Figuring It Out

TW: This episode contains reference to suicide and mental illness.

In part two, Ben West reflects on how the Reasons to Stay project has transformed his life, why hope matters in suicide prevention and whether we should ban social media for under 16s…

Plus, Ben and Dr Alex George discuss the three things social media should provide, and why it may be worth reassessing your relationship with certain platforms if they’re not giving you at least one of them.

Resources:

Samaritans

Shout

CALM

Papyrus

Follow @iambenwest, check out his incredible project Reasons to Stay, and pre-order his latest book Reasons to Stay: Lessons of Hope from a World that Cares. 

(By using our affiliate bookshop you’ll help fund Stompcast by earning a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too!)

Order Alex’s latest book Am I Normal? - out now!

Order Happy Habits - out now! 

Follow the podcast on Instagram @thestompcast

Get the new, pocket guide version of The Mind Manual now

Download Mettle: the mental fitness app for men

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TW: This episode contains reference to suicide and mental illness.

Ben West is a mental health campaigner, who became an activist after losing his 15 year old brother, Sam, to suicide in 2018. Earlier this year, Ben launched the incredible Reasons to Stay project, a suicide prevention website where anyone in the world can write a letter to someone thinking about suicide.

In part one, Ben joins Dr Alex George to discuss the extraordinary impact of Reasons to Stay, and how the project grew from a £16 web domain into a lifeline which has sent over 3.5 million letters to people struggling around the world.

Plus, Ben also shares some of the powerful real-life stories that have emerged from the project and explores practical ways we can better support those who may be facing difficult times.

Resources:

Samaritans

Shout

CALM

Papyrus

Follow @iambenwest, check out his incredible project Reasons to Stay, and pre-order his latest book Reasons to Stay: Lessons of Hope from a World that Cares. 

(By using our affiliate bookshop you’ll help fund Stompcast by earning a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too!)

Order Alex’s latest book Am I Normal? - out now!

Order Happy Habits - out now! 

Follow the podcast on Instagram @thestompcast

Get the new, pocket guide version of The Mind Manual now

Download Mettle: the mental fitness app for men

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part three, Owen O’Kane shares the many ways modern life can fuel anxiety, how doomscrolling increases anxiety and why not letting your experiences define you can set you free.

Plus, Owen and Dr Alex George discuss how happiness can be misinterpreted as a scary emotion and unpack why breakthroughs can often feel uncomfortable…

Follow @owenokaneten and check out his latest book Addicted to Anxiety: How to Break the Habit.

(By using our affiliate bookshop you’ll help fund Stompcast by earning a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too!)

Order Alex’s latest book Am I Normal? - out now!

Order Happy Habits - out now! 

Follow the podcast on Instagram @thestompcast

Get the new, pocket guide version of The Mind Manual now

Download Mettle: the mental fitness app for men

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two, Owen O’Kane explores how anxiety can sometimes serve a useful purpose and explains why separating the facts from the stories we tell ourselves can help reduce worry. He also reveals why a significant part of managing anxiety is learning to stop getting in your own way…

Plus, Owen and Dr Alex George discuss the link between OCD and the need for control and why taking medication for your mental health should never be seen as a weakness.

Follow @owenokaneten and check out his latest book Addicted to Anxiety: How to Break the Habit.

(By using our affiliate bookshop you’ll help fund Stompcast by earning a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too!)

Order Alex’s latest book Am I Normal? - out now!

Order Happy Habits - out now! 

Follow the podcast on Instagram @thestompcast

Get the new, pocket guide version of The Mind Manual now

Download Mettle: the mental fitness app for men

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen O’Kane is a leading psychotherapist, mental health expert and author whose work has helped countless people better understand and manage anxiety.

In part one, Owen joins Dr Alex George to discuss why you need to embrace anxiety, the importance of looking after your inner child and how shame can impact your relationship with anxiety.

