The Just Checking In Podcast

In episode 287 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Sam Gravestock. Sam is the Founder of The Forest Path, which bills itself as a therapeutic wilderness guide. Through The Forest Path, Sam offers programmes to help his clients reengage with nature and improve their mental health as a result. This includes things like Intuitive Coaching and Campfire Counsel, a Men's Guided Therapeutic Wilderness Retreat, Fellowship by the Fire and Nature Connection Walks. The inspiration for starting The Forest Path came when Sam experienced a mental health crisis in his 20s and bushcraft and nature were key to his recovery. At the time of starting it, it was the Covid-19 pandemic. Sam was working in the health and social care sector but was feeling burnt out from it. He had a life epiphany, resigned from his job and decided to start The Forest Path and has got it to where it is now. In this episode we discuss Sam's professional journey, his work in social care, youth work and the genesis of The Forest Path and what it provides for his clients. We then discuss Sam's mental health journey, which includes that mental health crisis, specifically psychosis, the factors which triggered it, spending six weeks in a psychiatric ward and being spiked with crack by a fellow in-patient whilst he was there. We then discuss his recovery, the impact of doing The Forest Path on his own mental health, marriage and fatherhood. As always, #itsokaytovent Find out more about The Forest Path here: https://www.theforestpath.co.uk/ You can follow The Forest Path on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_path_uk/ Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 286 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Matthew Ayres. Matt works in recruitment and is the current partner of great friend of the pod and Just Checking In Live (JCIL) #6 headliner Jade Morgan Kelly. We met Matt at JCIL #6, and he told us he wanted to share his story on the podcast. Matt grew up in Exeter, in Devon, and when he was around 16/17 years old, he was told by his mum that his dad, the man he had thought was his dad for his entire life up to that point, was not actually his dad and was actually his step-dad. Naturally, his entire worldview collapsed and he spent the next few years trying to figure out who his biological father was, and also who he was too. Eventually, after setting up an Ancestry account, which allowed him to find out who his biological uncle was and connect with him, he discovered who his dad was and met him for the first time in a pub in East London. Since then, Matt and his dad have met up several times since and have as good a relationship as can be expected when their lives took such different paths. It's important to state that Matt's dad had no idea he existed and was not told that the mother of his first child was even pregnant, so neither Matt nor us at VENT place any blame on his dad for being absent for most of his life up to this point. In this episode we chart this journey, how meeting a ‘high-performance coach' that his workplace had in place helped him massively with his mental health, the periods in his childhood where he rebelled against his step-father, not even knowing he wasn't his dad, the moment he discovered who his dad was and that first meeting with him. We also discuss the stigmas that still exist for men's mental health and question if we need to change the language around therapy to encourage more men who do need it to seek it out? And finally, how we need to move from crisis strategies and campaigns for men to more preventative strategies, so we don't have men seeking help for the first time when they are always in crisis mode. As always, #itsokaytovent Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 285 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Brady Frost and Tom Bradshaw. Brady Frost and Tom Bradshaw are both Huddersfield Town fans and previously co-hosted a series on the Huddersfield Town podcast ‘And He Takes That Chance' called The Warm Up, where they previewed upcoming games. After doing that for a few years, they wanted to try something new and different but stay within the Huddersfield Town podcast space. They set up a new podcast called ‘Still Smiling', where they interview Town fans, former players and others and aim to remind Town fans you why they love the club. Our Founder Freddie Cocker was a guest on their first series and they have already interviewed a range of illustrious guests, local celebs in the Town fanbase and iconic former players. We first interviewed Brady on this podcast way back when in JCIP #43, and we first interviewed Tom in JCIP #127. We wanted to bring both back on to discuss the new podcast, what they want to achieve with it, some of their favourite episodes and the role it plays in the Huddersfield Town content creator space. We also have a check in with each of their respective, continued mental health journeys. For Brady, we discuss his experience of redundancy, which he went through during the Covid-19 pandemic period. We also discuss him getting engaged, buying a house and his decision to cut down drinking. We finish by discussing a wonderful article he wrote on journalist Daniel Gray's website ‘When Saturday Comes' about a half-and-half scarf and how it became a family tradition for him going to watch Town games. For Tom, we discuss the continued positive role his local Sunday league football team has on his mental health, and his three dogs, which he describes as a ‘life changer'. As always, #itsokaytovent You can subscribe and listen to the Still Smiling podcast on streaming platforms below: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/still-smiling-a-huddersfield-town-podcast/id1756086683 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3HLWlANnokQ6zXsJEDtE5K You can follow them on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stillsmilingpod/ You can read the full piece Brady wrote on When Saturday Comes here: https://www.wsc.co.uk/stories/close-knit-the-huddersfield-and-arsenal-half-and-half-scarf-thats-worn-with-pride/ You can listen to Part of Brady & Tom's journeys below: JCIP #43 - Brady Frost: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-43-brady-frost JCIP #127 - Tom Bradshaw: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-127-tom-bradshaw Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 284 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Daniel John. Daniel is the Founder of the mental health platform ‘You, Me & Anxiety', which he founded in February 2018 to try and tackle the stigma around anxiety, provide him with a channel to voice his own experiences of anxiety and amplify the voices of others. We first checked in with him in JCIP #60, where we discussed the origins of the platform, the skills it gave him and his experience of anxiety, panic attacks, childhood bullying, his religious upbringing and much more. Since we first checked in, Dan decided to take a break from the platform for his own mental health. He was experiencing difficulties in his work and career, which was causing him significant distress. He went on holiday to Lisbon in Portugal for a week with a friend in November 2022 and had a life epiphany. He then took the decision to leave the job he was in and go travelling for three months. However, whilst he was travelling, he started to experience strange symptoms, including exhaustion and chronic pain, which he'd never experienced before. He tried toughing it out but in the end it got too much for him and he made the decision to come home and sort it out. After not receiving the best advice from his GP, he decided to go privately and was told the issue may be caused by bacterial overgrowth in his gut, where his immune system was weaker because of the workplace stress. After a period where he thought it was getting better, at the end of that year, the pain and fatigue came back and Dan began to believe the symptoms were psychological. One day he saw a book in his mum's house called ‘The Mind Body Prescription' by John E. Sarno. He read it and after reading it once, his symptoms went down by roughly 30%. Now, whenever he feels these symptoms flare up again, he re-reads the book and uses it as a literal mental and physical tool to help his mental health. He went back out travelling again, enjoyed it and has now returned to the UK where he is back in a stable place with his career. In this episode, we discuss: why he's starting the platform back up again and his goals for this next chapter, what has changed and stayed the same in the mental health conversation since we first checked in, and the types of voices he wants to amplify on the platform going forward. We then discuss that continued mental health journey, the emotional build-up which may have been at the heart of that distress and pain and the relationship between physical health and mental health. And finally, for the first time, we discuss Dan's relationship with his father, which may explain the origins of some of the experiences we discuss and why he's reacted the way he has in these periods of his life. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about You, Me & Anxiety here: https://medium.com/you-me-anxiety You can follow the platform on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youmeandanxiety_/ You can listen to Part 1 of Dan's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-60-daniel-john Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 283 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Jason Reeves. Jason is the Founder of Embers Woodcraft, a charity which offers bushcraft experiences, workshops and a range of other activities that bring people together and focus on the natural environment's power to improve their mental health. Jason began his career in the military, joining the Parachute Regiment at the age of 19, serving in Northern Ireland during The Troubles in 2Para. He then left the Paras and worked offshore on an oil rig for a year, before joining the Fire Brigade as a firefighter. He served in Kent Fire Brigade for 28 years at various stations in the county, and he will be retiring from the Fire Service in May 2025. Jason set up Embers in March 2024 and made it a C.I.C in September 2024. They currently put on one workshop a month and exclusively cater to helping male and female current and ex-emergency service personnel, as well as serving and non-serving military personnel. For Jason's mental health journey, his passion for mental health also stemmed from his own mental health difficulties as well as his family's. At the end of 2023, Jason found something in the back of his brain, which he feared was a brain tumour but thankfully turned out to be a benign cyst. However, between discovering it and the eventual reality, the cyst caused him to experience late-stage epilepsy. Thankfully there were no seizures, but he did experience tingling sensations in parts of his body which he could not explain at the time. After doctors believed he was having a stroke, they did a brain scan and found a cyst the size of a 50p piece. In addition, in 2023 his eldest daughter experienced her own mental health difficulties, which included self-harm, and it caused Jason immense stress and difficulty managing her mental health towards recovery. In this episode we chart Jason's career across the armed forces and fire brigade, how it led to his work with Embers now, his passion for men's mental health and utilising the power of nature, the outdoors and walking and talking to help men. We then discuss how the cyst impacted his physical and mental health, his relationship with his daughter during her mental health difficulties and after she recovered, his plans for retirement and his plans for taking Embers to the next level in the years to come. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about Embers Woodcraft here: https://emberswoodcraft.co.uk/ You can follow them on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emberswoodcraft/ Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk TRIGGER WARNING: this podcast contains descriptions of self-harm, which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

In episode 282 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Holly Brencher. Holly is a journalist and currently works as an AI Expansion Reporter at Newsquest. We came across Holly through a very personal article she wrote on Newsquest about the death of her brother Billy, who tragically took his own life 6th November 2024. The article was called a ‘Tribute to Welling's Billy Payne - love, struggle and advocacy'. In this episode we discuss how Holly got into journalism, through a chance workshop she saw on how to get into the industry after initially picking courses on script writing, despite her anxiety about going to university altogether. We then discuss the three year journalism degree she did at News Associates, based in Twickenham and landing the job she is in now. For industry issues, we discuss work-life balance and social class. For Holly's mental health, we discuss her experience of anxiety from an early age and her difficulties with it when she entered an all-girls school in secondary school. This included severe panic attacks which took her out of school for a year and a half. We then discuss the life and death of her brother Billy, who is her half-brother biologically. On that aforementioned day in November 2024, Holly and her mum were given the news that Billy had taken his own life in prison. This is the first major grief Holly has gone through and she has been trying to process the news in the months following his death. There has been an inquest into Billy's death which is still ongoing at time of recording and hopefully once this has been completed, Holly and her family can have closure. As always, #itsokaytovent You can read Holly's article in full here: https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/24748582.tribute-wellings-billy-payne---love-struggle-advocacy/ Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk TRIGGER WARNING: this podcast contains a deep discussion about grief, loss and suicide, which some listeners may find upsetting or distressing, so please listen with caution.

