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Suicide rates in England for 15-19 year olds are the highest they have been in 30 years.
The loss of any young person to suicide is utterly tragic and obviously devasting to their family, friends and community. 

In the latest episode of ' I Have Issues,' I discuss the issue of teenage suicide. 
I'm honoured to be joined by Ben West. 
In 2018, when Ben was 17, his younger brother Sam who was 15 died by suicide. 
Ben and I talk honestly and openly about Sam, his mental health and his death. Ben discusses the impact this had on him and his family and how he coped in the aftermath of such an incredible loss. 

Ben is one of the most engaged mental health campaigners in the UK, committed to making real change around mental health in our society. He campaigns endless, lobbying the government to create positive and meaning change around mental health policies and services. In 2022 Ben wrote his first book , "This Book Could Save Your Life - Breaking the Silence Around the Mental Health Emergency." 

This episode as ever has hope as it's focus, and Ben talks about his story as a means to provide support and hope to the listeners. 
I appreciate that talking about suicide in teenagers is a frightening topic for many, however it is for that very reason that we need to talk about it. 

I'm an adolescent and adult chartered psychologist for the past two decades. This is a completely free and independant podcast, non-sponsored and ad-free to support you with your mental health. Please support this podcast by sharing and rating it. We all have issues, so let's talk about them.

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Are you someone who is living with a diagnosis of Autism?
Do you think you may have Autism? 
Are you a family member, partner or friend of someone who has Autism? 

In the latest episode of ' I Have Issues,' I discuss the issue of Autism. 
There can be a lot of misunderstanding, confusion and misinformation around Autism,   leading to people struggling to make sense of what is happening and how to get help. 

In this episode I'm joined again by Dr Giovanni Giaroli, Consultant Child, Adolescent & Adult Psychiatrist.  Dr Giaroli is the founder and medical director of  the renowned  Giaroli Centre on Harley Street in London.  He is a medical Doctor specialising in Autism across the lifespan (from childhood to adulthood), plus other mental health conditions.  Dr Giaroli's deep expertise has lead him to practice as a visiting consultant for various adolescent and adult units (outpatient and inpatient) at the prestigious The Priory Hospital North London, The Priory Hospital Roehampton, and the Nightingale Hospital Marylebone, London.

He is also a corresponding member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and has published in International Journals on Psychopharmacology in children and adults and has chaired and presented at many international conferences on  Autism. 

We discuss together Autism as two mental health professionals  (a psychologist and a psychiatrist)  who treat this condition. 
We explore how Autism develops, what happens in an Autistic brain, how it is assessed and treated.  
This episode is essential listening for anyone who is living with Autism or who thinks they may have it. It is also important information for family members, partners or friends of people who have Autism. 

I'm an adolescent and adult chartered psychologist for the past two decades. This is a completely free and independant podcast, non-sponsored and ad-free to support you with your mental health. Please support this podcast by sharing and rating it. We all have issues, so let's talk about them.

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Do you struggle with Anorexia?
Are you concerned that someone you know may have an issue Anorexia?
Are you a family member or friend of someone living with Anorexia?  

In the latest episode of ' I Have Issues,' I discuss the issue of Anorexia.   
I'm joined by Dr Adrienne Key, (Consultant Psychiatrist) who has spent over 25 years in both the NHS and private sector and now works as a partner in the Chelsea and Harley Street Eating Disorder Service. Dr Key held the position of Senior Lecturer at the medical school and Consultant Psychiatrist at the internationally renown St Georges Eating Disorder service in London for several years.

Anorexia can affect men and women and is diagnosed in children, adolescents and adults. For some people, they maybe fighting this issue their whole life,  Sadly, Anorexia can take the life of the person, making it the mental health condition with the highest death rate. 

There are many reasons why someone may develop Anorexia and it needs to be understood in order to be treated. 
Anorexia is a serious issue, however it is treatable and recovery is possible.
Please do share this episode with someone who may have an issue with Anorexia or with someone who needs support living with someone with Anorexia. 

I'm a London based adolescent and adult chartered psychologist.
Please share this podcast if you find it helpful.
Also follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok and Facebook for insights on mental health.

I'm an adolescent and adult chartered psychologist for the past two decades. This is a completely free and independant podcast, non-sponsored and ad-free to support you with your mental health. Please support this podcast by sharing and rating it. We all have issues, so let's talk about them.

