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In episode 176 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Joe Isaacs. Joe works in healthcare and is a long-time university friend of friend of the pod Alex Hensman. In this episode Alex comes back on the podcast as a moral support for Joe who is speaking about his mental health for the first time. Joe has struggled with anxiety and depression for a long time but went through periods where he didn’t recognise it or was unsure if it was something everyone goes through or something which he needed help with. A big trigger for Joe’s mental health difficulties was the aftermath of a previous relationship which he put a lot of his self-worth and self-esteem into. When the relationship ended, it affected him severely. Since that moment, there have also been several periods on and off where Joe has felt suicidal or suicidality. We discuss how and why those feelings come and go and the therapy he is going through at the moment to try and address the scars from that relationship, manage it and hopefully get better. We finish with a discussion about him and Alex's friendship, the ‘mystery trip’ they do together as a group of university friends every year, how they support Joe's mental health as a group of friends when he is in those difficult periods and the lack of judgement they provide. 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 a deep discussion about suicide and suicidality, which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

In episode 175 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Lucy Connolly. Lucy is a mental health advocate for Inflammatory Bowel Conditions (IBDs) awareness. Lucy was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in July 2020 at the height of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this episode we discuss when she first started experiencing symptoms, the shame and stigma she felt in hiding them from her family, before she finally addressed it and began treatment for it. Lucy is also at time of recording being screened for ADHD and Autism as she has shown symptoms of both these conditions throughout her life. Whilst she is still undiagnosed, we discuss these symptoms and how they’ve affected her mental health but do not explicitly state she has them for the purposes of this podcast. We also discuss how you listeners can support someone in your life who lives with Crohn’s or an IBD if you live with one yourself, the factors that can affect someone developing one and her mental health advocacy journey she has recently embarked on. As always, #itsokaytovent You can follow Lucy on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucymcon/ 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 174 of The Just Checking In Podcast, we checked in with Zachary James. Zach is a mental health advocate for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) awareness. Zach was diagnosed with OCD when he was 19 years old. His OCD manifested in how it affected his romantic relationships as a gay man and a short-lived period of paedophile OCD. In this episode we discuss how and why those two forms of OCD affected his mental health, how he addressed them and got control of them. Thankfully, he now considers himself recovered. We also discuss the impact of Covid-19 on his mental health which ironically was largely positive for him and the legacy of the AIDS crisis on the mental health and physical health of gay men from the 1980s. We finish by discussing Zach’s mental health advocacy journey, societal attitudes towards gay men and the stigmas and taboos within the dating scene for gay men and the mental health impact they can have. As always, #itsokaytovent You can follow Zach on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ocdestigmatize/ 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 suicide and suicidality, which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

In this episode of Behind The Decks we checked in with Australian producer, Harry Hayes. In this episode we discuss Harry’s journey into music production and dance music, how he fell in love then out of love and back into love with music, comparison culture, imposter syndrome and being in a state of music purgatory in the industry. For Harry’s mental health, there have been an accumulation of life events which have caused him mental health difficulties. Harry sometimes felt like an outsider in his school days and felt a lot of anxiety for not liking stereotypically masculine activities, preferring music to sport. We discuss that anxiety, some overthinking and compulsive thinking and why he wants clarity on his mental health state in order to move forward with his life. As always, #itsokaytovent Listen to Harry Hayes on streaming platforms below: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7BBSATOdEaY07XbxlUzfFu?si=_YLfbG1aTQSNLKfL1O1sCA You can follow Harry on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrisonhayess/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@harryhayes_ 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: Harry Hayes - Making Me Go Crazy