In this episode of Mind On The Game we checked back in with Aaron Bowes. Aaron plays as the First XV fly-half in the Ashford Rugby Club's Men's team. He is also an old friend of VENT Founder Freddie Cocker. We first checked back in with Aaron way back when in December 2020, where we discussed how he got into rugby, the life skills it gave him including self-confidence and his friendship with Freddie, when they first met whilst studying at Sussex University together. We also discussed some bullying he went through in school because of his ears and the operation he had to pin them back which stopped the bullying and the fresh start it gave him. In Part 2, we discuss an ACL injury Aaron suffered in September 2021, at a point where he was playing his best rugby, the surgery he had to have for it in June 2022 and the recovery journey he went through for a whole year, before starting playing again in the 2023/24 season. We also discuss his desire to get back into the gym now he is fully recovered and so he avoids going through a similar injury again, and some memorable games he's played in this year and last year which helped him get his mojo back. For Aaron's continued mental health journey, we discuss the milestone of reaching 30 years old, the stress of buying a house with his partner and the role she has played on his mental health, and a recent award he received at his workplace. As always, #itsokaytovent You can listen to Part 1 of Aaron's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/mind-on-the-game-aaron-bowes Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 281 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Tom Toolan. Tom Toolan is a father and the Founder of the 'Find Rhian' campaign, a campaign he started to find his daughter Rhian who was abducted by her mother in 2018, taken out of the UK and to her home country of Poland against a court order. Rhian was just six years old at the time. Rhian's abduction is a Criminal Offence under the 1984 Child Abduction Act and is currently wanted by Suffolk Police for the abduction. Despite his campaigning work, Rhian has not been found and Polish authorities have done very little to nothing to help him. In this episode we first discuss Tom's upbringing in Liverpool and his working-class background, the death of his dad and Tom's discovery that he had suffered from mental health difficulties. We then discuss his marriage and divorce from his first wife, which caused him to lose his house and contact with his children from that relationship. Tom then married again but it unfortunately ended in divorce again, and he spent another period on his own. He said this was the lowest point in his life up to that point. Tom then entered into a relationship with Rhian's mother but this relationship broke down in 2017. Prior to Rhian's abduction, Tom went through the family court system where he was faced with false accusations of rape and domestic abuse from Rhian's mother in the UK and the astonishing situation where his second ex-wife testified against him in court too and he claims campaigned to encourage Rhian's abduction. He then went through the Polish court system where she made further claims of alcoholism and implied he had used her for slave labour and exploitation. At time of recording Rhian will be around 11 years old and she has been completely alienated from her father. We chart Tom's story from the start to where it is now, the campaigning work Tom is continuing to do to fight for his daughter, what needs to change in the UK legal system to give fathers a voice, why this issue continues to be ignored by the mainstream mental health conversation and how it plays into the conversation around male suicide. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about the 'Find Rhian' campaign here: https://www.rhiantoolan.com/ Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 280 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Luke Loughlin, and his sister Lindsay Loughlin. We first checked in with Luke in JCIP #244 where we discussed the story of men's mental health platform Men United, whom he was previously a co-founder of. We also discussed his own personal story of being diagnosed with ADHD and a learning difficulty, sexual abuse by a female perpetrator, addiction and suicidality. We then discussed his journey of recovery, using faith as a vehicle for it, getting sober and practicing sobriety, and working on his attachment style. All these positive steps have got him to where he is today. The missing part of the conversation around addiction in the mainstream, and it's one we wanted to cover in this episode is the negative behaviours it causes addicts to do, and how the addicted person's loved ones handle those behaviours and find a path back to a healthy relationship, if that is possible. In this episode with Luke and Lindsay, we discuss their family upbringing and the values their parents instilled in them, the rough tides of Luke's addiction and the sexual abuse he went through which fuelled the addiction. We then discuss the difficult decisions Lindsay and her family made to detach from Luke whilst he was in the throes of this addiction. We then explore the concept of forgiveness, how Luke forgave himself for his actions and understanding his abuse and how Lindsay felt when she discovered the abuse Luke had been going through and the context it provided for his actions and addiction. We then finish by discussing how Lindsay and his family forgave Luke and, together, found a path back to redemption, love and reaching the place they are now in their relationship. Since we checked in, Luke is now godfather to Lindsay's son, Luke's nephew and is giving back to his family and his community through his church, other avenues of positivity and will be starting his own new project in 2025 called 'The Inside Job Project'. The inspiration for the name is because, as Luke says, ‘recovery is an inside job. Change is an inside job'. Recovery only started for Luke when he got honest with himself, owned his shit and self-reflected to discover the trauma he had buried. Once he had done that, he started to produce a change inside that lead to outside changes in his life. As always, #itsokaytovent You can follow Luke on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentalhealthloughlin/ You can listen to Part 1 of Luke's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-244-luke-loughlin Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk TRIGGER WARNING: this podcast contains a brief discussion about sexual abuse, which some listeners may find extremely upsetting or distressing, so please listen with caution.

In episode 279 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Leah Morris. Leah currently works as a Centre Manager at the Liverpool branch of James' Place UK, a charity who are doing lifesaving work for men's mental health. Leah was diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in her early 20s after experiencing some workplace bullying in a previous role prior to joining James' Place UK. Prior to that, she had experienced panic attacks as a teenager whilst studying for her GCSEs but didn't know what they were at the time. After she was diagnosed with GAD, she was prescribed medication in 2019, specifically Fluoxetine which she said helped get her back to a baseline level and she has now been off medication in 2020. At the heart of her mental health recovery has been fitness and exercise. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, she started running, doing the ‘couch to 5k' programme. She got to the point where she was running 5ks three times a week for a year. However, in Christmas 2021, she bought a house and stopped running when she was dealing with the upheaval that moving house brings. She tried picking up running again in 2022 but couldn't get back into it. In May 2023, she joined James' Place UK and at the start of 2024, she got back into fitness, this time trying swimming to help her mental health. She found her rhythm again and now swims three times a week at time of recording. In this episode we talk about Leah's anxiety, workplace bullying, the role fitness played in her recovery and the importance of having the right support network around you to maintain or boost your mental health. As always, #itsokaytovent Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 278 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Evan Grant. Evan Grant is a mental health campaigner and the Co-Founder, alongside his wife Carol and son Alastair of the Cameron Grant Memorial Trust. The Trust was set up in memory of his son Cameron, who tragically took his own life in 2014, when he was just 21 years old. Cameron's death devastated Evan's family and they set up the Trust shortly after Cameron's death to try and change the conversation around mental health. Wee came across Evan's story through James' Place UK as he was interviewed by The Times as part of the newspaper's Christmas Appeal, in which Evan called for another centre to be set up in Birmingham, alongside the centres already established in London, Liverpool and Newcastle. In this episode, we discuss Evan's 35-year career at IBM, fatherhood, Cameron's life, his love of ultimate frisbee, his suicide and the grief that was inflicted upon him and his family then, and how he reflects on it 10 years on. We then discuss the work that the Cameron Grant Memorial Trust has done over those 10 years, shipping over 1.4m of Cameron's Coasters and more than 230,000 postcards and business cards around the UK, Evan's public speaking work in schools, universities and workplaces and letting everyone know that “There is always someone you can talk to.” As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about the Cameron Grant Memorial Trust here: https://www.camgrant.org.uk/ You can follow the Trust on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cammemorial/ You can read The Sunday Times article we discussed in full here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/society/article/avoid-the-hurt-of-the-lost-years-and-lost-chances-suicide-christmas-appeal-bxv70m3v6. You can also sign up the Trust's charity bike ride to Amsterdam here: https://www.redfoxcycling.co.uk/event-details-registration/hampton-in-arden-to-amsterdam-cycle-challenge-may-2025-2 Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In this episode of Behind The Mic we checked back in with Norwegian artist, Severin. We first checked in with Severin in August 2023. In Part 1 we discussed his musical identity, moving from singing and producing music in English to Norwegian, overcoming shyness he had as a child and how his artist persona was a vehicle for him to gain confidence and improve his self-esteem. Since we checked in, Sev has tried release as much music as possible. He has released a series of singles, as well as two EPs, ‘i fer ikkje sove' and ‘i elska at du gjaer me ildt'. In this episode we discuss these two EPs and the musical direction he has gone in from his earlier records, performing at Trondstad Calling festival, supporting a massive Norwegian-crossover artist Sigrid at her Molde show this year and his plans for a tour of Norway in 2025. For Sev's continued mental health journey, we talk about his recent experiences of social anxiety, how he's managed it and the tools he uses to combat it. His partner and him are both good listeners and have similar personalities, which can bring a lot of positives. However, after they moved in together, the downside is they can tend to enjoy staying in too much and aren't as social as they feel they should be, and we talk about finding the right balance between a good night in and keeping up appearances. As always, #itsokaytovent Listen to Severin on streaming platforms below: Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/6ulhSTqJ3…TrS8GGEk5KfTrtiQ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@gossegut You can follow Severin on social media below: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gossegut Instagram: www.instagram.com/gossegut/ You can listen to Part 1 of Severin's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/behind-the-mic-severin Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk Outro: Severin - Toxic: https://open.spotify.com/track/5joGcsBgPiOPf1hbgme5CF?si=f35b43f71de54908