Send us a text

Are you regularly using recreational drugs and this has now become a problem for you?
Are you using drugs as a coping mechanism to deal with your life and feel trapped?
Are you concerned that someone you care about does or may have a problem with drugs? 

In the latest episode of ' I Have Issues,' I discuss the issue of drugs. 
People who have an issue with drugs can struggle with managing the impact of that in their life, it can and does cause chaos. 
Friends and family of the person with a problem with drugs will also struggle to deal with the impact of the person's drug use and living with this can be incredibly challenging, 

In this episode, I'm joined again by esteemed Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr William Shanahan. Dr Shanahan is the Medical Director at The Priory Hospital Roehampton, London and Clinical Director across Priory Group’s Addiction Services in the UK. He began his UK medical career as a registrar in the Priory Roehampton in 1987. He is an expert in this area and offers invaluable insights into the issue of drugs. 
We discuss why people may develop an issue with drugs,  what drugs does to the body and brain and how to treat the issue of drugs.

Drug addiction can cause misery for the person who is addicted, leading to mental and physical health problems and in some cases death.
Family and friends can feel helpless and hopeless as to how to support the person who is addicted. 
As ever, this podcast is about hope and the ability to manage difficult issues in our lives. We discuss how drug addiction can be treated and how people can and do recover.
Please do listen to and share this podcast episode if drug use is an issue for you or someone you care about. 

I'm an adolescent and adult chartered psychologist for the past two decades. This is a completely free and independant podcast, non-sponsored and ad-free to support you with your mental health. Please support this podcast by sharing and rating it. We all have issues, so let's talk about them.

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Do you find it hard to trust people? 
Are you weary of people's motives and are overly paranoid or suspicious? 
Do you put up a protective barrier to keep people away, as you feel that people in general can't be trusted? 
Have you been told that you have trust issues? 

In the latest episode of ' I Have Issues,' I discuss the issue of trust. 
Having an issue with trust can lead to being sensitive to the motives of people, believing that they will always hurt or leave us. 
Trust issues can lead to us being lonely and isolated, as we push people away out of fear that they can't be trusted. 
Trust issues can be with us from childhood, or we can develop them at any point over the course of our life. 

We need to manage trust so that it does not leave us lonely, depressed and sat on a manmade island of isolation. 
Listen to this episode to learn how to manage your trust issues and if you do struggle with this issue, there is a way forward to help you build trust into your life. 

I'm an adolescent and adult chartered psychologist for the past two decades. This is a completely free and independant podcast, non-sponsored and ad-free to support you with your mental health. Please support this podcast by sharing and rating it. We all have issues, so let's talk about them.

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Do you struggle with gambling issues?
Are you concerned that someone you know may have an issue with gambling? 
Are you worried that you might be addicted to gambling ? 

In the latest episode of ' I Have Issues,' I discuss the issue of gambling.   
I'm joined by Professor Colin O'Gara,  a consultant psychiatrist for the past twenty years. Since 2007, he is the Head of Addiction Services at Saint John of God Hospital, Stillorgan, Dublin, Ireland treating patients who have a gambling addiction. 
He is recently the author of a new book entitled, 'Gambling Addiction in Ireland; Causes, Consequences and Recovery' with Veritas publishers. This book has been written for a general audience and aims to help patients and families struggling with gambling addiction.

Sadly gambling can change from being a source of fun and entertainment to wrecking your life with heart-breaking consequences. 
Gambling can become an addictive behaviour, devastating the life of the gambler, their family and friends. 

People with an issue of gambling can become deceitful, lead a double-life and gamble finances away and pretend that everything is fine in their life. 
They can become trapped in a life that is blighted by gambling, debt and addiction. 
Listen to this episode to learn how to deal with gambling and if you do struggle with this issue, there is a way forward to help you deal with this addiction. 
Don't gamble with the issue of gambling!

I'm an adolescent and adult chartered psychologist for the past two decades. This is a completely free and independant podcast, non-sponsored and ad-free to support you with your mental health. Please support this podcast by sharing and rating it. We all have issues, so let's talk about them.

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Do you struggle to accept parts of who you are?  
Do you hide the truth about yourself out or fear of judgement or shame?
Do you lie to stop people finding out about your life and so live a double-life instead? 

In the latest episode of ' I Have Issues,' I discuss the issue of denial.   
Denial is a defence mechanism used to hide the truth about aspects of our life and stop people seeing what and who we really are. 
We may feel embarrassed, ashamed or guilty about ourselves and so use denial to stop ourselves experiencing those negative feelings. 
We can end up creating a persona to avoid the truth coming to light and to feel secure. 

