JustMates

The 5 stages of grief and loss are: Denial/isolation; Anger; Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. People who are grieving do not necessarily go through the stages in the same order or experience all of them. Losing something close to you, whether it be a person, animal or any form of attachment can be a heart wrenching experience. Grief is a natural response to losing someone you care about. There's no right or wrong way to grieve. In this episode we talk about our own experience with the grieving process and how we eventually overcame that obstacle. You must understand that death is a natural process in life. Without sounding too morbid, the death is inevitable for everything and everyone. Often that can be a hard concept to grasp for most individuals and can consequentially cause depression and/or anxiety. The fear of death or "Thanatophobia" is a topic that we believe isn't discussed enough amongst most mental health advocates.

When Steve Jobs was dying from a terminal illness, he stated, “Death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life’s change agent; it clears out the old to make way for the new.” - If you really examine this take on death, you begin to see the real beauty of life. Without death, life has little meaning. If we all coexisted for eternity, wouldn't this just make people nihilistic? Wouldn't your existence just be mundane? Perhaps if immortality was a part of our universe, this would create unnecessary suffering. We agree that this topic is quite involved and can cause a copious amount of head scratching. But we perceive acceptance of passing to be vital in achieving inner peace.

Yes, you have a time stamp on this earth, we all do. But that doesn't mean you can't live your life to the fullest. Without sounding cliche, you do only live once. So, make sure to follow your dreams and passion to have a fulfilled, loving life. You are ready to do beautiful things in this world. We hope you enjoy this episode, and we appreciate any feedback.

Hosts: Sam Mitchell & Nafees Akhtar  

*Please note that we encountered some audio related issues in this episode. Self-harm is when somebody intentionally damages their body. We usually do it because something else in your life feels wrong. It may seem like self-harm is the only way to let those feelings out as an outlet for the pain you feel inside. There are various reasons we do this, from escaping memories to punishing ourselves based on past experiences. This short-term release can often bring up incredibly difficult emotions and can make you feel worse because of inflicting damage upon yourself. A study from Young Minds found that 24% of boys age 16 - 24 in the UK self-harm. Shockingly hat is 1 in 4 young males that inflict damage upon themselves in various ways. Warning: it can be upsetting and potentially triggering to read information about how people self-harm. Please proceed with caution upon reading the text below if you are particularly vulnerable at the moment: Cutting, poisoning, over/under eating, burning, hitting yourself or objects, drug/alcohol misuse, pulling hair, unsafe sex and fighting. Knowing how people self-harm is one of the first steps we can take to find comfort in opening up. You are not alone. In this episode we invite Ben Hodgkins on to the podcast to talk about self-harm and how it has affected his life. This is an incredibly heart wrenching topic that so many of us can relate to. We'd like to take a moment to thank Ben for opening up his experience of self-harm as this wasn't exactly an easy topic to discuss. This will hopefully open the door for people alike to share their story. Together we can really get under the skin of the causes of self-harm and what we can do to stop it. We really hope you enjoy this episode. Feedback is always welcome.

Evidence indicates that nutrition may play an important role in the prevention, development, and management of mental health problems. What we eat may also affect the way we feel. Hence, improving your diet may help to help your mental health alongside physical competent of weight loss or gain. In this episode we delve into our personal experiences related to nutrition and how we best recommend you overcome obstacles related to eating disorders.

Anger is an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and hostile response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat. We all feel angry at times... it's part of being human. Anger is a normal, healthy emotion. It only becomes a problem when it gets out of control and harms you or people around you. That is why it is important to transfer this energy into something positive and productive. In this episode we talk about our own personal experiences with anger and how we've grown to accept it and turn it into something useful. We have some useful tips that will truly help you contain your anger when it's really needed. Learn to make peace with your inner beast - "If you have no teeth, you become too easily pushed around." Become resilient and motivated. Let's do this!

Alcoholism, also known as alcohol use disorder (AUD), is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in mental or physical health problems. The reason we drink, and the consequences of excessive drinking are linked with our mental health. Mental health problems not only result from drinking too much alcohol, they can also cause people to drink too much.  A major reason for drinking alcohol is to change our mood or our mental state. Alcohol can temporarily alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression and people often use it a form of ‘self-medication’ but in return it can have a cataclysmic long-term impact on your life and health.  In this episode we talk to Simon Mitchell (Sam's Uncle), who's had his fair share of battles with alcohol for many years. Simon goes in to discuss his personal experience relating to alcohol abuse and the best methods of resolution. Simon is the perfect example of an addict who's come out of the other end a better person. From prison to recovery followed by achieving an MBA, selling a highly successful business, to now studying an MSc in Psychology to one day focus on helping addicts. Simon is a real inspiration to all of us. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and we are here to raise awareness of substance abuse in relation to mental health.

Men do feel pressure to be physically fit, successful and on point for most things in life. Both societal and internal pressures inherent this ‘perfect man’ ideal that leads to stress and unnecessary social strain in your life. In today's episode we discuss a number of these pressures and how we best recommend overcoming them. We believe toxic masculinity and pressure on males is not discussed enough in comparison to similar ideals like the feminist movement. It is our job to raise awareness of this since the outcome of these pressures can be detrimental the mental health of you and countless others around you. Let's fight this together.

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Toxic people are everywhere in your life. Draining, unsupportive, disrespectful and difficult people are one of life’s greatest challenges. In this episode we discuss 7 types of toxic people and how to deal with them.

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This week we discuss dissociation. If you dissociate, you may feel disconnected from yourself and the world around you. Dissociation is one way the mind copes with too much stress and trauma. As a result you may have an out of body experience and amnesia. You can potentially feel your identity shift and change which a doctor or psychiatrist might call these experiences identity alteration. Depersonalisation may occur, making you feel disconnected from your own body. Derealisation might also happen, which makes you feel disconnected from the world around you. This is your mind's way of trying to protect you from the current environment as it perceives it as a threat. In this episode we talk about methods of reducing dissociation and out experiences of having gone through it.

This week we discuss the physical Side-Effects of mental health. Often, we overlook the side effects of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Side effects can range from severe to non-existent. Each and every one of us is different, therefore how we feel may not be exactly the same as how other individuals feel. We can, however, find common ground with the most frequent side effects from these mental illnesses. Self-awareness is of vital importance. Detection of side effects like panic attacks, sweating and dissociation can help identify if there is potentially something wrong with you or people you know. For example, if your spouse has become reclusive, it may be a sign of something which stems from a form of mental illness. It is best not to self-diagnose, but to seek professional medical guidance as the best route forward. Compassion and empathy go a long way. 

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This week we discuss the impact of University on mental health. If you've got pre-university anxiety, university stress or post university blues, please recognize that you are not alone. Adapting to change can be uncomfortable in any circumstance. You may see that your friends seemingly to have it all together and you are the only one who is experiencing this pain. The university or educational 'bubble' is something that is not widely understood within the field of mental health. Yet, so many of us go through this difficult period not speaking up. We are here to tell you that you're most certainly not alone and we can openly talk about these things. We are here to be your voice and speak for you! 

Hosts: Sam Mitchell & Nafees Akhtar Use the hashtag #JUSTMATESPOD on socials and share your thoughts and comments with us!