In episode 277 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Earl John Charlton. Earl is currently employed by Northumbria University as a professional with lived experience. However, prior to that he has worked as an outreach worker and a seller for The Big Issue, one of the most important charities in the UK for giving homeless people an income, dignity and pride. Earl spent 18 years of his life being homeless. His start in life began with trauma and violence as he witnessed his dad domestically abusing his mum from the ages of 3-13 years old. He was subsequently placed into the care system but ran away from it at 14 and became homeless for the first time until he was 19. He became a heroine and crack cocaine addict and stayed an addict for the next 19 years, as well as an addiction to alcohol for 20 years. He then became involved in drug gangs, running county lines for them to earn money and feed his addiction. His rock bottom moment came in 2013/14 after he had been in London for a few years when he put himself in serious danger after a dispute with one of the gangs. He managed to escape London through a friend and went back to the North East. By the time he had beat heroine and crack cocaine addiction in 2014, alcohol addiction in 2016 and a methadone addiction in 2018, Early had nearly died twice and nearly lost his leg three times. We came across Earl through his interview in a hugely powerful film by Lorna Tucker called ‘Someone's Daughter, Someone's Son', which highlights the plight of many homeless people across the UK. Since Earl has gotten clean, he has started giving back to his South Shields community by working as an outreach worker and putting on open-mic nights with musicians from the local community. He also got national media coverage when UK Rock artist Sam Fender came across Earl's story and they had a conversation you can find on YouTube. That has culminated in one song on Sam's upcoming new album ‘People Watching' being about Earl called ‘Crumbling Empire'. In this episode we chart Earl's life journey, from witnessing the domestic abuse, to the negative impact not having a positive father figure in his life had on him, being homeless for 18 years, becoming a father and then losing access to his son when his partner left him one day, the throes of addiction and his recovery to where he is now. We then discuss all the advocacy and community work he has done since getting clean, meeting Sam Fender and much more. As always, #itsokaytovent You can watch 'Someone's Daughter, Someone's Son' in full here: https://youtu.be/vhiwguIxoyA?si=Qj-tFCM0-Pyms0e1 You can listen to Crumbling Empire by Sam Fender here: https://open.spotify.com/track/5M4BVWXiOUabQUqdY8eqJt?si=qO919ccTRQ2b51WmSzYJCA&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A6Abecbed8BYAdHy9RaVoY7 You can watch Earl's interview with Sam Fender here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyLlnTvaGz8&pp=ygUYdGhlIGJpZyBpc3N1ZSBzYW0gZmVuZGVy You can follow Earl on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earljc78/ Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In Part 4 of James Roffey's journey, we discuss the grief he and his family went through from his uncle's suicide and the decisions he had to take to make ends meet after losing his entire client base in Huddersfield after the marriage breakdown. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about Ultimate Body & Mind here: www.ultimatebodyandmind.com You can follow James on social media below: Instagram: www.instagram.com/theultimatebodyandmind/ You can listen to Part 1 and Part 2 of James' journey below: Part 1: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-183-james-roffey-part-1 Part 2: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-183-james-roffey-part-2 Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 276 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with James Roffey. James is a personal trainer and semi-professional footballer. He was previously the business owner of his personal training brand ‘The Mental Health PT' but due to personal and business reasons, has rebranded and relaunched it as ‘Ultimate Body and Mind'. James first came on the pod in JCIP #183 where he discussed his journey into personal training and his struggle and recovery from a long-term eating disorder, which was triggered by three major life events. Since then, a massive amount has happened in James's life, positively and negatively. For the former, he signed for non-league club Sheffield FC, only for the team to sign a professional goalkeeper the day before the transfer window shut and make him the number two goalkeeper at the last minute. As a 36-year-old, James needed to play minutes and had to leave the club and join another team as a result. For the latter, he has separated from his wife, which became messy and caused James severe mental health difficulties. During this separation, James discovered he was infertile because of a genetic condition he had called Klinefelter syndrome which, according to the NHS website, is characterised by boys being born with an extra X chromosome, so for James he has XXY, as opposed to XY for other men without the condition. It's important to state that the X chromosome is not a "female" chromosome and is present in everyone. The presence of a Y chromosome denotes male sex. Symptoms of Klinefelter Syndrome in childhood can include: shyness and low self-confidence, problems with reading, writing, spelling and paying attention, mild dyslexia or dyspraxia, low energy levels, and difficulty socialising or expressing feelings. In teenagers, it is characterised by growing taller than expected. Finally in adulthood, as James tragically discovered, it is characterised by infertility as well as low sex drive, smaller testes and erection problems, which James bravely admits on the podcast but originally attributed it to his eating disorder. Kleinefelter Syndrome is also recognised as a Difference in Sexual Development (DSD). James also began suffering from cluster migraines because of the stress of his marriage breaking down, as well as a myriad of other events happening which we can't discuss on this podcast. James's uncle also tragically took his own life in 2024 after trying to take his own life previous to that three times. James says his uncle was let down by the system; the healthcare system for not providing adequate care, and the family court system as his uncle separated from his wife and claims he was parentally alienated from his step-children by his ex-wife. In Part 3, we discuss James's business rebrand and why he did it, a deep dive into his marriage breakdown, his infertility diagnosis, drama in his football career and how he took himself from rock bottom to where he is now. Infertility is one of the most stigmatised experiences one can feel as a man for obvious reasons and we are very proud of James for the bravery he has shown on this podcast to discuss it so openly and courageously for all of the men who live with Klinefelter Syndrome in the UK, which is currently as high as 1 in 600 in this country. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about Ultimate Body & Mind here: http://www.ultimatebodyandmind.com You can follow James on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theultimatebodyandmind/ You can listen to Part 1 and Part 2 of James' journey below: Part 1: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-183-james-roffey-part-1 Part 2: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-183-james-roffey-part-2 Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 275 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Anthony Bedward. Anthony is a qualified person-centred psychotherapist and the Founder of a2btherapy. In this episode we chart his vast professional journey, from working as a mentor in a learning provision for young people expelled from school, to applying for a 10-week course at the Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute based at the University of Staffordshire and then completing a three year degree there afterwards. He then landed two part-time jobs, one working for a company that delivered Princes Trust courses to 16–25-year-olds and another as a youth worker. Anthony then found a new job, working with survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) at a charity called Imara Nottingham where they work with children and families to recover from the impact of sexual abuse on their lives. He worked there for eight months, before leaving to join the job he is in now and went onto set up A2BTherapy. We also discuss the lack of male therapists in the mental health space and why we need more men like Anthony, not just to help men, but working-class men and especially working-class black men like Anthony who will hopefully be able to put their trust in. We then explore his dyslexia diagnosis and how its shaped his life pre and post-diagnosis and the work he does with A2B. For Anthony's mental health journey, we discuss: the impact that being sexually abused as an adult had on his life, the importance of boundaries, figuring out his triggers and the levels of mental toughness you need to do the work he does. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about a2btherapy here: https://a2btherapy.co.uk/ You can follow a2btherapy on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a2btherapy/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@a2btherapy Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 274 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Thomas Mackintosh. Thomas is a Scottish journalist currently working for the BBC. The reason we checked back in with him is that he fronted a fantastic documentary called ‘My Alopecia And Me', which documents his own, personal journey with alopecia, and interviews men and women from a range of backgrounds about their journeys with alopecia of varying degrees. The documentary is framed around a new drug which is claimed to help directly treat alopecia, and the interviewees provide their thoughts about whether they'd take it or not. In this episode we do a deep dive into the documentary, what Thomas learned about himself through the course of filming it, getting married and travelling around Europe following Scottish international football! As always, #itsokaytovent You can watch 'My Alopecia And Me' on BBC iPlayer here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0022wtx You can listen to Part 1 of Thomas's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-162-thomas-mackintosh Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In this episode of Reel Stories we checked in with Jeremy Ojo. Jeremy is a screenwriter, actor and producer. Jeremy fell into the industry when a friend contacted him about getting involved in making a web-series, which he subsequently wrote, produced and starred in. We met Jeremy through a mutual close friend who studied at Oxford University with him. In this episode we discuss how Jeremy broke into the industry and navigated the system when he had no previous experience within it or connections, work-life balance and the difficulty of knowing when to feel comfortable calling yourself the person you are aiming to be in the industry. For Jeremy's mental health, we discuss: his experience of ‘talking therapy' which he accessed because of issues he'd had in relationships, being the first person ever from his South London state school to go to Oxford University and his ADHD diagnosis he received whilst he was at Oxford. We finish by exploring how he learned self-awareness about his own mental health and how he now understands himself better as a result. As always, #itsokaytovent Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @ekkah - Backseat Driver: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFhgxYuoP8U

In this episode of Behind The Decks we checked in with Tom Forte. Tom is a DJ and producer and started his music journey as a producer before he got into DJing. The first instrument he ever took up was the guitar, before trying a few other instruments and then took up the saxophone from the age of 11 years old. His entry into dance music was listening to dubstep and drum & bass records, before playing in various rock, folk and jazz bands where he grew up in his hometown in Devon. He moved away from Devon and studied for a film degree at university, where he was introduced to now long-running music channels like EtonMessy, particularly artists like FKJ where his dance music taste evolved and he began producing his own records through Ableton. He then moved to London for work after he graduated and he and his housemate bought a DJ controller and began hosting parties with his friends, learning how to DJ at the same time. Fast forward a couple of years and the collective DYSC UK was born and has hosted nights across London, with more planned in 2025 and beyond. In this episode we discuss his entire music journey, from teen saxophonist to fully-fledged DJ and producer, running club nights and the challenges of balancing all of that with a full-time job and career in videography and journalism. For Tom's mental health journey, we discuss his struggles to fit in at school in his adolescence and some bullying he experienced during this period, his struggles with people-pleasing as a result and how he's tried to focus more on what he can control in life and his wider self-development. As always, #itsokaytovent You can listen to Tom Forte on streaming platforms below: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1rZUvbXKG5CsuKxCWSsT29 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/thatstomforte You can follow Tom on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatstomforte/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatstomforte Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 273 of The Just Checking In Podcast we turned the tables as our Founder Freddie Cocker was interviewed by his best friend of 28 years and previous guest, James Lamb who came on in JCIP #50. Over the years, Freddie has been interviewed by another close friend Lloyd Taylor twice, in JCIP #10 and JCIP #135 respectively. His old friend and work colleague Connor Smart then wanted to try his hand at it in JCIP #144. Now we arrive at the moment where James is conducting his first solo interview. In this episode we discuss the last two years of Freddie's mental health journey, in which a LOT has happened. This includes: two operations, multiple mental health breakdowns, another repressed sexual assault to address, an autism diagnosis, group therapy, more CBT therapy, some rewind therapy and much more! James will take you through those two years, the many downs but also the ups and how Freddie has come out the other side of all of it. True to form, he brings his 100% honesty and dark sense of humour to these events, as difficult as they were for him. As always, #itsokaytovent Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk TRIGGER WARNING: this podcast contains discussions about sexual abuse, which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