In this episode of Behind The Mic, we checked back in with Harry from UK alt-pop band, VICTORS. In Part 1, we talked about the mental health impact of the streaming wars on musicians, anxiety and FOMO. In Part 2 we discuss their latest EP, III and getting back into doing shows post-Covid, why their 2022 was a quieter one but why Harry and the band needed this period of reflection to go again in 2023 and not allow the band’s career to plateau. For Harry’s mental health, he moved to London from Leeds in January 2022 and we discuss the challenges of that, what he’s had to overcome and how he now feels much more at home where he lives currently in East London. We also discuss the concept of ‘friend dating’ which he had to do when he first moved to London and why many people need to do this in order to build a new support network when they move to a new city. We finish by talking about a very scary health emergency he had in December 2022 where he ended up having a twisted testicle. He was rushed to A&E, had an emergency operation that same day and thankfully his testicle was saved. As always, #itsokaytovent Listen to VICTORS on streaming platforms below: Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/163g9TCjT…hwS7Gs2Ka3bPfubA YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCq-H6qmB1U59D2XqRNl2EcQ SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/victorsofficial Follow VICTORS on social media platforms below: Instagram: www.instagram.com/victorsofficial/ Twitter: twitter.com/victorslive Facebook: www.facebook.com/victorsofficial/ 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: VICTORS - I Could Be Your World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8mW1MfI9o4

In episode 173 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Nathan Wilson. Nathan is the Founder of Dads Advocates. Dads Advocates is a social enterprise and platform that seeks to implement change in three areas of life. Firstly, they help separated dad’s create safe, consistent and meaningful relationships with their children, by reducing parental conflict, creating workable co-parenting strategies and if required, guiding Dad’s through the process of family court. Second, they protect children’s rights by instilling a child-centre approach to co-parenting. Reducing emotional harm on children by reducing parental conflict. Thirdly, they campaign for change in legislation, policies and attitudes towards Dads. By challenging stereotypes and breaking down societal barriers to meaningful fatherhood, they are changing the conversation around treatment of fathers in the family court and wider society. Nathan’s drive to create Dads Advocates came from his own story of being domestically abused by his first wife, who claimed he had raped her and domestically abused her in order to gain custody of his children through the divorce process, which initially she succeeded with. Thankfully, despite a lengthy and exhausting back-and-forth legal battle, Nathan gained full custody of his children and has had more children with his second wife who he is now happily married to. In this episode we discuss this rollercoaster journey Nathan has been on and how he used this experience to create Dads Advocates. We then discuss the realities of the family court for fathers, how men are treated within it and the campaigning work he does to change that conversation. As always, #itsokaytovent You can find out more about Dads Advocates here: https://dadsadvocates.com/ You can follow Dads Advocates on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dadsadvocates/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/673200957023912/?ref=share 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 suicide and a graphic description of a false allegation of sexual abuse, which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

In episode 172 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Matt Henry. Matt is the Founder of YouTube channels 'How To Help Incels' and 'Dad Helping Dads'. Matt is a former incel who 'ascended' in his mid-20s and is now happily married with four children. Matt helps other incels ascend by discussing the issues within incel culture, breaks down myths and challenges their mindset. Matt provides a nuance perspective on this group of men which many in mainstream culture deride, abandon and some even label as terrorists. Matt had a very traumatic childhood, which was driven by his relationship with his mother who had attachment issues, alienated him from his father and was a survivor of sex trafficking. Matt grew up with Autism and also ended up developing other neurological conditions, including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and mental health issues including Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Matt was also sexually abused by his high-school principal and all of these life events contributed towards him becoming an Incel and adopting that worldview for a period of his life. Thankfully, thanks to the role of three strong grandmothers and his own courage, his desire for self-development and developing social skills through his love of acting, Matt ascended and now helps others to take the path he did. In this episode we discuss that journey from Incel to functioning member of society, how a form of therapy called Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) turned his life around and how his faith gave him a compass to follow towards happiness. We also discuss how we practically help incels ascend like he did, making sure the next generation of men and boys follow the right path and avoid labelling them as inherently toxic. As always, #itsokaytovent You can subscribe to both of Matt's YouTube channels below: 'How To Help Incels': https://www.youtube.com/@docmh 'Dad Helping Dads': https://www.youtube.com/@dadhelper 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 detailed discussions of sexual abuse and suicide, which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