Plus, Owen unpacks the three core systems that drive anxiety forward, and reveals why he believes there is never one sole cause of anxiety…

Follow @owenokaneten and check out his latest book Addicted to Anxiety: How to Break the Habit.

(By using our affiliate bookshop you’ll help fund Stompcast by earning a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too!)

Order Alex’s latest book Am I Normal? - out now!

Order Happy Habits - out now! 

Follow the podcast on Instagram @thestompcast

Get the new, pocket guide version of The Mind Manual now

Download Mettle: the mental fitness app for men

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part three, Joshua Fletcher joins Dr Alex George to unpack why there’s no quick-fix for anxiety, how wellness culture can quietly damage your self-worth and the complex relationship between anxiety and self-trust.

Plus, Josh and Alex discuss how using humour can sometimes be a healthy way to cope with anxiety, and why rumination never solves anything…

Follow @anxietyjosh and check out his new book Same Time Next Week?: Living with Anxiety in the Modern World.

(By using our affiliate bookshop you’ll help fund Stompcast by earning a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too!)

Order Alex’s latest book Am I Normal? - out now!

Order Happy Habits - out now! 

Follow the podcast on Instagram @thestompcast

Get the new, pocket guide version of The Mind Manual now

Download Mettle: the mental fitness app for men

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two, Joshua Fletcher explores whether you can still be a good therapist and struggle with mental illness, how to strike a healthy balance between self-improvement and self-obsession and why it’s better to be a “wounded healer” than a perfect one…

Plus, Josh and Dr Alex George discuss why human connection is vital to impactful therapy, and whether it’s okay to accept that you’ve not “fixed” yourself yet.

Follow @anxietyjosh and check out his new book Same Time Next Week?: Living with Anxiety in the Modern World.

(By using our affiliate bookshop you’ll help fund Stompcast by earning a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too!)

Order Alex’s latest book Am I Normal? - out now!

Order Happy Habits - out now! 

Follow the podcast on Instagram @thestompcast

Get the new, pocket guide version of The Mind Manual now

Download Mettle: the mental fitness app for men

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Joshua Fletcher - also known as Anxiety Josh - returns to the Stompcast! With over 300k followers, Josh is a content creator, author and psychotherapist specialising in anxiety and anxiety disorders.

In part one, Josh joins Dr Alex George to discuss how to enjoy your life alongside anxiety, the importance of leaning into uncertainty and whether AI is the future of therapy…

Plus, Josh shares his golden rules for navigating anxiety in today’s modern world.

Follow @anxietyjosh and check out his new book Same Time Next Week?: Living with Anxiety in the Modern World.

(By using our affiliate bookshop you’ll help fund Stompcast by earning a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too!)

Order Alex’s latest book Am I Normal? - out now!

Order Happy Habits - out now! 

Follow the podcast on Instagram @thestompcast

Get the new, pocket guide version of The Mind Manual now

Download Mettle: the mental fitness app for men

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part three, Claire educates us on how audio description works for TV, film and concerts and shares how she’s making the world more accessible. 

Plus, she shares how she pulls herself out of the darkest moments to find moments of joy. 

Follow Claire @canseecantsee_

Order Alex’s latest book Am I Normal? - out now!

Order Happy Habits - out now! 

Follow the podcast on Instagram @thestompcast

Get the new, pocket guide version of The Mind Manual now

Download Mettle: the mental fitness app for men

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two, Claire Sisk sheds light on the everyday obstacles she faces that, as a sighted person, you could take completely for granted. 

Claire explains the app that helps connect blind people with help around the world, the issues with travel assistance and the triggers that remind her of her blindness. 

Follow Claire @canseecantsee_

Order Alex’s latest book Am I Normal? - out now!

Order Happy Habits - out now! 

Follow the podcast on Instagram @thestompcast

Get the new, pocket guide version of The Mind Manual now

Download Mettle: the mental fitness app for men

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.