People with an issue of denial can struggle to be in healthy relationships, have addiction problems and poor mental health.  
They can become trapped in a life that is dishonest, inauthentic and ruled by lies. 
Listen to this episode to learn how to deal with denial and if you do struggle with this issue, there is a way forward to help you heal. 
Ironically, the truth can actually set you free. 

I'm an adolescent and adult chartered psychologist for the past two decades. This is a completely free and independant podcast, non-sponsored and ad-free to support you with your mental health. Please support this podcast by sharing and rating it. We all have issues, so let's talk about them.

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Are you someone who is living with a diagnosis of ADHD?
Do you think you may have ADHD? 
Are you a family member, partner or friend of someone who has ADHD? 

In the latest episode of ' I Have Issues,' I discuss the issue of ADHD. 
There can be a lot of misunderstanding, confusion and misinformation around ADHD,  leading to people struggling to make sense of what is happening and how to get help. 

In this episode I'm joined by Dr Giovanni Giaroli, Consultant Child, Adolescent & Adult Psychiatrist.  Dr Giaroli is the founder and medical director of  the renowned  Giaroli Centre on Harley Street in London.  He is a medical Doctor specialising in ADHD across the lifespan (from childhood to adulthood), plus other mental health conditions.  Dr Giaroli's deep expertise has lead him to practice as a visiting consultant for various adolescent and adult units (outpatient and inpatient) at the prestigious The Priory Hospital North London, The Priory Hospital Roehampton, and the Nightingale Hospital Marylebone, London.

He is also a corresponding member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and has published in International Journals on Psychopharmacology in children and adults and has chaired and presented at many international conferences on  ADHD. 

We discuss together ADHD as two mental health professionals  (a psychologist and a psychiatrist)  who treat this condition. 
We explore how ADHD develops, what happens in an ADHD brain, how it is assessed and treated.  
This episode is essential listening for anyone who is living with ADHD or who thinks they may have it. It is also important information for family members, partners or friends of people who have ADHD. 

I'm a London based adolescent and adult chartered psychologist.
Please share this podcast if you find it helpful.
Also follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok , YouTube and Facebook for insights on mental health.

I'm an adolescent and adult chartered psychologist for the past two decades. This is a completely free and independant podcast, non-sponsored and ad-free to support you with your mental health. Please support this podcast by sharing and rating it. We all have issues, so let's talk about them.

Send us a text

Do you struggle with jealousy in relationships? 
Are you prone to being paranoid about people in your life being faithful?
Do you engage in controlling behaviours because you feel insecure? 

In the latest episode of ' I Have Issues,' I discuss the issue of jealousy.  
Jealousy can cause damage in your relationships and can lead  to physical, emotional and verbal abuse. 
People with an issue with jealousy can struggle to be in healthy relationships and often find themselves alone, as people do not to want them in their life. 
Listen to this episode to learn how to deal with jealousy and if you do struggle with this issue, there is a way forward to help you heal. 

I'm an adolescent and adult chartered psychologist for the past two decades. This is a completely free and independant podcast, non-sponsored and ad-free to support you with your mental health. Please support this podcast by sharing and rating it. We all have issues, so let's talk about them.

Send us a text

Are you a concerned parent worried about your child's mental health?
Do you have a child who struggles with their mental health?
Do you know how to talk to you child about mental health? 

In the latest episode of ' I Have Issues,' I discuss the issue of mental health in children. 
This can be a worrying issue for parents  and caregivers, as they may not know how to properly support a child with mental health challenges. 

In this episode, I'm joined by Consultant Child, Adolescent  & Adult Clinical Psychologist Dr Maile O' Hara. For ten years Dr O’Hara was a New York City high school history teacher and has since continued to seek out opportunities to work with young people and their families.  She is honoured to have worked at top hospitals in New York City. Since relocating to the U.K. 4 years ago she has continued her private practice both internationally and in London.  She has been treating both children and adults in private practice for the last 10 years. 

We discuss together mental health in children, why this can be an issue and  what we can all do to support children with their mental health. 
This episode is a must-listen for any parent, or caregiver who is concerned about mental health in children. 

I'm an adolescent and adult chartered psychologist for the past two decades. This is a completely free and independant podcast, non-sponsored and ad-free to support you with your mental health. Please support this podcast by sharing and rating it. We all have issues, so let's talk about them.