In episode 171 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with freelance writer Freddie deBoer. Freddie started his career from his public library when he started his own blog whilst in a period of unemployment. After fellow writer and gay rights trailblazer Andrew Sullivan shared his third blog post on his own hugely popular blog, it exploded and he has been writing ever since. In recent years, he is now on SubStack where he writes about mental health, politics, media and lots of other issues. In this episode we discuss his writing journey, how he became disillusioned from the mental health ‘community’ and why and his Bipolar Disorder, which he was diagnosed with in 2002 when he was 20 years old. Freddie has had several breakdowns because of his Bipolar. He ended up in a state psychiatric hospital on one occasion and had another well-publicised breakdown where he ended up attacking a fellow journalist and writer Malcolm Harris with baseless accusations of sexual criminality and it cost a lot of his reputation as a result. We discuss those breakdowns, that incident and how he's tried to repair his career since that moment, where we draw the line between mental health and personal responsibility and the uncomfortable reality that good people, when experiencing serious mental illness can do or say very bad things. As always, #itsokaytovent You can subscribe to Freddie's SubStack here: https://freddiedeboer.substack.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 170 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Tim Gibson. Tim is a personal friend of our Founder Freddie Cocker. Tim first came on during the Covid-19 period to talk about his regret at not having friends at school he could talk to about his mental health, overthinking, studying abroad in France and social media perfectionism culture. In part 2 of his journey we discuss a period of mental health difficulty Tim experienced in the second half of the Covid-19 lockdowns after being made redundant from his job. At the same time that his happened, his grandmother also sadly died. We finish by discussing if the ‘roaring 20s’ prediction made by some that would happen post-Covid was false and both Freddie and Tim reflect on where they are as men in life as they reach their late-20s. As always, #itsokaytovent You can listen to part 1 of Tim's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-36-tim-gibson 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 in with Dan and Reece from UK-based band Rayowa. We have already interviewed brothers Mick and Pete Anderson who play percussion and bass in the live band respectively but in this episode we chatted to Dan and Reece who front the band for our longest BTM episode yet! Dan, Reece and their younger brother Luke all started out in a previous band called Courts which built up its own dedicated following before that project ended. The three of them reflected on the sound they wanted to create going forward and put together a new project now known as Rayowa. In this episode we talk about their early music journey, transitioning from Courts to Rayowa, their proudest achievements in the band so far, battling music industry politics and work-life balance. For Dan and Reece's mental health, we discuss their experience of depression, substance abuse, grief and their journey into sobriety and healthy living today. As always, #itsokaytovent Listen to Rayowa on streaming platforms below: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6awgjbEndbfu3IpwqKhIFo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RayowaLife SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/rayowalife You can follow Rayowa on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rayowa/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/rayowalife 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: Intro: Rayowa - Chance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6mOAO4vvWU Outro: Rayowa - Better Man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g8gveY6DjU TRIGGER WARNING; This podcast contains a deep discussion about grief and loss, which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

In episode 169 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with journalist Natalie Morris. Since we first chatted in JCIP #41, Natalie has left The Metro and now works freelance. She has also written her first book ‘Mixed/Other’ since then too. In this episode we discuss her decision to go freelance, an exploration of the key themes of the book through a mental health lens and leaving behind the 'Sunday scaries'. Unfortunately, since we last spoke, Natalie also lost her father Tony, a beloved broadcaster and journalist in his own right to cancer in August 2020. We discuss that journey of grief she, her sister and her mum have gone on since his passing and we celebrate the brilliant, loving and larger-than-life character her dad was to so many people, including Natalie. As always, #itsokaytovent You can follow Natalie on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nmozz You can purchase a copy of 'Mixed/Other' here: http://hyperurl.co/MixedOther You can read Natalie's article we discussed in full here: https://metro.co.uk/2021/01/02/i-had-no-idea-about-the-reality-of-grief-until-my-dad-died-13821249/ Listen to Part 1 of Natalie's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-41-natalie-morris 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 168 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Sicarius McGrath. Sicarius McGrath is a former gang member and street-level arms dealer from Merseyside. He became involved in gangs when he was 15 years old and went to prison when he was 21 for the attempted murder of a man in Birkenhead. Whilst in prison, Sicarius watched an ITV drama series called ‘Little Boy Blue’ which was based on the real life story of the murder of Rhys Jones, an 11-year-old boy who was caught in the crossfire of a gang-related shootout whilst going about his day. Sicarius marks this moment as the turning point for his life and when the penny dropped for him to want to turn his life around and stop young boys and men from going down the path he did. When he came out of prison, he started OCG Solutions UK, an organisation which runs youth rehabilitation programmes to tackle organised crime, young boys caught up in county line drug operations and the victims of grooming by older men into these gangs. In this episode we discuss his journey into criminality, prison, redemption and how