Hear For Each Other - Legends Of Mental Health

What mental health outcomes can we expect with a contracting economy? What about the longer term mental health impacts we are expecting as a result of other changes to our society as a result of Covid, the war in Ukraine, and in the UK, Brexit? 

During and after economic crashes, a great many people are white knuckling as a result of losing their jobs, or in fear of losing their jobs, and a lot of these people, either attempt to, or sadly take their own lives. In other words, global and local financial and political circumstances are intimately related to our mental health. 

In part two of this conversation series with Professor Kinderman, we learn how social factors, and not our individual biologies, are the primary determinants of our mental health.

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Links from the show:

• Trends in the numbers of suicides and unemployment claimants in England, 2000-10, by sex: https://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e5142
• Australian male suicide rate over age: https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/FlagPost/2019/June/Mens_health

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Be a hearo:

• If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!
• For a free pdf download of seven evidence-based mental health optimisation activities for pretty much anyone, subscribe to our monthly newsletter - we never ever spam. Go to: onthelowdown.com.au/newsletter-signup
• Follow us on our socials: Insta and Facebook @HearForEachOther, and LinkedIn.
• To support the show, go to our Patreon page: (https://www.patreon.com/onthelowdown)

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Leave a comment or ask a question about a topic if you want to hear from us. 

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Dave and Adam unpick the psychology of Will Smith’s behaviour at the Oscars 2022, his apology to Chris Rock, and the neuroscience of fight, fright or freeze.

What was happening psychologically for Will Smith to physically assault comedian Chris Rock in front of millions at the Oscars earlier this year 2022? Did Rock overstep a line, or was he simply doing what comedians have always done? In this episode Dave and Adam unpick the role of the comic in society today, the psychology of narcissism vs confidence, tall poppy syndrome, and the neuroscience of what our brain is doing when we find ourselves in fight, fright or freeze. 

• Analysis of Will Smith’s slap and apology (05:43)
• The role of the comic in today’s society (13:15)
• The neuroscience of fight, flight or freeze (15:08)
• What is a narcissist? (20:24)
• Confidence vs narcissism (22:39)
• Tall poppy syndrome (31:00)

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Links from the show:

• For a free pdf download of seven evidence-based mental health optimisation activities for pretty much anyone, subscribe to our monthly newsletter - we never ever spam. Go to: onthelowdown.com.au/newsletter-signup
  
  
• Follow us on our socials: Insta and Facebook @HearForEachOther, and LinkedIn.
  
  
• To support the show, go to our Patreon page: patreon.com/onthelowdown
  
  
• All Hear For Each Other episodes here: onthelowdown.com.au/hearforeachother
  
  
• All transcripts here: onthelowdown.com.au/transcripts
  
  

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Leave a comment or ask a question about a topic if you want to hear from us. 

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How is mental “illness” a real thing? What causes people to experience psychological distress? According to our guest Professor Peter Kinderman, approximately 95% of the variation in experiences of people diagnosed with depression, anxiety and other forms of psychological distress is explained by differing social factors, with only 5% of the variance explained genetic differences.

Professor Kinderman is a former President of the British Psychological Society, an academic at the University of Liverpool and a practising clinical psychologist. In this episode, which is part one of a three part series on the social drivers of mental health, we learn how referring to psychological distress as an "illness" or a "disease" may not only be technically inaccurate, but can create barriers to better collective health and wellbeing. 

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Links from the show:

• For all other podcast platforms to listen to the show, head to our website podcast page here. 
• For a free pdf download of seven evidence-based mental health optimisation activities for pretty much anyone, subscribe to our monthly newsletter - we never ever spam. Go to: onthelowdown.com.au/newsletter-signup
• To follow us on our socials: Insta @HearForEachOther, Facebook @HearForEachOther, and LinkedIn.
• To support the show, go to our Patreon page: (https://www.patreon.com/onthelowdown)

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Leave a comment or ask a question about a topic if you want to hear from us. 

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Summary:

A compilation of some of the most interesting topics discussed so far on season 1 of Hear For Each Other. In this quick recap, you’ll learn the strategies these leaders use to manage their own mental health and that of others. We’ve got: 

• Australia’s best chef Ben Shewry sharing his top three tips for creating the best possible work environment with the best possible outcomes (03:43);
• 2x surfing world champ Tom Carroll speaking about recovering from addiction (19:08); 
• Actor, author and director Brendan Cowell on how to be happy, and how to be a good friend (26:24);
• Ex-fed MP and Chair of Industry Super Greg Combet AM on best-practice workplace cultures (34:31); 
• UFC light heavyweight fighter Khalil Rountree Jr. together with domestic violence expert Rebecca Lee talking about keeping it together during times of high emotion (49:03); and,
• Australian Athletics Hall of Fame marathon legend Steve Moneghetti AM on better decision-making (1:11:31).

