Don’t Look At Me In That Tone Of Voice Podacst

In this episode of Don't Look At Me In That Tone Of Voice, Vinny shares his harrowing childhood experiences of abuse, neglect and exploitation, and the long road to remembering and healing.

He discusses the impact on his family especially his wife, the role of counselling and support groups, and the small acts of love that helped him survive. This candid conversation highlights resilience, the importance of connection, and finding help when you feel alone.

This episode follows a founder’s raw journey from addiction, relapse, and the loss of his mother to launching a mental-health clothing brand and a free community support project. He explains how the message "believe life is never done" grew from personal struggle into purpose.

Listen to how fundraising, a chance encounter at Morecambe Parkrun, and weekly walk-and-talk meetups transformed ideas into an expanding, free support network for recovery, youth outreach, and anti-bullying work across the city.

Host John Smallwood talks to Jake Mills, founder of Chasing the Stigma and creator of the Hub of Hope, about his journey from severe depression and a suicide attempt to building the UK’s largest directory of mental health services.

Jake describes his personal struggles, the gaps he found in mental health support, and how the Hub of Hope — now listing thousands of services and connecting people to help — was created to make local support easy to find. The episode highlights lived experience, practical help-seeking, and the importance of community and education in mental health.

Host John Smallwood speaks with Lynn Dolan, founder of Men's Talk, about how the group began, grew to three venues, and supports men’s mental health across the city.

They discuss peer support, training, community activities, outreach to veterans and isolated men, and practical ways listeners can reach out or join the group.

In this personal episode host John Smallwood sits down with his wife Danielle to explore the impact of his mental health crisis on their marriage, children and daily life. Danielle shares how she coped, the fear and anger she felt, gaps in support services, and what helped them begin to heal as a family.

The conversation closes with a powerful poem urging men to speak up, and offers a message of hope and practical encouragement for partners and loved ones supporting someone through mental health challenges.

In this episode Debbie Rogers, founder of Sean's Place, shares how the loss of her brother Sean inspired a community-led mental health service for men. She recounts Sean’s struggles, the failings she encountered in formal care, and how she transformed grief into a vibrant support hub offering counselling, activities, training and rapid access to help.

Debbie and the host discuss stigma, practical ways to ask someone if they’re okay, outreach into workplaces and schools, the Hub of Hope app, and how communities can make support easier to find. The episode closes with encouragement to reach out talking can save lives.

Host John Smallwood sits down with his close friend Shaun Millea for a raw and powerful conversation about mental health.

John opens up about the hidden lows, the intrusive thoughts that made him feel like the world would be better off without him, and the quiet battles no one saw.

Shaun gently asks the questions that matter — about rock bottom, reaching out, and the moment John finally opened up to his wife, his friends, and his community.

Together, they explore how therapy, honesty, and small, practical steps helped John start to heal — and what others can take from his journey