In episode 272 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Rose Rowkins. Rose is the Founder of Start The Conversation.uk, a suicide prevention training organisation. Rose has had a hugely varied career and has worked in the mental health space for over two decades. She started by working at Samaritans in her early 20s and progressed rapidly to become a trainer of other people to become Samaritans. As a long-time Brighton resident, she then managed two mental health youth projects in the city, including ‘Safe Space' and the ‘Right Here' project. From there, she trained and worked as an English teacher, then later as a counsellor (working mainly with young people aged 13-25 and women affected by domestic abuse) and in 2015 as a suicide prevention trainer. Last year she was the volunteer lead for the Brighton leg of a seminal campaign called ‘Baton of Hope' run by Baton of Hope UK. The campaign travelled to 12 cities across the UK in 12 days, where 90 people affected by suicide or had personal experience of suicidality themselves, carried the baton across the city in a 27km route, which culminated in a showcase event at the Brighton Dome. Now, alongside providing suicide prevention training to a host of organisations, she is a Director of ‘Speak Their Name' (STN) which allows users to create digital memorial pages for loved ones who have died by suicide and provide them with a permanent legacy, like a digital patchwork quilt. In this episode we chart Rose's career and how it led to her involvement from Samaritans to Safe Space to Speak Their Name - and everything in-between. We then do a deep dive into the work that STN does, what it wants to achieve in supporting those bereaved by suicide and reducing the stigma. For Rose's mental health journey, we discuss: her perfectionism and people-pleasing she did in her childhood, the suicide of a family friend when she was a teenager and the impact that had on her career, her mental health struggles whilst working out in Australia and the suicidality that accompanied it. We finish by discussing motherhood, Covid-19. the importance of community and in Rose's words, ‘finding your tribe'. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about Speak Their Name here: https://speaktheirname.org/ You can find out more about Start The Conversation here: https://www.starttheconversation.uk/ You can follow Rose on social media below: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roserowkins/ Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In this episode of Behind The Mic we checked back in for the third time with UK artist AMiR. AMiR first came on the podcast before the Behind The Mic series started, in JCIP #19. We discussed his debut album, 'All or Nothing' he released in 2019, his refusal to be pigeon-holed or stereotyped and fatherhood. In Part 2, we discussed the impact that Covid-19 had on his career both financially and mentally as he was unable to do any live shows and had to build the momentum he had generated back up, as we came out of lockdown. We also discussed his move to take up boxing coaching to make ends meet and why the lockdown made him confront the mental health issues he hadn't addressed previously. Since then, AMiR has chucked himself into gigging in a variety of different ways, including his own solo work but also performing at weddings in covers bands, doing session drumming for various bands and guitar work too. He has also started producing his own music to improve his skillset and reduce his costs and his upcoming new music he has produced entirely himself. In this episode we discuss his upcoming new EP, a fatherhood update, the relationship men have with money and how his son has caused him to be a lot kinder to himself. As always, #itsokaytovent Listen to AMiR on streaming platforms below: Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/3sz3zBDij…300a69024c2e493c YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/amirofficialUK Follow AMiR on social media below: Twitter: twitter.com/amirofficialuk Instagram: www.instagram.com/amirofficialuk/?hl=en You can listen to Part 1 and Part 2 of AMiR's journey below: Part 1: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-19-amir?in=venthelpuk/sets/behind-the-mic Part 2: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/behind-the-mic-amir-part-2 Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 271 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Aaron Pearson. Aaron is the husband of previous guest and Co-Founder of Menstrual Health Project, Gabriella Pearson. Aaron works as an estate planner and as a car salesman and has been with Gabriella for 10 years. Aaron's mental health journey started when he was between seven to 11 or 12-years-old when he was sexually abused and the majority of his mental health difficulties he's experienced in life stem from this moment. Aaron then struggled with alcoholism and drugs from a teenager and also had severe issues with anger, likely stemming from the abuse as well. In Boxing Day 2014, he went away with Gabriella to Brighton to celebrate the day and had his drink spiked by a group of men who offered to buy him a drink. The drink was spiked with a mixture of Rohypnol, ecstasy and rat poison. He had no memory of the night after that moment. When they went back to his hotel, he smashed the room up, high and poisoned. The police were called and he ended up fighting them in his poisoned state and was subsequently arrested and taken to the local police station. Once he was at the police station, he had a seizure and woke up in hospital 12 hours later. He later discovered what he had been spiked with, what had happened and even more alarmingly, he had actually died for four minutes, before being brought back. He woke up in a full body brace, couldn't move his entire body and this was the first time he wasn't in full control of his body or actions. Aaron says this is the moment when his mental health started spiralling. He started speaking to a counsellor and began exploring his anger management issues and his addiction. However, he didn't find counselling helpful and after seeing several therapists, decided to deal with his issues on his own. The alcohol addiction took him to breaking point where it was affecting his friendships, his relationship and people began to avoid social situations with him, because of his unpredictability. He decided to give up drinking for 10 months but then decided he could cope with an occasional drink. As you'd expect, the addiction got even worse. Around the time of the Covid-19 lockdown, he started working from home and had no separation from work and home and became drinking heavily again as well as overeating. Thankfully, he's now over 450 days sober at time of recording, he hasn't touched a drug in over two years. He also hasn't smoked a cigarette in a year and a half. He credits the gym, changing careers and the support of his wife Gabriella as key to his recovery. Since childhood, he has now been diagnosed with a Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI) and has self-diagnosed himself with ADHD, after struggling to get assessed through the NHS. Aaron also suspects he has OCD, which we explore. In this episode we chart his journey of trauma, diagnoses and recovery from start to finish and how we better listen to men like Aaron as a society. As always, #itsokaytovent Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk TRIGGER WARNING: this podcast contains discussions about sexual abuse, suicide and self-harm which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

In episode 270 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Robert Grattan. Robert works as a Clinical Physiologist and our Founder Freddie met Rob through playing football locally in north-east London as teenagers. In this episode we discuss his exposure to suicide as a teenager when family friends of Rob took their own lives. We then talk about a relationship break-up Rob went through recently from a five-year relationship and the impact that had on his mental health, his identity and how he's had to rebuild it in the months since. We also talk about the role he's played for his friends in their lives as someone they can come to when disclosing their own mental health struggles and having that level of emotional intelligence as a man. We finish by discussing his memories at Aldersbrook FC (where Rob and Freddie met), the power of football in providing an avenue for male bonding at a grass-roots level, friendship and how these teams can get better at allowing men to disclose issues greater than surface-level ones. As always, #itsokaytovent Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 269 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Antoine Brimbal. Antoine Brimbal is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Modern Insurgent, a grass-roots independent media organisation which specialises solely on insurgencies, rebellions and political movements from around the globe. We first checked in with Antoine in JCIP #164 when he was still a puppy at 18 years old but still the owner of his own journalism organisation. We discussed the origins of the platform, a terrorist attack he witnessed outside his window which he filmed and was interviewed by media outlets about and his French-Serbian upbringing and how its shaped him. He is now 20 years old and has taken TMI to new heights, with their own podcast, documentaries from the frontline of some very dangerous conflicts and has interviewed some very dangerous men. In this episode we discuss that continued growth and a deep dive into a few of those documentaries. This includes one which covered the 12th July protests in Northern Ireland in 2023 and the ‘Orange Order', embedding with a volunteer unit in the Yekîneyên Parastina Gel or YPG, a Kurdish militia based in Syria who have been a bulwark against ISIS or Daesh. We also discussed some recently published films including one covering a desert blues festival in Morocco and embedding with an autonomous people's army in Mexico called the Zappatistas who took on the cartels and the Mexican government and won! Antoine has also produced some films for another news organisation called Atlas News, including one in Transnistria, a separatist region in Moldova. In addition, Antoine and his crew were the first international journalists to interview a representative of Hezbollah, the heavily armed and powerful militia group currently in conflict with Israel off the back of the October 7th invasion and massacre by Hamas. For Antoine's continued mental health journey, we dive into the personal impact of the filming with Hezbollah, interviewing very dangerous men and a couple of life-and-death situations he put himself in. As always, #itsokaytovent You can watch 'Burning Cedars: Lebanon's Perpetual Crisis', which contained the interview with the Hezbollah commander here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kHPPdryb9g You can watch 'Desert Blues: Saharan Songs of Resistance' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZraT3AYbmQ&pp=ygUYZGVzZXJ0IGJsdWVzIGRvY3VtZW50YXJ5 Find out more about The Modern Insurgent here: www.moderninsurgent.org/ You can follow The Modern Insurgent on social media below: Instagram: www.instagram.com/moderninsurgent/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJo0ImLC7qCY6pfr1IpTqQ You can listen to Part 1 of Antoine's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-164-antoine-brimbal Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 278 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Jamie Dennis. Jamie is the CEO and Founder of Mandem Meetup (MM), a grassroots charity which promotes, corrects and improves the conversation around men's mental health and wellbeing. They provide an open, inclusive community for all men, integrating a range of social, holistic and more ‘traditional' forms of clinical support. This includes psycho-social interventions and recreational activities, practical advice and guidance, as well as talking therapy and more. All of their interventions are free in the goal of ensuring there's one less barrier to access for any men who feel they want to be a part of their community. At their heart are ordinary people. They offer a relaxed, comfortable, and judgement-free space built to empower men to be themselves. Their message to all men is: come as you are, you're welcome here. The charity began in 2019 after Jamie found himself in a toxic relationship. He was also working in a sales job he hated but excelled at and he realised he needed to find a new purpose and direction. He found the strength to leave that job and end the relationship, went travelling for a year and a half and ended up in another job back in Manchester, where he was born and raised. One day, his mental health difficulties he had been bottling up came exploding to the surface, and he put his trust in a male work colleague and disclosed what he had been going through. This included scars from growing up in an abusive household where his step-father domestically abused his mother and physically abused him and his three siblings. From that positive moment of disclosure and having seen the power and responsibility his colleague took to make him feel safe and trusted, Jamie wanted to be that man for other men in Manchester. He held the first ‘Talking Circle', which is a now-staple of Mandem Meetup at his house on 28th December 2019 and the rest, as they say, is history. Since then, MM delivers workshops on nutrition, men's emotional literacy, photography, poetry as well as coping mechanisms for daily mental health. They also deliver calisthenic sessions, football and have collaborated with Pure Gym to deliver sessions in their gyms. They have secured a permanent space for their Talking Circle at Transcend Studios and are now in 5 locations in Manchester alone as well as Wolverhampton, giving opportunities for people to learn new skills across the board. In this episode we discuss: Jamie's upbringing, growing up around domestic violence and how it impacted his own struggle to emotionally regulate, social class and how we help working-class lads like Jamie who are lost in the system, many of which are voiceless in society. We then discuss how a turning point came when a judge gave him a second chance at life after his behaviour in his youth led to an arrest and court case. We then discuss all the incredible work that MM do, helping homeless men and those in the prison system and the role they play in the men's mental health space. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about Mandem Meetup here: https://www.mandemmeetup.org/ You can follow Mandem Meetup on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandemmeetup/?hl=en-gb TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mandemmeetup X: https://x.com/MandemMeetup?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk TRIGGER WARNING: this podcast contains brief discussions of sexual abuse, which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