This is simply the best from the best. Don’t miss it!

Missed an episode you found interesting on this podcast? See all Hear For Each Other Episodes here: https://www.onthelowdown.com.au/hearforeachother

Find the show’s transcript here:

https://www.onthelowdown.com.au/transcripts

Help us grow. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWJgKimqkVU71cTt0DBgRaQ

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New podcast episodes every first Wednesday of every month. @onthelowdownau | onthelowdown.com.au/

Optimise your mental health with our “no-brainers” PDF by joining our monthly newsletter here.

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For part 2 of our conversation with UFC light heavyweight fighter Khalil Rountree Jr and domestic violence expert Rebecca Lee, do you know someone who struggles to keep it together during a high stakes encounter? Maybe you do. What about understanding when and how it’s ok to be angry and / or violent? Or processing your inner-demons? In this episode we go through techniques for managing anger and other potentially overwhelming emotions from two people who know better than almost anyone on the planet. 
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Topics and timestamps:

• How not to take on other people’s emotions when active listening: 00:04:01
• Emotional management under extreme circumstances: how Khalil keeps it together when he’s fighting in the cage: 00:10:57
• DV expert Bec’s take on whether violence is ever ok: 00:23:49
• The tools Bec teaches men in her program about how to manage anger and other potentially overwhelming emotions: 00:30:20
• Khalil’s message for people who are anti-violence: 00:37:18
• Power, control and equality between the sexes: 00:41:36
• The demons that still haunt Khalil and how he deals with them: 00:53:51
• Khalil’s experience with suicidal ideation: 01:04:37
• The hypersexualisation of women: 01:08:28

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Links from the show:

• If you are a victim survivor of family or domestic violence, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or visit 1800respect.org.au/. 
• If you are worried about the way that your own behaviour may be negatively affecting others in your home, call MensLine on 1300 789 978. You can make the call anonymously. 
• Click here to review the “Economic cost of violence against women and their children” in Australia
• Click here to watch Khalil’s brutal finish of Karl Roberson in his last fight, UFC fight night, March 11, 2022
• Click here to watch Khalil’s post-fight interview in the octagon after finishing Karl Roberson
• Click here to watch Khalil’s impassioned post-fight press conference
• For all other podcast platforms to listen to the show, head to our website podcast page here. 
• For a free pdf download of 7 evidence-based mental health optimisation activities for pretty much anyone, subscribe to our monthly newsletter - we never ever spam. Go to: onthelowdown.com.au/newsletter-signup
•  @OnTheLowDownAU for Insta, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
• To support the show, go to our Patreon page: (https://www.patreon.com/onthelowdown)

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If you can think of a person who you think would like to check this, or any of our episodes out, then be a hearo and share it with them. Thank you

Support the show

What do you get when you cross a professional UFC cage fighter and a domestic violence expert? Well in this case, a sophisticated and stimulating conversation about men and violence (finally)… In this episode of Hear for Each Other, we are speaking with Khalil Rountree, rank #20 in the UFC light heavyweight division, and Bec Lee, domestic violence expert and men's behaviour change facilitator. Both guests are world class experts on the subject, each coming at it from very different perspectives, or so one might think…

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Topics and timestamps:

• Khalil’s first experiences of violence: 00:08:41
• Feminine qualities used as insults to men: 00:17:21
• The relationship between Khalil’s father being murdered, and masculine demonstrations of nurture: 00:20:01
• Bec’s first experience of domestic violence and the consequences: 00:29:27
• The blueprint of a man: 00:35:06
• How Khalil losing his Dad shaped his life: 00:44:26
• Bec discusses the “man box” - cultural expectations of men: 00:51:27
• Active listening and the power of therapy: 00:55:15

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Links from the show:

• If you are a victim survivor of family or domestic violence, and you would like to speak with someone about it, then please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or visit 1800respect.org.au/. 
• If you are worried about the way that your own behaviour may be negatively affecting others in your home, then you can call MensLine on 1300 789 978. 
• Click here to reviewThe “Economic cost of violence against women and their children” in Australia
• Watch Khalil’s brutal finish of Karl Roberson in his last fight, UFC fight night, March 11, 2022
• Khalil’s post-fight interview in the octagon after finishing Karl Roberson
• Watch Khalil’s impassioned post-fight press conference
• To watch the conversation between myself and Rebecca Lee (no Khalil), you can watch it here on YouTube, or listen to it here on Spotify. 
• Head to our website podcast page here. 
• For a free pdf download of seven evidence-based mental health optimisation activities for pretty much anyone, subscribe to our monthly newsletter - we never ever spam. Go to: onthelowdown.com.au/newsletter-signup
• To follow us on our socials: Insta @OnTheLowDownAU, Facebook @OnTheLowDownAU, and LinkedIn.
• To support the show, go to our Patreon page: (https://www.patreon.com/onthelowdown)

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If you can think of a person who you think would like to check this, or any of our episodes out, then be a hearo and share it with them. Thank you

Support the show

What do you get when you cross a professional UFC cage fighter and a domestic violence expert? Well in this case, a sophisticated and loving conversation about men and violence… 

In this episode, we are speaking with both Khalil Rountree, rank #20 in the UFC light heavyweight division, and Bec Lee, domestic violence expert and men's behaviour change facilitator. Both guests are world class experts on the subject, each coming at it from very different perspectives, or so one might think…

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Topics and timestamps:

• Khalil’s first experiences of violence: 00:17:29
• Feminine qualities used as insults to men: 00:26:09
• The relationship between Khalil’s father being murdered, and masculine demonstrations of nurture: 00:28:49
• Bec’s first experience of domestic violence and the consequences: 00:38:15
• The blueprint of a man: 00:43:54
• How Khalil losing his Dad shaped his life: 00:53:14
• Bec discusses the “man box” - cultural expectations of men: 01:00:14
• Active listening and the power of therapy: 01:04:02

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Links from the show:

• If you are a victim survivor of family or domestic violence, and you would like to speak with someone about it, then please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or visit 1800respect.org.au/. 
• If you are worried about the way that your own behaviour may be negatively affecting others in your home, then you can call MensLine on 1300 789 978. 
• Click here to review the “Economic cost of violence against women and their children” in Australia
• Click here to watch Khalil’s brutal finish of Karl Roberson in his last fight, UFC fight night, March 11, 2022
• Click here to watch Khalil’s post-fight interview in the octagon after finishing Karl Roberson
• Click here to watch Khalil’s impassioned post-fight press conference
• To watch the conversation between myself and Rebecca Lee (no Khalil), you can watch it here on YouTube, or listen to it here on Spotify. 
• For all other podcast platforms to listen to the show, head to our website podcast page here. 
• For a free pdf download of seven evidence-based mental health optimisation activities for pretty much anyone, subscribe to our monthly newsletter - we never ever spam. Go to: onthelowdown.com.au/newsletter-signup
• To follow us on our socials: Insta @OnTheLowDownAU, Facebook @OnTheLowDownAU, and LinkedIn.
• To support the show, go to our Patreon page: (https://www.patreon.com/onthelowdown)

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If you can think of a person who you think would like to check this, or any of our episodes out, then be a hearo and share it with them. Thank you

​​Have you ever felt so strongly about an issue, that your emotions have taken you to a place where you have said or done things that made the problem worse? Are you a robot? No, of course you have. In this episode, we talk to the domestic violence specialist mending a hole in our country. Bec Lee is healing the men who in this scenario used harm on others, creating a domestic violence event.

Ms Rebecca Lee, who has been in several DV relationships herself, is healing herself and a hole in a part of regional NSW with her behaviour change program for men who have used harm - and it actually works - it’s been piloted, and now she has quantifiable evidence to back it up. 
That may not sound like anything spectacular, but for those of you who know a little about the men’s behaviour change space, it is fraught with complexity - it’s pretty hard for us as adults to change our behaviours, especially when there are so many past traumas to uncover and resolve, not to mention the multitude of unhelpful yet very influential cultural norms for Australian males. And domestic and family violence are a massive #$@$ing issue in this country, negatively affecting a LOT of Australians. So yeah - she’s kind of like a really big deal, and I was absolutely pumped to have her on the show…

Thank you for tuning in, and I hope you enjoy the show.
 
Ps. If you ARE a robot then congratulations on your sentience.

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Links from the show:

• If you are a victim survivor of family or domestic violence, and you would like to speak with someone about it, then please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or visit 1800respect.org.au/. 