he's turned his life around. As always, #itsokaytovent You can follow Sicarius on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/smcgrath90 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 167 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Patricia Faulks. Patricia is the Founder of blog 'Just Me & Lilley' where she writes about being involuntarily childlessness, her life, her wonderful dog Lilley and issues affecting other involuntarily childless people. In Part 2 we reflect on her first episode, how it was received online and how she has grown the platform and done more advocacy work in the last year! We also discuss Patricia’s own self-awareness of her mental health and how the mantra of ‘just reach out’ can be problematic when the reality of that in someone’s life hits. We finish by going in-depth about the current statistics around involuntarily childless people and exploring what societal factors outside of simply infertility are affecting this phenomenon. As always, #itsokaytovent You can read 'Just Me & Lilley' here: https://www.justmeandlilley.co.uk/ You can follow Just Me & Lilley on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justmeandlilley/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustMeandLilley Listen to Part 1 of Patricia's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-92-patricia-faulks 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 166 of The Just Checking In Podcast, we checked in with journalist and author Matt Dickinson. Matt is currently senior sports writer at The Times and is the author of two books: ‘Bobby Moore – The Man in Full’ and ‘Manchester United, The Treble and All That’. Matt has worked for The Times for 25 years but when he hit 45 years old, he realised that he had been living life at such a fast-pace in the proverbial rat race of London that in his words, he didn’t have a clue who he was. So, he took stock, evaluated his life and now works part-time studying to become a therapist whilst still working part-time as a football journalist. In this episode we discuss how and why he got into the sports journalism industry, the previous drinking culture that existed in sports journalism and how that’s changed and the competitive nature of the industry too. For Matt’s mental health, we discuss the key moment in his life where he had a mental health epiphany and his therapy journey. We finish by talking about the sudden loss of a childhood friend of Matt’s, the impact that had on his mental health and his attitude towards life from that point onwards. As always, #itsokaytovent You can follow Matt on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/DickinsonTimes 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 165 of The Just Checking In Podcast, we checked back in with journalist and author James Bloodworth. During the Covid-19 pandemic, James returned to his home county of Cornwall to live with and support his Gran. James saw this as repaying a childhood debt after she helped raise him for much of his adolescence. Unfortunately, James’s Gran passed away in 2022 and the impact the grief had on him was immense and made him question his path in life, the choices he’s made and affected his relationships with those closest to him. In this episode we discuss that grief and why it had such a profound impact on him, how its forced him to grow up even as a 39-year-old, addressing underlying mental health issues and putting new internal systems in place to deal with the ups and downs of life. We also discuss the anxiety he’d been having during Covid-19 and how it alleviated significantly when he stopped taking his ADHD medication. We finish by analysing the pros and cons of that decision and his experience of antidepressants he was prescribed after his gran’s death and therapy. As always, #itsokaytovent You can follow James on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/J_Bloodworth You can read The Times article we mentioned which interviewed James and his gran here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/i-went-to-see-gran-for-the-weekend-so-how-did-i-end-up-staying-for-a-year-p370c30j3 Listen to Part 1 of James's story here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-69-james-bloodworth 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 164 of The Just Checking In Podcast, we checked in with Antoine Brimbal. Antoine is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Modern Insurgent, which is a grass-roots independent media organisation which specialises solely on insurgencies, rebellions and political movements from around the globe. Antoine set up the project in the summer of 2022 and he is currently still a university student studying a degree in International Relations and Politics. The spark for Antoine starting The Modern Insurgent came from his involvement in videoing an actual terrorist attack as it happened outside his home in Vienna in Austria in November 2020. After the event, Antoine was interviewed by media outlets and since then he has started the platform, where his fellow students and others write for it. In this episode we discuss the professional and mental health impact of that terrorist attack and how it’s shaped his life, being taken seriously in the industry and the competitive nature of conflict journalism. For Antoine’s mental health, we discuss his French-Serbian upbringing and the values that mixed-heritage had on him, losing friends after starting The Modern Insurgent and an inner antifragility and perspective he’s had since he was a child and how it’s helped him manage his mental health then and now. As always, #itsokaytovent Find out more about The Modern Insurgent here: https://www.moderninsurgent.org/ You can follow The Modern Insurgent on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moderninsurgent/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJo0ImLC7qCY6pfr1IpTqQ 