakdown of her marriage, the death of a close friend and the isolation of lockdown, Liz began experiencing symptoms of PTSD without recognising what was happening. In this deeply honest conversation, Liz shares the journey from war zones to loneliness, depression and a suicide attempt, and the long, non-linear process of finding purpose, identity and hope again. We explore why unprocessed trauma can return years later, how grief can follow the loss of a career or relationship, why people in the military and emergency services learn to normalise danger, and what happens when the uniform that defined your life is suddenly taken away. Liz also shares practical ways to support someone who is struggling: asking twice, giving your mental health a number out of ten, opening up about your own vulnerability, having difficult conversations while walking side by side and seeking help before reaching crisis point. This is a conversation about PTSD, military life, loneliness, identity, suicide prevention, mental health recovery, grief, purpose and learning to believe that the light can come back on. In this episode: → Why peace became harder for Liz to survive than war → Life as the longest-serving female RAF Chinook crewman → Iraq, Afghanistan and the Medical Emergency Response Team → The hidden grief of losing a career, relationship and identity → How PTSD appeared years after leaving the military → The phone call Liz does not remember making that saved her life → Why recovery is rarely a straight line → How to help someone open up without forcing them → Why asking “How are you?” twice can make a difference → Finding an identity beyond the uniform → Why nobody needs to reach rock bottom before deserving help Follow Liz: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chinookcrewchick/ X: https://x.com/chinnychick Website: https://www.chinookcrewchick.co.uk/ Read or listen to Chinook Crew ‘Chick’: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chinook-Crew-Chick-Longest-Crewmember-ebook/dp/B0BNC5PW8Y

    1 u 16 m

  2. 6 jul

    Why Strong Men Don’t Always Ask for Help | Jason Kubiak | #110

    He looked fine, but he was falling apart. In this episode of The Lonely Chapter Podcast, Sam speaks with Jason Kubiak, a firefighter, former professional MMA fighter, father and co-founder of Unified Against Violence CIC. Jason opens up about the period of his life where everything started to collapse around him: divorce, operational trauma, not seeing his children, homelessness, self-medication, isolation and the painful realisation that he did not understand what was happening in his own mind. From the outside, he may have looked capable, disciplined and strong, but privately he was struggling to survive. This conversation explores men’s mental health, firefighter trauma, suicide prevention, emotional isolation, the pressure to be strong, fatherhood, recovery, routine, discipline, asking for help, and the importance of having people who do more than simply say, “let me know if you need anything.” Jason also shares how his experiences shaped the way he now supports others, including his work with Unified Against Violence CIC, a project focused on youth violence, knife crime prevention, public access bleed kits, defibrillators, community safety and giving young people access to belonging, mentorship, sport and support before pain becomes violence. Find Jason on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaykube0067/ Find Unified Against Violence CIC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unified_against_violence/

    1 u 20 m

  3. 22 jun

    5 Questions to Help You Make Sense of Life | Solo Episode | #109

    Most of us are looking for answers, but maybe what we need is better questions. In this solo episode of The Lonely Chapter, Sam Maclean reflects on the questions that have kept appearing across more than 100 honest conversations about identity, difficulty, purpose, personal growth and what it means to live well. Through personal stories, including leaving veganism after eight and a half years, working in gyms, becoming a firefighter, volunteering with Samaritans and learning the power of silence, Sam explores how our experiences shape us and how the stories we tell ourselves can change the way we live. This episode is for anyone who feels like they are doing okay on the surface, but quietly trying to understand themselves, their past, and what they want life to look like from here. If one of these questions stays with you, sit with it. Write it down. Ask someone else. Sometimes one honest question can open a better conversation. If you enjoy this episode, please follow or subscribe to The Lonely Chapter wherever you’re listening. It really helps the show reach more people who might need it.

    27 min.

  4. 15 jun

    The Weight of Leading the London Fire Brigade | Commissioner Jonathan Smith | #108

    What does real responsibility feel like? In this episode of The Lonely Chapter, I sit down with Jonathan Smith, the London Fire Commissioner, to talk about what it really means to lead the London Fire Brigade. Jonathan leads the largest fire and rescue service in England and Wales, but this conversation goes beyond the title. We talk about the pressure of responsibility, the loneliness of leadership, making difficult decisions when there is no obvious right answer, and how to stay grounded when your work becomes such a big part of who you are. We also explore culture inside the fire service, psychological safety, learning from mistakes, imposter syndrome, the difference between being nice and being kind, and why good leadership depends on humility, communication and trust. This is a conversation about leadership, identity, public service, emergency services, accountability, organisational culture, London Fire Brigade, the future of the fire service, and the trace we leave on the people around us. Find Jonathan Smith on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-smith-ba-msc-5974876a London Fire Brigade: https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/

    1 u 11 m

  5. 8 jun

    Why Men Hide Their Pain Until They Break | Dr Susie Bennett | #107

    Some men look fine. They’re not. In this episode of The Lonely Chapter, I’m joined again by Dr Susie Bennett, a researcher whose work focuses on male suicide, men’s mental health, emotional suppression and the hidden pain many men carry. We explore why some men appear completely fine on the outside while struggling internally, how men learn to hide pain, and why emotional suppression can become dangerous when it disconnects men from what they are actually feeling. This conversation goes into the “performance of self,” male suicide research, internal unsafety, relational unsafety, childhood experiences, shame, body image, loneliness, male sexuality, unmet human needs, and the empathy gap around men’s pain. This is not a conversation about blaming men or excusing harmful behaviour. It is a conversation about understanding what can happen beneath the surface when men feel they have to cope, stay in control, and carry pain alone. In this episode, we discuss: → Why men hide their pain until they break → Why some men do not realise how badly they are struggling → Signs of distress in men that do not look like distress → Male suicide, emotional suppression and hidden psychological pain → The loneliness of pretending to be okay → Internal unsafety and relational unsafety → Childhood adversity, shame, bullying and emotional regulation → Male body image and pressure around appearance → Male sexuality, unmet human needs and difficult conversations → What helps men begin to feel safe again If you’re new here, please do follow The Lonely Chapter wherever you’re listening - it really helps the show reach more people who might need it.

    1 u 18 m

  6. 1 jun

    5 Lessons Firefighting Taught Me About Life | Solo Episode | #106

    Firefighting teaches you what pressure reveals. In this solo episode of The Lonely Chapter, I reflect on 5 lessons firefighting taught me about life - and how those lessons connect to confidence, pressure, identity, mental health, emotional intelligence, and the conversations I’ve had on the podcast. Working in the fire service puts you around people on some of the hardest days of their lives. Over time, it teaches you things about human behaviour that are easy to miss in everyday life: how people respond under pressure, how confidence is built, how identity can both protect and trap us, and why people remember how you made them feel more than what you said. In this episode, I explore: → Why confidence comes from competence, not motivation → Why most people are carrying more than you realise → How identity can help you - and trap you → Why presence matters more than perfection → Why people remember how you made them feel under pressure I also connect these lessons to previous conversations on The Lonely Chapter, including episodes with Sean Conway, Brandon Day, James Elliott, Mark Robinson and Dakota Meyer. This is a reflective episode about firefighting, life lessons, resilience, personal growth, confidence, identity, pressure, mental health, emotional wellbeing, and what it means to show up for people when life feels difficult. If you’re doing okay on the surface, but quietly trying to make sense of life, I hope this episode helps you feel a little less alone.

    19 min.

  7. 25 mei

    When Success No Longer Feels Sustainable | Brandon Day | #105

    What do you do when your dream life starts to feel like a nightmare? In this chapter, we sit down with Brandon Day to explore the "dark places" that high performance often hides. From winning National Championships and being featured in Sports Illustrated to waking up on a deflated air mattress in a shoebox condo, Brandon shares the raw reality of when success stops feeling sustainable. We dive deep into his journey through chronic pain, mental health struggles, and the "applied neurology" that finally helped him heal his body and mind. Brandon explains how our brains use pain as a protection signal and why "hustle culture" and the constant grind can lead to burnout and isolation. This conversation is for anyone feeling the weight of expectations, struggling with invisible pain, or looking for a more sustainable path to peak performance and flow state. Discover how to move from a state of survival into a state of thriving by understanding the science of your brain and the power of vulnerability. In this video, we discuss: - Overcoming rock bottom and finding a new path. - The connection between neurology, chronic pain, and recovery. - Why traditional "high performance" leads to burnout. - The role of flow state in sustainable success and mental health. - Breaking the cycle of isolation in the pursuit of greatness. Follow Brandon: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambrandonday/ Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/evolved/about

    56 min.

  8. 18 mei

    What Suffering Reveals About the Life You’re Avoiding | Chris from CFTE | #104

    Sometimes the pain we avoid is trying to teach us. Chris from Conversations for the End joins Sam for a conversation about grief, suffering, addiction, Carl Jung, and what happens when the things we avoid begin to find their way back to us. After losing his brother in a car accident at fourteen, Chris spent years trying to outrun the grief through distraction, achievement, drugs, alcohol and different forms of escape. In this episode of The Lonely Chapter, we explore what suffering can reveal when we stop treating it only as something to fix, numb or avoid. This is a conversation about death, renewal, symbolic meaning, the unconscious, modern life, the internet, addiction, avoidance, grief, and the difficult process of becoming more honest with yourself. In this episode, we explore → What “the end” really means → Losing a brother at fourteen → Grief, addiction and avoidance → Why suffering can reconnect us to life → Carl Jung, symbols and individuation → The parts of ourselves we try not to face → The internet as a modern trickster Follow Chris from CFTE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conversationsfortheend/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@conversationsfortheend

    1 u 23 m
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Info

The Lonely Chapter is a podcast for people who are doing okay on the surface, but quietly unsure how to live well. Through calm, thoughtful conversations, host Sam Maclean sits down with guests from a wide range of backgrounds to explore the lessons they’ve learned through life, work, struggle, change, and growth. These are not conversations about having it all figured out. They’re reflections on meaning, identity, resilience, and what it looks like to live well when life doesn’t follow a straight line. Some episodes are long-form interviews. Others are solo reflections. All are designed to help you feel a little more oriented in your own life.

Informatie

  • Maker
    Sam Maclean
  • Jaren actief
    2024 - 2026
  • Afleveringen
    111
  • Beoordeling
    Expliciet
  • Copyright
    © Sam Maclean
  • Website van aflevering
    The Lonely Chapter

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