• If you are worried about the way that your own behaviour may be negatively affecting others in your home, then you can call MensLine on 1300 789 978. You can make the call anonymously - and have an open chat about what you may be able to do to be a better role model and a more loving and useful person. 

For some excellent articles about managing anger, communicating when you disagree with someone, dealing with disappointment and many more, head to mensline.org.au/

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If you can think of a person who you think would like to check this, or any of our episodes out, then be a hearo and share it with them. Thank you

Support the show

Have you ever been challenged under pressure and had anxiety get in the way? Could you imagine what it must be like to turn up to your job, only to have tens of thousands of people scream out that you suck? In this episode Jordan Roughead, having played over 200 games of professional football now, not to mention a casual premiership in 2016, talks all things AFL and mental health, and drops some great tips about dealing with performance anxiety and also depression. Jordan has just retired as full back for the biggest club in the AFL, the mighty Pies. As a key defender, he has plenty of experience in clutch moments delivering under pressure (also with zero sleep), and has copped more than his fair share from the crowd.

Last year Jordan was runner up for the second time for the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award as an outspoken advocate of the LGBTQIA+ community, also for climate action, youth homelessness and women in sport. He is also a board member on the charity LADDER, where he has been volunteering for almost ten years now. 

We also speak about the role that the AFL plays in determining what is “Aussie” culture, and the impact that has on our collective psyche. Jordan finishes off by responding to some of the questions that you hearoes asked on social media.

Thanks a lot for caring about this stuff and tuning in. I really hope you find it worth your while.

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Did you like this episode? Then please take a moment to share it with one friend who you think might also value it. Your actions as an individual are meaningful! : )

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Have you ever wondered how much the story that we learn as we grow up about what it means to be a man affects our mental health? What about the male suicide rate? Well today we are speaking with internationally acclaimed Australian actor, director, playwright and author Brendan Cowell. The driving force behind Brendan’s prolific creative output galvanised during his formative years growing up in an environment where male suicide was a regular part of “life”... In this episode, we unpack a new cultural narrative - and how Brendan is using stories to heal a wound…

Brendan Cowell is a writer, director, actor, playwright and musician who has made a life out of exploring these topics, and he has been incredibly successful at it to boot. In 2008 Brendan wrote a smash hit play RUBEN GUTHRIE, which then became a film of the same name. He wrote and starred in a number of episodes for the multi award winning series THE SLAP and for the acclaimed Foxtel TV series LOVE MY WAY. Brendan appeared in Game of Thrones as Harrag the Ironborn - and will also be in the next two AVATAR films soon to be released, as Mick Scoresby, captain of a large-scale marine hunting vessel on Pandora. Yeah - not bad at all. Brendan’s second book PLUM just came out in September 2021. 
 
Brendan grew up in the Sutherland Shire on the southern side of Sydney in a land of “green lawns and healthy labradors, beautiful beaches, sunshine, football teams, boats and white people operating on a joyous Christian level eating salad sandwiches”. This same place was also characterised by the highest rate of male youth suicide in the country, during which time at the age of 21 Brendan’s best mate took his own life with a gun. 
 
This experience, and the environment and circumstances in which it took place, had a massive impact on Brendan, resulting in a life-long fascination with what it means to be a man in Australia. In this interview I seemed to have been fixated on the notion that as men, we need a new “story / narrative” to follow. Storytellers play a critical role in any society - they provide us with the opportunity to observe and critique, and to laugh at ourselves - and to laugh at the darkness - one of the best ways to get through it. Brendan’s latest book PLUM is a very fine piece of work - it’s very entertaining - funny, sad, insightful, but for me most of all it pairs two traditionally distinct worlds - the kind and compassionate artist, and the meathead jock. 
 
At the end of the interview - Brendan does a reading from PLUM. It’s amazing, he’s unreal - and I feel incredibly fortunate that such a creative powerhouse shared so much of his time, insight and passion on the show. I hope you feel the same way too. We join the interview with Brendan updating the traditional Australian male definition of courage. 
 
Thank you for tuning in, and I hope you enjoy the show.

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Links from the show:

• Brendan’s Instagram to buy his new book "PLUM"
• You can find six of Zadie Smith's critically acclaimed, and wonderfully human essays about lockdown in her book "Intimations”

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Do you agree that reaching out for help when we need it, making decisions with the input of others, and sharing what’s rolling around between our ears with others is a needed cultural shift for men? Do you think our show supports this shift? If so, then please take a moment to review us on Spotify, Apple podcasts or Podchaser for the sake of promoting the show to others. Reviews and ratings really work!

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