In episode 267 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Robert Parks. Robert is a Head Chef and someone our Founder Freddie has known since they were school-mates one year apart at Ilford County High School, where Freddie attended for sixth-form college. They then went to the same university at Sussex and have remained friends ever since. Rob broke into the culinary industry in the most unconventional way possible, by appearing on the 2015 edition of BBC's Masterchef and making it to the semi-finals. From there, he became Head Chef at his fellow contestant Tony Rodd's restaurant Copper & Ink, which he set up and ran alongside his wife Becky. He worked there until 2023 when he left the job to move into private hospitality and nine months later, sadly the restaurant was forced to close its doors and serve food to its customers for the final time. In this episode we chart his culinary journey at Copper & Ink, his professional and personal relationship with Tony, the impact of Covid-19 on the restaurant and the industry, why he decided to leave, work-life balance and identity as a chef when you leave a job like that. For Rob's continued mental health journey, we discuss: the personal impact of Covid-19 on his mental health, why it had one small benefit of allowing him more time to spend with his brother whom he lived with, the reality of mental illness and how he saw this manifest in some of the staff he managed at Copper & Ink and the benefits he's had in moving to a 9-5 job in the industry. As always, #itsokaytovent You can listen to Part 1 of Rob's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-20-robert-parks Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In this episode of Behind The Mic, we checked back in with Pete Anderson, frontman of Beach For Tiger. Pete also plays guitar and bass for several other artists, including friends of Vent Rayowa, Isla Rico and DROZ! We first checked in with Pete in 2022 and since then we have also checked in with his brother Mick, who plays in the band. Since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, Pete has worked hard to get BFT out gigging again and gain momentum in a completely new music landscape. He also successfully auditioned as a guitarist for an artist called Skin Shape who was about to embark on a US tour at time of recording and could be a big turning point in Pete's career. In this episode we have an update on BFT, playing in Isla Rico's JCIL show way back in 2022, the new music landscape post-Covid and that potential ‘big break' with Skin Shape. We also discuss the updates around Rayowa and their decision to be fronted by guitarist Reece Baker going forward, with Pete no longer playing in the band, the importance of staying grounded as an artist on the circuit and his own mental health challenges in coming out of Covid-19 and finding his feet again. As always, #itsokaytovent Listen to Beach For Tiger on streaming platforms below: Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/1QVfnmiJu…d0HQ&dl_branch=1 You can follow Beach For Tiger on social media below: Instagram: www.instagram.com/beachfortiger/?hl=en Twitter: twitter.com/BeachForTiger You can follow Pete on social media below: Instagram: www.instagram.com/peterandersonbft/?hl=en Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 266 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with two of our favourite guests, Danny Bowman and George Mycock. Danny and George both work in the mental health space around eating disorders, specifically Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). Danny has come on twice, in JCIP #70 and JCIP #209 respectively. He is currently in the final stages of completing a PHD at the University of Liverpool. He also previously stood as the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Liverpool Garston in the 2024 General Election, is the Head of Communications at The Conservative Mental Health Group and a Fellow at The Royal Society of Arts. George is the Founder of MyoMinds, a platform which aims to bring awareness of a form of BDD called Muscle Dysmorphia (MD), demystify mental health for exercisers and athletes and to create an understanding future for the exercising community. He is also currently studying for a PHD at the University of Worcester, study muscularity oriented psychosocial issues in men. We wanted to get them both back on to have a different type of episode and one which we hope can be a blueprint for how to address an ED, treat it and recover from it. We also sprinkle in some ideas about how we can improve the conversation and the system to support those living with EDs. We will navigate this episode through three stages of an eating disorder: what it is and what it looks like, the treatment path and the recovery stage. There are not enough positive recovery stories out there and Danny and George are shining lights in how one can navigate these stages and help others at the end of it. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about MyoMinds here: myominds.com/ You can follow MyoMinds on social media below: Instagram: www.instagram.com/myo_minds/?hl=en Twitter: twitter.com/MyoMinds You can follow Danny on social media below: Twitter: twitter.com/DannyBowman10 You can listen to Danny and George's previous episodes below: JCIP #228 - George Mycock: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-228-george-mycock JCIP #70 - Danny Bowman: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-70-danny-bowman JCIP #209 - Danny Bowman - Part 2: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-209-danny-bowman-part-2 Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 265 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Billy McGranaghan. Billy is the Founder and CEO of Dad's House. Dad's House is a charity which aims to make sure children remain the priority after divorce, separation or bereavement. There are currently over two million non-residential dads in the UK and over 450,000 raising their children alone. Just in London there are 25,000 dads who are the main carers for their children. Dad's House support includes supporting all single dads, of which Billy was one of them. 35 years ago, Billy was working in a nightclub in Chelsea and his wife had just given birth to his son. Billy's then-wife had been suffering from post-partum depression and after going away for a planned three days abroad, never came back, leaving Billy to look after his baby son on his own. Billy then took temporary and part time work in order to be able to spend time with his son and take him to school. Billy admits himself he had no idea what he was doing and didn't have any resources to support him back then like Dad's House that would have helped him. Billy took it upon himself to help other single dads like him and set up Dad's House in 2008 to do just that. Since its inception, Dad's House provides a range of vitally important support services including: a family law clinic, a food bank, yoga classes, a support group called ‘Dad's Table', a breakfast club and even support payments for white goods. Since its inception, Dad's House has helped over 10,000 fathers and in 2020, Dad's House had provided support to 70,000 families alone. In 2024 the Dad's House Family Law Clinic was awarded Winner of the Pro Bono Initiative of the Year award at the 2024 Bar Pro Bono Awards. In this episode, we discuss fatherhood, the isolation Billy felt at becoming a single dad out of the blue, the journey of Dad's House and all of the brilliant and lifesaving work they do for single dad's in London and across the UK. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about Dad's House here: https://www.dadshouse.org.uk/ You can follow Dad's House on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dadshouseuk/ X: https://x.com/dadshouseuk Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 264 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with David Leck. David Leck is a communications professional, writer, editor, copywriter and the business owner and Managing Director of David Leck Associates. Our Founder Freddie met David whilst he was working in the BBC Press Office from 2019-2020. David's career in the BBC started when he was a young man and he worked in various departments before ending up in the HR department. As has been the case throughout BBC history, a restructure was then due to take place and his role was going to be impacted by it. His boss told him there was a six-month role going in the BBC Press Office, he applied and got in. He did that role for three years before leaving the Beeb to take up a Head of Marketing role at a theatre in Kent which he did for five years. Getting tired of theatre marketing life, he left there and went to a PR agency but had a terrible experience there and he decided to become self-employed and start his own PR consultancy business. He then got a short-term, part-time contract with the BBC World Service which allowed him to balance his new communications business and a regular paycheque. Still retaining some BBC contacts, he was asked back to do a few shifts in the BBC Press Office and some 20 years later, he was still there helping out, until he finally called it a day in April 2024. In recent years David has started doing some amazing volunteer work for a suicide bereavement charity called Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS). He did this because he lost a close friend called Derek, who tragically took his own life on 6th May 2021. David had known Derek for around 7/8 years but he did not know the extent of Derek's mental health challenges so his death by suicide was a huge shock for him and provoked many ‘what if' type questions. In this episode we chart his various and illustrious professional journey, a peek behind the curtains of the BBC Press Office, his love of the art of writing and some of his favourite projects he's done through David Leck Associates. We then discuss his experience of anxiety and depression, Derek's life, and death and the devastation of suicide loss on the loved ones of that person. We finish by discussing his mentoring role to many BBC press officers throughout the years, his love of martial arts as a positive tool to help his mental health, and his dog, a miniature Schnauzer called Dylan who has brought so much joy and companionship to his life. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about David Leck Associates here: https://davidleck.com/ You can read the article David wrote on Derek's life and death here: https://viewer.foleon.com/preview/6pk7zh4n51/footnotes-sobs You can find out more about SOBS here: https://uksobs.com/ Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 263 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in for a third time with Irish farmer Gar Lock. Gar first came on the pod in JCIP #196 where we discussed his redemption story from prisoner to farmer and family man, his relationship with his father and family and the work he does to help other men, who are also former prisoners, turn their life around. We checked in again in JCIP #225 to discuss the influence that fitness guru David Goggins has had on Gar's life, how we tackle the loneliness epidemic in men and how and where men can find meaning if the traditional route of a family is out of reach. In Part 3, we discuss: the concept of men crying, the importance of regulating and managing your emotions as a man and when is the right time to cry as a man and the wrong time to cry? We also discuss Gar's approach to his own sons when they have cried in front of him. We then discuss how Gar has approached bullying when it comes to his children in how he's stopped them becoming bullies and also handling being bullied too, in both his sons and his daughters. Other subjects on the menu include how men should psychologically approach being out earned by their female partner and the concept of ‘monk mode'. As always, #itsokaytovent You can listen to Part 1 and Part 2 of Gar's journey below: Part 1: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-196-gar-lock Part 2: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-225-gar-lock-part-2 Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In this episode of Behind The Mic, we checked back in for (maybe) the final time with UK rock band Cavalcade. In JCIP #25 we interviewed interviewed Jack Campbell from the band for the first time. A couple of years later, Jack was joined by bandmate Connor to check in again on Behind The Mic. The band then played JCIL #4 (Take Two) and sold out The Victoria in Dalston, east London. In August 2024, they announced the sad news that the band was coming to an end. Since we last checked in, Jack and Connor have continued to grow and managed their own mental health better. Jack has tackled the grief of losing his dad suddenly in 2017, dissociation and body dysmorphia. Connor has dealt with periods of depression in his university days, and was exposed to the reality of mental illness and mental health issues through Jack's experiences. In this episode we discuss: the reasons why they decided to call time on the band and all of the emotions behind it, their favourite moments in Cavalcade and all the other highs and lows, Jack's continued growth and managing of his body dysmorphia and dissociation. We also discuss Connor's experience of his body image issues and how he's managed it and improved his own physical health since we last checked in. As always, #itsokaytovent Listen to Cavalcade on streaming platforms below: Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/209yZUIl2pYkLRP0D7TdRO YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC4CPexJYMslunmyFgk4OHig Follow Cavalcade on social media below: Instagram: www.instagram.com/cavalcadeband/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/CavalcadeBand/ Twitter: twitter.com/Cavalcade__ You can listen to Part 1 and Part 2 of Cavalcade's journey below: JCIP #25 - Cavalcade - Jack Campbell: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-25-cavalcade-jack-campbell Behind The Mic - Cavalcade - Part 2: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/behind-the-mic-cavalcade-part-2 Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 262 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Duncan Craig OBE. Duncan is the Founder and CEO of We Are Survivors (WAS), formerly known as Survivors Manchester. We first checked in with Duncan in JCIP #147 where we charted his journey starting the charity many years ago, being recognised for his work with an Order of The British Empire (OBE), the conversation at that point for male survivors of abuse, Duncan's own story of survivorship and all of the emotions associated with that alongside his sexuality as a gay man. In Part 2 of Duncan's journey, we discuss: the state of play today in the conversation around male survivors, why organisations like WAS bridge the gap between the rhetoric of ‘reach out' vs the reality of what support there is for male survivors when they do reach out and are male survivors still counted as victims of Violence Against Women and Girls? We also discuss his work with the new Labour government and the work WAS do in prisons and the relationship between abuse and the prison pathway. We then move onto the portrayal of stories of male abuse in popular media. We discuss the role that popular shows like Netflix's Baby Reindeer, as well as Channel 5's ‘My Wife: My Abuser' in highlighting these stories, as well as the complexities around public consumption of these very heavy topics. For Duncan's continued mental health journey, we discuss his growth in understanding of awareness of his own survivorship and a period of depression he went through in 2022 and how he recovered from it. We finish the topic by exploring his feelings around his role as CEO of WAS and the decisions he is contemplating around when is the right time to step down from it, and the danger of staying too long as a Founder of a business. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about We Are Survivors here: www.wearesurvivors.org.uk/. You can follow WAS on social media below: Instagram: www.instagram.com/thisissurvivors/ Twitter: x.com/ThisIsSurvivors You can follow Duncan on social media below: Twitter: twitter.com/MrMadrigalOBE Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk TRIGGER WARNING: This podcast contains a discussion about sexual abuse, which some listeners may find upsetting or distressing, so please listen with caution.

In episode 261 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Jody Goldsworthy. Jody is the Founder and CEO of Jonathan's House Ministries, which serves as one of the only male domestic abuse shelters in Wales. Jonathan's House Ministries firmly believes in all men, and that all men deserve to be healed, restored and eventually fulfilled. Through building safe spaces and educating people on the effects of abuse, they believe they can change things for men who have been domestically abused across the UK. Jody founded it in 2023 and it became a C.I.C in March 2024. In Wales, Jody says there are approximately 850,000 men who have gone through present or historical domestic abuse. Jody is a survivor of domestic abuse himself and was abused for 10 years by his first wife. This abuse took the form of financial abuse, coercive control, physical abuse, psychological abuse and sexual abuse through being made-to-penetrate or how it should be defined, rape. Unfortunately, Jody's history of abuse didn't start there and he was physically and sexually abused by his father in childhood. He was 11 years old when he was first diagnosed with depression and he made three suicide attempts between the ages of 11-16 years old. He also began hearing voices and in 2010 was diagnosed with psychotic tendencies. After the domestic abuse and the breakdown of his marriage, he was put on three different types of medication and was on them for two years. In 2010, he reached breaking point with the domestic abuse and he made several more suicide attempts between 2010-2012. He also claims his wife deliberately left medication out around him when he was in a state of suicidality to tempt him into taking his own life. Thankfully, in 2013 he was able to escape this marriage and from 2013-2019, he began to rebuild his life. He had been banned from going to church by his wife, which she did as a way to isolate from his faith community. He first disclosed to a friend about his domestic abuse and the childhood sexual abuse in 2015, the latter of which was reported to the police by his friend. Thankfully, this story eventually has a positive ending. He has since remarried and has started Jonathan's House Ministries to channel that trauma into something positive to help men. In this episode, we discuss all of that abuse and the mental health impact it had on him, his story of recovery and the positive work that JHM does for men in Wales and his ambitions for it for the future. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about Jonathan's House Ministries here: https://jonathanshouse.org.uk/ You can follow Jonathan's House Ministries on social media below: Twitter: https://x.com/jhministriesuk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jhm_uk/ Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk TRIGGER WARNING: this podcast contains deep and at times graphic discussions of sexual abuse, domestic abuse and suicide which some listeners may find extremely upsetting or distressing, so please listen with caution.

In episode 260 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with journalist, presenter and DJ, Amber Haque. We first checked in with Amber in JCIP #177 to discuss her brilliant and powerful BBC documentary series, 'Hometown: A Killing', series two, which focused on the murder of teenager Yousef Makki. We also discussed her workplace anxiety and ADHD symptoms she exhibited in childhood and adolescence. Since then, Amber has been a very busy bee. She has just joined as the new co-host of an existing true crime podcast on BBC Sounds called 'Bad People'. She has also presented another fantastic documentary, this time a one-off programme on Channel 4 about the rise in diet pills in the UK, as part of the channel's UNTOLD series. Since we last spoke, Amber is working with a life coach to manage her ADHD symptoms and work out positive coping strategies and tools so she can thrive as a journalist alongside it. In this episode we discuss: the state of the journalism industry and how it's even more precarious and unstable than it was before Covid-19, a deep dive into her film on diet pills through a mental health lens, some of the stories she's covered on Bad People and the possible psychological reason why women in particular seem to love the true crime genre! For Amber's continued mental health journey, she got married in 2023 and we discuss the joys of it and the challenges of organising it. We also discuss her continued self-awareness around her ADHD and how she's trying to manage it better, as well as the stigma she still feels around disclosing it in the workplace. As always, #itsokaytovent You can listen to Bad People and subscribe on BBC Sounds here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p08lj2sz You can watch Amber's Channel 4 documentary on diet pills here: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/dangerous-diet-drugs-exposed-untold You can follow Amber on social media below: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amberhaque_ Twitter: twitter.com/AmberSofiaH Instagram: www.instagram.com/p/Co4JCP9gxVn/ You can listen to Part 1 of Amber's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-177-amber-haque Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 259 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Patricia Faulks. Patricia Faulks first came on the podcast in JCIP #92 to talk about her blog Just Me & Lilley, where she writes about being involuntarily childlessness, her life, her wonderful dog Lilley and issues affecting predominantly women but also men who are involuntarily childless. She came on again in JCIP #167 to discuss her growing self-awareness of her mental health and well-being and uncomfortable conversations around mental health advocacy when it comes to involuntary childlessness. Since we last checked in, Trish has moved house completely on her own and has also grown frustrated with some elements of the conversation around involuntary childlessness. In this episode we discuss the mental health challenges of moving house as a childless woman of a certain age and her frustration at how the ‘childfree' (a term which we disagree with), have hijacked parts of the conversation around aging without children. We also discuss the anxieties she has living alone at her age without children or a reliable support network, feelings of insecurity and isolation and also fear if she were to have a fall or a health emergency, who would be there to help her? As always, #itsokaytovent You can read 'Just Me & Lilley' here: www.justmeandlilley.co.uk/ You can follow Just Me & Lilley on social media below: Instagram: www.instagram.com/justmeandlilley/ Twitter: twitter.com/JustMeandLilley You can listen to Part 1 and 2 of Trish's journey below: Part 1: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-92-patricia-faulks Part 2: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-167-patricia-faulks-part-2 Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 258 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Gabriella Pearson. Gabriella is Co-Founder of an organisation called Menstrual Health Project (MHP). Gabriella co-founded MHP with her friend Anna, whom she met through Instagram. Gabriella was based in Brighton, Anna was in North Wales and they came together with the idea to start a community project. They created a toolkit to help women who lived with endometriosis in February 2022 and launched it the following month. They then created another toolkit for women aged 18 or under for their menstrual health in February 2023. Since then, they have set up MHP as a charity and a fully-fledged company in February 2024. Menstrual Health Project's mission is to provide practical support for those suffering with menstrual health concerns and conditions through educational tools and resources. They are aware of the challenges those suffering with these concerns and conditions face and strive to help people navigate these conditions more confidently, accurately and comfortably, whatever stage in life they are at. Their vision is to create a world where menstrual health is no longer stigmatised, considered a taboo and is normalised in today's society - leading to people feeling empowered, informed & heard. Gabriella lives with endometriosis, adenomyosis and fibromyalgia herself and in this episode we chart the journey of Menstrual Health Project and all of the important work they do, Gabriella's own experience with these menstrual health conditions and how its affected her fertility, menstruation, relationships, work and mental health. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about Menstrual Health Project here: https://www.menstrualhealthproject.org.uk/ You can follow Menstrual Health Project on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/menstrualhealthproject/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@menstrualhealthproject Twitter: https://x.com/menstrual_h_p You can follow Gabriella on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allthingsgabz/ Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 257 of The Just Checking In Podcast our Founder Freddie Cocker speaks about getting officially diagnosed with autism. Freddie was first diagnosed by his GP in December 2023 but given the role he holds through Vent in the men's mental health space, he wanted to be 100% certain before declaring it online. He was fortunate enough to be in a position where he could pay for a private assessment and in July 2024, he received confirmation that he met the diagnostic criteria for autism. He also has many traits associated with ADHD but has not been diagnosed with the condition so he will be seeking a further assessment for it next year. In this episode he discusses: the history of autism itself, the many red flags he has exhibited from childhood to adulthood, being diagnosed and all of the emotions he experienced as a result, why his autism does not define him, his issues with the term 'neurodiversity' and what the next chapter of his life will look like alongside this diagnosis. As always, #itsokaytovent You can read the full article Freddie wrote here: http://vent.org.uk/autism-at-30-what-now You can find links to all the resources Freddie discussed in this podcast below: The National Autistic Society: https://www.autism.org.uk/ Dr Lucy Foulkes - Coming of Age: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/451093/coming-of-age-by-foulkes-lucy/9781847927293 Temple Grandin - The Autistic Brain: https://amzn.eu/d/bwtGhMw Blocked and Reported Podcast - Episode 220: 'How Autism Got Hip': https://www.blockedandreported.org/p/episode-220-how-autism-got-hip Steven Pinker - The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature: https://amzn.eu/d/9A2ABBD University of Cambridge - Cambridge Laboratory for Research into Autism: https://www.clara.psychol.cam.ac.uk/ Valerie L. Gaus - Living Well on the Spectrum: How to Use Your Strengths to Meet the Challenges of Asperger Syndrome/High-Functioning Autism: https://amzn.eu/d/iIM4C9h Jenara Nerenberg - Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn't Designed for You: https://amzn.eu/d/3WBcWk8 Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 256 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Scott Johnson. Scott Johnson is the Founder and CEO of the Proper Blokes Club (PBC) C.I.C, a community organisation which provides walk and talk groups for men across London and hopefully, the country very soon! Scott founded PBC in September 2020 when he was going through the family court system on two occasions from two ex-partners whom he had children with. The former he had one daughter with, the latter his other two daughters. From when he first entered the family court to present day, it has lasted 10 years and he is still navigating it at various points at time of recording. In this episode we discuss: the family court process and the mental health impact it had on him, whether he feels he was the victim of parental alienation, and why dads who have been victims of it face huge stigma and reticence to speak out about it because of fear it will affect their relationship with their ex-partner or even to cause them to lose custody of their children. We also discuss his experience of addiction, specifically alcohol and gambling, which was made worse by the family court system, his journey to sobriety and how PBC was a vehicle for maintaining that. We then discuss the genesis of PBC, the walk and talks they have across London and their expansion plans, the impact the walk and talks have on the 500 lads who have joined these groups and what seeing that impact has done for him. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about the Proper Blokes Club and where your local walk and talk is here: https://theproperblokesclub.co.uk/ You can follow the Proper Blokes Club on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_proper_blokes_club_cic/ X: https://x.com/BlokesClub?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.proper.blokes Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 255 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Gary Quinn. Gary Quinn is a professional painter and decorator by trade and the business owner of ‘Quality Brushstrokes'. Gary was sexually abused by his stepfather from the ages of 10-12 years old. Then, when he was 17, his mother entered another relationship with a man who domestically abused her and one night, he murdered her whilst Gary and his siblings were in the house. The man who murdered her then took his own life the day after. We then fast forward a few years and Gary has entered a relationship and his partner becomes pregnant. The child is born in 2005 and Gary and his then-partner end the relationship. Fast forward four years later and the daughter he believes is his and has put his time, love and investment into turns out to not be his, and the father is his best friend at the time. Both his then-friend and ex-partner knew the child was not Gary's when she was born. Heartbroken, Gary had to not only deal with that trauma but also navigate how to distance himself from the child he had previously thought was his daughter, not just to protect her but to protect himself as well. In this episode we discuss: all of that trauma and the mental health difficulties they gave him, how he has recovered and not let those experiences define him, the support and love his current partner has given him, qualifying as a professional counsellor and the pride in his work as a painter and decorator, which he has done for the past nine years. As always, #itsokaytovent You can follow Quality Brushstrokes on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quality_brushstrokes/ Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 254 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Tom Bradley. Tom is a photojournalist, artist and the Founder of the project ‘Leprosy Eliminated?'. In this project, he has taken pictures of people living with leprosy across the globe for the last 15 years. It includes people in 12 countries including Togo, Nigeria, Brazil, Bangladesh and India. Until 2022, a country was declared eliminated of leprosy if fewer than 1 in 10,000 people have it - yet in somewhere like India, where the government declared leprosy in 2005, it means that there are more than 100,000 new cases of leprosy per year. There are still countries in the world where leprosy detection is barely being done, or where figures are unknown, even 'fiddled' because governments are eager to reach this status of having leprosy eliminated. There are also areas where war has crippled leprosy programmes and it's not seen as a priority in the rebuilding of a nation. In this episode we discuss: how and why Tom got into photography and photojournalism, his desire to cover the issue of leprosy and a history of the condition (including biblical history), why society has moved away from terms like ‘leper' and the resilience and character Tom needed to persist with photojournalism in times of financial hardship during his early years. For Tom's mental health journey, we discuss his privileged upbringing but also faced bullying in school from the ages of 9-10 years old. He then went to secondary school, where he joined the school's Christian Union and found a place where he could be himself, be accepted and move on from the bullying he went through at primary school. We then talk about his desire to live a nomadic existence through his photojournalism career and where that comes from, personal growth and the importance of ‘stillness' and having space in his life. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about Tom's work here: https://www.tom-bradley.com/ You can follow Tom on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombradleyarchive/ Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 253 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Dr Ashley Frawley. Ashley is currently Visiting Researcher in the Centre for Parenting Culture Studies at the University of Kent, as well as Visiting Research Fellow at the MCC Brussels in Belgium. She was also previously Associate Professor of Sociology and Social Policy at Swansea University until 2023. She is the author of Semiotics of Happiness: rhetorical beginnings of a public problem published by Bloomsbury in 2015 and the newly released Significant Emotions, published in January 2024. She is also the host of her own podcast, ‘Based AF', a columnist for Compact Magazine and COO of Sublation Media. In this episode we discuss: her route into academia and how a chance email sent to her idol Frank Furedi ended up in working with the man himself and to the she holds at the University of Kent today, her critiques of ‘therapy culture' in the mainstream mental health conversation and her view that there is NOT an epidemic of mental illness in the world right now. We also discuss an article she wrote for Compact Magazine on the overreach of discourse around ‘neurodiversity' and where she sits on the debate currently being had on the impact of smartphones and social media on young people's mental health. For Ashley's mental health (which she disagrees with the term mental health journey itself), we discuss an eating disorder she lived with from the age of 14-21 years old, how viewing it as a health issue was not helping her tackle it initially and how a change in her outlook on the condition, allowed her to get a handle on it and eventually overcome it. As always, #itsokaytovent You can follow Ashley on social media below: X: https://x.com/AshleyAFrawley YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AshleyAFrawley You can subscribe to her Patreon and listen to her podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/AshleyAFrawley Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 252 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Jide Ehizele. Jide was born and raised in Lewisham in south-east London and acts a leader and mentor at his church, St Peter's Church in his local community of Brockley, where he still resides today. He also has a Substack where he writes about issues related to class, race, countering identity politics and faith. In this episode we focus on three events which shaped Jide's life. The first was a dream he had when he was just four years old which gave him a fear and perception of death and his mortality. The second was a feeling that he was not ‘good enough' as a man compared to a lot of his peers in school. This came from comparing himself to them, whom were much more confident, had success with the opposite sex and exhibited a level of braggadocchio and confidence which he felt he could not reach. The third was the rampant gang culture which was present in many parts of his peer network growing up, the fear he had getting to and from school and having to navigate all of this danger. We then discuss the role that his Nigerian parents had on him growing up and the importance of a stable, happy two-parent household in being a bulwark against the problems that many of his peers fell into who didn't have that. We dive into his Christian faith and how that has shaped his attitude towards many issues, as well as the community role he plays in his local church and the impact he wants to have on the young men in his congregation. We finish by discussing an article he wrote entitled ‘Does black culture exist?' and all of the themes it explores. As always, #itsokaytovent You can follow Jide on Twitter here: https://x.com/OBEhizele You can subscribe to his Substack here: https://substack.com/@zelex You can read Jide's article we discussed in full here: https://www.wrongspeakpublishing.com/p/does-black-culture-exist-a-uk-perspective Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 251 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Lauren Seager-Smith. Lauren is the is the CEO of the For Baby's Sake Trust (FBS), a charity which empower parents to break cycles of abuse, transform the life-chances of whole families and move forward in positive change, starting with the baby. The baby is at the heart of everything they do. The Trust was set up philanthropically by philanthropist Stelio Stefanou. His founding vision was to tackle the root causes of disadvantage and vulnerability, focusing on very young babies who do not have a voice. We came across For Baby's Sake through an illuminating BBC News article which highlighted case studies of several individuals and couples who have been helped by the charity. Some of these couples were supported and stayed together, other men and women were supported and were able to successfully exit the relationship whilst protecting the child involved. Prior to joining FBS, Lauren was head of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, before moving to Kidscape and then joining the role at FBS where she is currently today. In this episode, we discuss her professional journey, the high percentage of parents who were bullied at school who they work with at FBS (both perpetrators and victims), the statistic that 70% of both parents have six or more adverse childhood experiences and where do we draw the line between abusive experiences and personal responsibility. We also discuss if people can change in domestic abuse cases, how do abusers reform and can they stay that way. For Lauren's mental health, we discuss the support she provided to her sister who had severe Bipolar growing up from childhood and into adulthood. We discuss: the taboo of Bipolar growing up in a small mining town community in Scotland, the emotional strain of the reality of supporting someone with severe mental health issues, the hyper-vigilance Lauren had to have all the time, her sister's experience of psychiatric wards and her father's own experience of severe mental health difficulties too. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about For Baby's Sake here: https://forbabyssake.org.uk/ You can follow For Baby's Sake on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forbabyssake/ Twitter: https://x.com/forbabyssake You can read the BBC News article we discussed in full here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68942471 Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 250 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Connor Smart. Connor currently works in emergency planning and lives in a rural part of the Midlands with his fiancé and now, young son. Connor and our Founder Freddie used to work together as interns at a think-tank in 2016 and Connor's first piece of Vent content was an article he wrote in November 2017. He then came on the podcast alongside his twin brother Lewis in JCIP #130 and once more in JCIP #144 where he interviewed Freddie for a very engaging and thought-provoking conversation through the lens of three concepts: 'Defeat', 'Struggle' and 'Growth'. In this solo episode, we're checking back in with Connor about a range of issues. We reflect on his pod with his brother, what's changed in both their lives since we recorded and how he felt he did when interviewing Freddie. We also discuss fatherhood, finally feeling settled in a career path he is enjoying, the difference between urban vs rural life, his 10 year relationship with his fiancé and identity. As always, #itsokaytovent You can listen to JCIP #130 with Connor and Lewis here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-130-connor-smart-lewis-smart You can listen to Connor's interview with Freddie here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-144-freddie-cocker-part-4 Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 249 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Charlie Bethel. Charlie is currently the CEO of the UK Men's Sheds Association (UKMSA). The concept of the Men's Shed started in Australia in around 1999. It then spread to New Zealand, Ireland, the UK, Canada and, more recently, Europe and the USA. At time of recording, there are a total of 1180 Sheds across the UK. Men's Sheds (or Sheds) are similar to garden sheds, in that they are a place to pursue practical interests at leisure, to practice skills and enjoy making and mending. However, the difference is that garden sheds and their activities are often solitary in nature while Men's Sheds are the opposite. These unique concepts are about social connections and friendship building, sharing skills and knowledge and a lot of laughter. Although labelled Sheds, they often aren't sheds at all. They can be empty offices, portable cabin's, warehouses, garages, and in at least one case, a disused mortuary. Some Sheds are purpose-built workshops, but they rarely start out that way. Many don't have premises at all in the beginning and instead form a group that meets regularly for the social connection, company and camaraderie. Many Sheds get involved in community projects too – restoring village features, helping maintain parks and green spaces, and building things for schools, libraries and individuals in need. In this episode we discuss how Charlie came to be in the role of CEO at UKMSA and his background in Paralympic Sport, particularly Wheelchair Basketball. We then discuss the genesis of the Men's Shed and the role they play in the lives of the men who are members, the statistics that back this up, the benefits they provide to the local community and in turn, for the mental health of the men in giving them connection, achievement and pride. We pick out some of Charlie's favourite stories of the work the Sheds have done, how they have saved lives and some of the UKMSA's key projects, including ShedFest. We explore how Sheds cut across class lines and age boundaries in bringing men together and building bridges. For Charlie's mental health, we discuss fatherhood, his love of walking and the importance of self-care when he noticed his general mental health was declining during a house build he did with his wife. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about the UK Men's Sheds Association and where to find your local Shed here: https://menssheds.org.uk/ You can follow UKMSA on social media below: Twitter: https://x.com/ukmenssheds?s=21 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ukmenssheds?igsh=cnJlMnRoY2pzYzEx Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In this episode of Reel Stories, we checked in with Laoise Toye. Laoise works in television and media and is the host of her own podcast 'Laoise Online'. In this episode we discuss: Laoise's journey into television, from working with a Belfast production company called Stellify to where she is now, her love of theatre and musical theatre and how watching Eurovision for the first time as a child inspired her to want to work in the glamorous world of entertainment. For industry issues, we discuss work-life balance, accentism she's faced as an Irish woman living in London, her passion about the Irish language and wanting to keep it visible on television screens. For Laoise's mental health, Laoise had experience of bullying growing up and we briefly discuss this and the impact it had on her then, and as an adult. We also discuss her diagnosis of Endometriosis, which she has lived with as a 14/15-year-old. We talk about the crippling chronic pain it has caused her, which at times has caused exhaustion, fainting and even hospitalisation on a couple of occasions. We also discuss how it impacts her relationships, career and future fertility concerns. As always, #itsokaytovent You can follow Laoise on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laoisetoye/ You can subscribe and listen to 'Laoise Online' here: https://open.spotify.com/show/3W1n4HrqXgrLTncizaqKAM Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @ekkah - Backseat Driver: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFhgxYuoP8U

In episode 248 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Nick Gazzard. Nick is the CEO of the Hollie Gazzard Trust (HGT). The Trust was set up by him after the murder of his daughter Hollie, by an ex-boyfriend when she was just 20 years old. After that moment, Nick set up the Trust to try and stop what happened to Hollie from happening to anyone else ever again. The Trust helps reduce domestic abuse through creating and delivering programmes on domestic abuse and promoting healthy relationships. It delivers these programmes to schools, colleges, universities, police forces and other community groups. The ultimate aim of the Trust is to positively change the lives of young people through partnerships in communities, as well as working alongside other charities and professional agencies. In this episode we discuss Nick's life as a professional footballer before an ACL injury ended his dreams of becoming one, fatherhood and his volunteering work for the Gloucestershire FA for 17 years. We then discuss Hollie's life, her character, his favourite memories of her and the events which led up to her murder and death. We discuss the grief he and his family went through after Hollie's death and why he decided to use that huge trauma for the loss of his child and channel it into the Trust in her name which still exists today. We then discuss how men can spot the signs that someone they know may be either a perpetrator of domestic abuse or a victim, how we can intervene and take action and avoid being a bystander for abuse. We finish by discussing a stroke Nick went through in 2020 and how it forced him to create a better work-life balance for himself and take better care of his mental health. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about the Hollie Gazzard Trust here: https://holliegazzard.org/. You can follow the Trust on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollie_gazzard_trust/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HollieGazzardT?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@holliegazzardtrust YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/holliegazzardtrust Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

In episode 247 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with a man called Sean. Sean works for the PSSD Network, which is an organisation based in Australia, made up of people who suffer from a condition called Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD). PSSD describes a debilitating condition which a subset of people live with and follows the use of SSRI and SNRI medication. A condition like this is an example of something called iatrogenic harm i.e. medical harm induced unintentionally by a physician or surgeon or by medical treatment or diagnostic procedures. Common symptoms of PSSD include, but are not limited to: genital numbness, a complete loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, vaginal dryness, anhedonia and emotional blunting. This condition is very controversial in medical circles and the mainstream mental health conversation because it goes against the established narrative that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are all universally safe. The PSSD Network's goal is to increase awareness of PSSD, expedite research and offer support to patients and their loved ones as necessary. The PSSD Network's mission is to speed up research and find treatments or a cure for PSSD. Sean himself lives with PSSD after he was prescribed two SSRIs for long-term issues he had with anxiety. The first he was prescribed was Prozac by his GP which had no side-effects on him but didn't work for him and he came off it very quickly. However, he continued to suffer from anxiety and during his university degree, he went back to his GP and was prescribed an SSRI called Citalopram. It was whilst he was on Citalopram that he had these severe side-effects which included sexual dysfunction, genital numbness, emotional blunting and lost libido. He came off the citalopram but the side-effects didn't go away and he came to the eventual conclusion that he had PSSD. After not being believed by multiple doctors, he eventually found medical professionals who believed him and has been working out how to manage it and treat it for the last two years. In this episode we discuss how the SSRI caused him to develop PSSD, his self-awareness about the condition and the community he has found in the PSSD network to help him with it. We discuss the role of the pharmaceutical industry in pushing SSRIs onto medical professionals who then prescribe them to patients and what needs to change in order for patients to be given full, informed consent before taking any of these drugs. We also debate why critics of the PSSD network accuse them of being ‘anti-medication', why they argue that they don't fall into that camp, Sean's recovery journey and the various methods he's tried to manage the PSSD or heal from it. We finish by discussing the work he does with the PSSD network, the research that still needs to be done around SSRIs and what is the right route forward to ensure people who need medication and would be helped by taking them are given them and who doesn't need them and could be harmed. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about the PSSD Network here: https://www.pssdnetwork.org/ You can follow them on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pssd_network/?hl=en-gb Twitter: https://x.com/pssdnetwork?lang=en Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

This is Part 2 of our check in with Koggno Founder Kirsty Martin. In this episode we discuss some elements of exclusionary behaviour she experienced whilst at boarding school and some other traumatic events which we discuss in-depth in the podcast. Kirsty then went to university in Edinburgh where, perhaps as a statement of the university system around class, was surrounded with other people from boarding school educations again. She then started dating a boy which became toxic quite quickly. It was never a proper relationship, more of a ‘situationship', as Kirsty called it. Her mental health was significantly impacted and she ended this relationship. However, she started drinking excessively and put herself into a couple of very dangerous situations after nights out. After reaching a state of crisis, she was fortunate enough to access therapy privately to start her recovery and, in her words ‘turn up for myself'. We chart all of these events, how they led to the creation of Koggno and her acknowledgement that she still has a lot of work to do. Despite all of the interviews she has done with her own guests on the Koggno podcast, this is the first time Kirsty has spoken publicly and in this depth about her mental health and we are grateful to Kirsty for sharing this on the JCIP. As always, #itsokaytovent You can follow Koggno on social media below: Instagram: www.instagram.com/koggno/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@koggnothepodcast Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk