The Survival Project

Jonathan Healy
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The Survival Project is a podcast about health, resilience, and the power of shared experience. We all face battles; for our health, for our wellbeing, for survival itself. This podcast is a space to explore those battles honestly, whether you’re living with chronic illness yourself or supporting someone you love. “Your story can be someone else’s survival guide” - The Survival Project exists to do just that: turn lived experience into a guide for others.

  1. 1D AGO

    022 - Ostique Connect: Chronic Illness No Longer Has To Mean Isolation

    He’s joined by Liv from Salts Healthcare and Josh, a Salts advocate and Ostique Connect user, to talk about something many people with IBD and stomas experience but don’t always say out loud: isolation. They dive into Ostique Connect, a free peer-support app designed to help people connect with others who truly understand their stage of the journey, plus the community features like one-to-one chats, the global forum, and resources created with real lived experience. Josh shares how connecting with others has helped his confidence and mental health, and Liv explains why Salts focuses so heavily on patient support and advocacy. Download Ostique Connect (free): search “Ostique Connect” in the App Store or Google Play📌 Links Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ostiqueltd.ostiqueconnect&hl=en IOS: https://apps.apple.com/ar/app/ostique-connect/id6463715231

    33 min

  2. FEB 11

    021 - Living With Fear: Reflections - Jonathan Healy

    Fear is part of chronic illness. Even when it’s not spoken about, it’s there. In Episode 21 of The Survival Project, I reflect on the previous ten episodes and explore the role fear has played in my own life, my diagnosis, and the stories shared by my guests. From fear of relationships, parenthood, failure, and relapse, to self-sabotage, stress, and the nervous system, this episode looks at how fear shows up, why it exists, and how it can quietly shape our choices if we let it. I share what therapy has taught me about catching negative thought patterns, how fear lives in the future, and why learning to calm the mind and body matters just as much as managing physical symptoms. Drawing on insights from guests including Owen Lancelot, Dr Orla Kelly, Colm Collins, Moira Geary, Nemara Wilde, Lorraine Cooney, Zoe Ryan, Daniel Duckett, and Kenneth Keavey, this episode connects lived experience with biology, mindset, and choice. Fear doesn’t disappear. But it can be understood, redirected, and used. This episode is about learning how to respond to fear instead of letting it control your life. Thanks to Salts Healthcare for supporting this episode and for creating Ostique Connect, an app designed to reduce isolation for people living with IBD and ostomies. If this episode resonates, you’re not alone. Episode links: Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ostiqueltd.ostiqueconnect&hl=en IOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ostique-connect/id6463715231 The hidden power of smiling - Ron Gutman - TED-Ed TED-Edhttps://ed.ted.com › lessons › the-hidden-power-of-smil...

    16 min

  3. FEB 3

    020 - Recombobulating The Mind: From Self-Sabotage To Self-Trust - Moira Geary

    In this episode of The Survival Project, I’m joined by mindset and nervous-system specialist Moira Geary, known for her work helping people “recombobulate” when life feels overwhelming, chaotic, or stuck. We explore why self-sabotage shows up even when we consciously want to be well, how the subconscious mind protects us through fear and familiar patterns, and why chronic illness can trap us in constant future-focused anxiety. Moira shares practical, accessible tools to calm the nervous system, interrupt stress loops, and shift perspective without forcing positivity or reliving the past. We also talk about identity, fear responses, public speaking anxiety, and how mindset work can support physical healing. This conversation is especially for anyone living with chronic illness, stress, or burnout who feels stuck in survival mode and wants realistic ways to feel more grounded. 🎧 Listen with an open mind.🔗 Links mentioned in the episode are in the show notes. What happens when your body is sick but your mind never feels safe? In this episode of The Survival Project, I sit down with Moira Geary, creator of the QTT method and a specialist in mindset, nervous system regulation, and subconscious patterns. Moira describes her work as helping people “recombobulate” when stress, fear, self-sabotage, or illness take over. We dive deep into: Why the subconscious mind pulls us back into old habits How fear and uncertainty fuel chronic stress Why people with chronic illness often live in the future The link between thoughts, physiology, and emotional triggers Simple techniques to calm the nervous system in real time Why meditation doesn’t work for everyone and what does How identity and past experiences shape present reactions Moira also shares insights from her own health journey, including navigating serious illness, and explains how perspective shifts can create real internal freedom even when external circumstances haven’t changed. This episode is for anyone living with chronic illness, anxiety, or overwhelm who wants grounded, practical tools rather than surface-level positivity. 👍 If this conversation resonates, like the video📌 Subscribe for future episodes💬 Share your thoughts in the commentsPositivity Project: https://www.moirageary.com/podcasts/the-positivity-project-podcast This episode is supported by Salts Healthcare Ostique Connect Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ostiqueltd.ostiqueconnect&hl=en IOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ostique-connect/id6463715231

    47 min

  4. JAN 28

    019 - Take Control of Your Mind: Healing the Subconscious & Tools To Change The Pattern - Nemara Wilde

    In Episode 19 of The Survival Project, I’m joined by hypnotherapist Nemara Wilde (Wilde Transformation), someone who genuinely helped change my life. Years ago, she helped me finally get off cigarettes after failing miserably for a long time, and in this conversation we unpack why habits like smoking are rarely about the habit itself. We talk hypnotherapy in a way that actually makes sense, how the subconscious drives compulsions, and why so many of us get trapped in spirals of thought that pull us further into stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. Nemara also guides a simple “Lemon Test” that shows just how powerfully the mind influences the body, and she shares practical tools you can use immediately, including thought flipping, self praise, and a morning “power walk” routine to shift your state. A huge thank you to Salts Healthcare for supporting the podcast and for building tools like Ostique Connect, helping prove that chronic illness does not have to mean isolation. Download links: IOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ostique-connect/id6463715231 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ostiqueltd.ostiqueconnect&hl=en

    56 min

  5. JAN 19

    018 - Advocacy, Access & Bridging The Gap Between Patient & Practitioner - Dr. Orlaith Kelly

    In this episode of The Survival Project, i am joined by Dr Orlaith Kelly, Consultant Gastroenterologist and passionate IBD advocate, for a deeply honest and wide-ranging conversation about inflammatory bowel disease from both sides of the desk. We explore the realities of living with IBD in Ireland, including the financial burden patients face, why Crohn’s and Colitis are still not recognised under the Long-Term Illness Scheme, and how cost forces people to skip medication, delay care, and suffer in silence. Dr Kelly speaks candidly about the empathy gap between patients and practitioners, the pressures inside an under-resourced health system, and why communication, trust, and listening are just as important as medication. The conversation also dives into steroids, biologics, burnout, advocacy, and what the future of IBD care could look like with AI, remote monitoring, wearables, and personalised treatment. This episode is about humanity in medicine, system change, and why recognising IBD as the disabling condition it is could transform thousands of lives. 🎧 A must-listen for anyone living with IBD, supporting someone with chronic illness, or working inside healthcare. Supported by Salts Healthcare Ostique Connect download links: Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ostiqueltd.ostiqueconnect&hl=en Apple - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ostique-connect/id6463715231

    54 min

  6. JAN 13

    017 - Deaths Door To 100km Ultra Marathons: Stryde-ing Forward - Owen Lancelot (@bagontherun)

    In Episode 17, I sit down with Owen Lancelot, an ultra runner and ostomate whose story goes way beyond ulcerative colitis. Diagnosed at 16, Owen shares what happens to your mind when your body starts betraying you: the anger, the loss of fear, the reckless coping, and the brutal cycle of meds, steroids, and hospital stays. He also opens up about the lesser-known “domino effects” of treatment and surgery, and the ripple impact on the people who love you. Then we get into the rebuild: how endurance sport gave Owen control again, his philosophy on the “pain cave,” and why community matters so much for men living with chronic illness. We also talk about Stryde, the support garment Owen is building to help ostomates train and live with more confidence. Owen is an amzing advocate who raises money for Crohns & Colitis charites for every race that he does. This conversation was made possible today by Salts Healthcare. Their app Ostique Connect is fantastic tool to prevent the isolation that can come with chronic illness and its completely free. If you'd like to check it out you can download at the links below: Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ostiqueltd.ostiqueconnect&hl=en IOS: https://apps.apple.com/ar/app/ostique-connect/id6463715231 You can check out Owens social and his business Stryde: @bagontherun @strydeactive

    1h 25m

  7. JAN 6

    016 - Cannabis & Crohn’s And Why Biologics Stop Working - Colm Collins

    In this episode of The Survival Project, I sit down with Colm Collins, an IBD researcher with over 15 years of experience at the cutting edge of inflammatory bowel disease science. Colm unpacks some of the most misunderstood and debated topics in IBD today, including: Why cannabis may feel helpful short-term but can significantly worsen Crohn’s disease long-term The real science behind the gut–brain axis and how inflammation affects mental health Stress as a genuine biological trigger, not just a “side effect” Why biologics can stop working and what’s coming next in IBD treatment The role of genetics, the microbiome, environment, and immune memory How wearables, home testing, and personalised medicine could change patient care Why collaboration between patients, researchers, and clinicians is essential This is a deeply informative conversation that bridges lived experience with real-world science, cutting through myths and offering clarity, hope, and context for anyone living with IBD or supporting someone who is. This episode is proudly supported by Salts Healthcare. This episode is supported by Salts Healthcare. Thank you to Salts for supporting The Survival Project and helping amplify conversations around health and wellbeing.If you'd like to check out Ostique Connect, you can do at the following links: Android:  Apple:  Follow the podcast to stay up to date with future episodes, and share this one with someone who could benefit from it.

    1h 2m

  8. 12/30/2025

    015 - Why Your Orange Might Not Be Vegan: What’s Really On Our Food - Kenneth Keavey

    Food used to be simple. Somewhere along the way, it stopped being. In this episode, Jonathan sits down with Kenneth Keavey, founder of Green Earth Organics, to uncover the hidden realities of modern food production and why an everyday orange might not be vegan. From chemical residues and food coatings to fake farm branding and soil destruction, this conversation reveals how disconnected we’ve become from the way our food is grown. Kenneth explains why organic farming is not a trend but a return to how food was always meant to be produced. This episode explores the deep connection between food, gut health, biodiversity, and long-term wellbeing, while offering grounded, practical advice for anyone who wants to eat cleaner without fear or perfectionism. You’ll hear about: The surprising truth behind non-vegan fruit Chemicals in food and what labels don’t tell you Soil health and why it matters for human health Food marketing myths vs reality Small, meaningful changes that make a real difference This episode is supported by Salts Healthcare. Thank you to Salts for supporting The Survival Project and helping amplify conversations around health and wellbeing. If you'd like to check out Ostique Connect, you can do at the following links: Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ostiqueltd.ostiqueconnect&hl=en Apple: https://apps.apple.com/ar/app/ostique-connect/id6463715231 Check out Green Earth Organics: https://greenearthorganics.ie/ If this episode made you think differently about food, follow the podcast and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

    36 min
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About

The Survival Project is a podcast about health, resilience, and the power of shared experience. We all face battles; for our health, for our wellbeing, for survival itself. This podcast is a space to explore those battles honestly, whether you’re living with chronic illness yourself or supporting someone you love. “Your story can be someone else’s survival guide” - The Survival Project exists to do just that: turn lived experience into a guide for others.

Information

  • Creator
    Jonathan Healy
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jonathan Healy
  • Show Website
    The Survival Project