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 our Mind On The Game series, we checked in with Alex Kihurani. Alex is a co-driver in the World Rally Championships (WRC) who currently competes in a Citroen car for the Sainteloc team and has been competing for 20 seasons. Alex started competing as a co-driver when he was just 16 years old and debuted in the WRC when he was 25 years old. Alex combines his job as a co-driver with a role in finance and data analytics. In this episode we discuss his journey into motorsport, from being inspired by his dad who was originally from Kenya and then moved to America, to Alex’s move to the UK 10 years ago. We discuss the adrenaline rush of the races themselves, what impact Colin McRae had on commercialising the sport and bringing it into the mainstream and the psychological profile of co-drivers including Alex and the type of person it attracts. For Alex’s mental health, we discuss his parents difficult divorce, his diagnosis of Crohn’s disease and how he developed resilience and antifragility after the divorce. Alex was also diagnosed with leukaemia in 2015 and we discuss that treatment process and how he was able to thankfully live a fully and happy life after his diagnosis. We finish by discussing the birth of his daughter who was born 13 weeks premature, fatherhood and three periods of grief that Alex experienced from the motorsport world: His mentor in a motorcycle crash, his best friend from university who took his own life and one of his childhood heroes and drivers he worked with Dave Mirra. As always, #itsokaytovent You can follow Alex on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexkihurani/ 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 our Reel Stories series, we checked in with Joseph Kundi. Joseph is a director, producer and co-founder of production company 3 Minds Media. Joseph is also the director and producer of GDF Diaries, which friend of the pod Jackie Kibanza hosts on her platform La Grâce de Françoise. In this episode we discuss how he found his self-worth to feel confident charging fees for clients after he started his production company and a severe ankle injury he went through in his late adolescence and the impact it had on his mental health. We also discuss a depressive period he went through at the start of 2022, how the power of journaling helped him articulate and channel his mental health state, his friendship with his best mate Aaron and how they have helped each other with their mental health. As always, #itsokaytovent You can follow 3 Minds Media on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/3mindsmedia/ You can follow Joseph on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/JojoVisionary 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 163 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Shaun Flores. Shaun Flores a podcaster, presenter and mental health advocate. He is the host of ‘The Flower Hour’ where he talks to people from all backgrounds about their journey through life. In this episode we discuss Shaun’s lived experience of OCD and his diagnosis in April 2022, particularly ‘Pure-O’ which is a severe form of the neurological condition and how it manifests itself in his thoughts and his day-to-day life. 2022 has also been an extremely difficult year for Shaun. He has had to deal with multiple periods of grief when his cousin was murdered aged 24 in Trinidad, his aunt on his mother’s side died in October 2022 and his half-brother on his father’s side aged 62 to bowel cancer. The grief that had the biggest impact on him was the loss of his dad when he was aged six on Christmas Day. We discuss how he adjusted to a new male figure when his step-dad entered his life and how a form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) called Exposure Response Prevention has helped him massively with his recovery. We finish by discussing the journey he has gone on to become a mental health advocate for greater awareness around OCD, how he turned his negative experience into a positive and the stigmas that exist within the black community when it comes to mental health. As always, #itsokaytovent You can subscribe to 'The Flower Hour' on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@ShaunFlores You can follow Shaun on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshaunflores/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theshaunflores 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 detailed discussions about suicide and suicidality, grief and OCD which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

In episode 162 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with journalist Thomas Mackintosh. Thomas currently works for BBC London and fronted the recently published documentary ‘Who Stole Tamara Ecclestone’s Diamonds?’, which focused on the diamond heist of the home of daughter of former Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, Tamara Ecclestone and who was behind it. In this episode we discuss how Thomas broke into the journalism industry and the barriers he had to overcome, the stress that comes from covering the crime stories he does and the documentary about Tamara Ecclestone’s diamond heist. For Thomas’s mental health, we talk about the isolation and loneliness that living in London can bring about in people, therapy he has accessed in the past because of issues he’s had in previous relationships and how he’s now recovered and in a great place with a supportive partner and wider support network. As always, #itsokaytovent You can watch ‘Who Stole Tamara Ecclestone’s Diamonds?’ on BBC iPlayer here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0019dz7/who-stole-tamara-ecclestones-diamonds You can follow Thomas on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/T_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