Mental health is hard enough to tackle when you’re a teenager or adult. For this week’s guest, mental health campaigner, public speaker and vlogger Jonny Benjamin, it’s been a lifelong journey. 

“My parents took me to see a psychologist when I was five. So I didn't understand it. No one explained it to me because no one did right back then.” – Jonny (01:26)

Jonny’s documentaries on mental health and suicide have been presented on the BBC, his ThinkWell school program has seen major success in UK secondary schools, and his youth mental health charity, Beyond, was launched in 2018.

Today, Jonny joins me to talk about living with schizoaffective disorder, getting his start as a mental health campaigner on YouTube, and the benefits of finally finding the right therapist. 

Jonny also shares how cognitive behavioral therapy has changed his life, the viral #FindMike campaign of 2014, and his youth mental health charity, Beyond. 

 

“It's been a long journey. I've got a psychiatrist now that I can trust, that I can talk to. I've got a therapist now – it took me like 13, 14 years to find the right support. Like once I found my therapist now, it clarified everything. I feel I was finally listening to myself and just instead of just listening to what other people wanted to tell me and, and you know, I was actually looking out for myself.” – Johnny (51:14)

 

In This Episode

• (01:12) Signs of Jonny’s schizoaffective disorder at 5 years old
• (05:30) What schizoaffective disorder is
• (14:28) Jonny’s first experience with psychosis 
• (17:32) Stigma surrounding mental health and sexuality in a Jewish family
• (20:21) Jonny’s “guardian angel”
• (25:42) #FindMike campaign
• (30:20) The mental pressure of of #FindMike and Jonny’s subsequent breakdown
• (38:29) Finally telling his parents about his struggle with mental health
• (43:54) “I literally broke down in tears.”
• (51:05) The difficulty – and joy – of finding the right therapist 
• (56:51) Jonny’s youth mental health charity, Beyond
• (1:02:34) Are you happy today?

 

Our Guest

Mental health campaigner, public speaker and vlogger Jonny Benjamin was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at 20. After his YouTube channel documenting life with his condition went viral, Johnny became a mental health advocate and public speaker, with BBC documentaries, a school program for UK secondary schools, and a youth charity for teens and young adults. 

 

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

• https://www.offthecuff.fm/
• https://www.youtube.com/c/OffTheCuffwithDannyLoPriore
• https://www.instagram.com/1and1otc/
• https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

Jonny Benjamin

• https://www.facebook.com/mrjonnybenjamin/
• https://www.instagram.com/mrjonnybenjamin/
• https://twitter.com/MrJonnyBenjamin
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4wmsiqfBhbnCU1X8PChFLg?sub_confirmation=1