Life Biz and All That Jazz

You are not broken, you are becoming. This episode with Amanda Scott is the ADHD, neurodivergence and mental health conversation that will make you feel seen, because Amanda does not treat difference like disorder.

Amanda Scott is a Licensed Certified Professional Counselor (LCPC) and certified coach with over 15 years of experience helping people stop fighting their brain and start working with it. In this episode we get into why "disorder" is the wrong word for ADHD, AuDHD and autism, what actually helps once you have the diagnosis, and how to reprogram the self-talk that keeps high-achieving women stuck.

In this episode:

• Why ADHD, AuDHD and autism are differences, not disorders, and why that reframe changes everything
• The protein and nutrition piece that most ADHDers are missing in the morning
• The honest truth about ADHD medication, when it works, when it doesn't, and what to build around it
• How to reprogram your subconscious when your default self-talk is negative
• The stepping stone method for shifting limiting beliefs without your brain calling BS
• Green light vs red light activities and how to protect your energy as a high achiever
• Why the doom scroll keeps you stuck and how to rebuild your feed on purpose
• The "everything is figureoutable" mindset that quietly changes your whole life

Guest: Amanda Scott is a Licensed Certified Professional Counselor (LCPC) and certified coach with over 15 years of experience. Her niche focus is neurodiversity (ADHD, AuDHD, ASD) and anxiety, and she is the founder of Mandas Pathway, where she helps people stop fighting their brain and start working with it.

Donate to support the show: ⁠https://paypal.me/jasminelisciotto⁠

CONNECT WITH AMANDA

Website: https://www.mandaspathway.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandas_pathway/

CONNECT WITH JASMINE

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto

Email: [email protected]

And remember, it's progress, not perfection. You are not broken, you are becoming.

That gut punch when someone leaves you on read. The spiral when a client says "can we have a chat." The need to have a drink before every party just to feel like you can show up. That is not anxiety. That is not being too sensitive. That is rejection sensitive dysphoria. And if you have ADHD, it might be the hidden reason you drank.

This episode breaks down what RSD actually is, how it connects to alcohol use in ADHD brains, and what happens when you remove the thing that was dulling it. I share how RSD showed up in my own life for years without me knowing what it was, how alcohol became the fastest way to quiet the spiral, and why sobriety will trigger your RSD harder than ever before the magic happens.

In this episode:

• What rejection sensitive dysphoria actually is and why it is one of the most underrated symptoms of ADHD
• The shame loop: how RSD triggers drinking, drinking triggers shame, and shame triggers more drinking
• Why you always needed a drink before social events and what was really happening in your brain
• A three question framework to interrupt the spiral before it starts
• Why sobriety makes RSD worse before it gets better and what the other side actually feels like
• How to start healing the wound underneath the behaviour

Free RSD worksheet and guide available in the show notes.

Donate to support the show: https://paypal.me/jasminelisciotto

CONNECT WITH JASMINE

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto

Email: [email protected]

And remember, it's progress, not perfection. You are not broken, you are becoming.

Your brain starts repairing itself within 24 hours of your last drink. Not just feeling better. Actual neurological repair, visible on brain scans. This episode breaks down what alcohol does to your brain, what it does specifically to ADHD brains, and the full recovery timeline when you stop.

I share the science backed data on how alcohol crosses the blood brain barrier within minutes of your first sip, triggers a borrowed dopamine surge, and shifts your hedonic set point so you need more and more just to feel normal. I also get into the ADHD specific research, why our brains are hit hardest, and why almost three years sober has been the single best decision I have ever made for my brain.

In this episode:

• How alcohol hijacks GABA, glutamate and dopamine from the first sip
• ADHD brains have 30% lower baseline dopamine and ADHD drinkers show 67% less dopamine receptor availability
• What heavy drinking does over time: brain lesions, hippocampus shrinkage, prefrontal cortex damage
• Why the "one or two glasses is fine" narrative is being challenged by current neuroscience
• The full brain recovery timeline from 24 hours to 7 years
• Why nobody drinks to blackout by choice and why forgiveness matters more than willpower

If this episode helped you, follow the show and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Reminder: Progress not perfection. You are not broken; you are becoming 🫶🏼

Donate to support the show: https://paypal.me/jasminelisciotto

CONNECT WITH JASMINE

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto

Research and references:

What alcohol does in the brain (GABA, glutamate, dopamine):
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol/neuroscience-brain-addiction-and-recovery

ADHD and alcohol use disorder, shared prefrontal cortex and impulsivity:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33690916/

Common neurobiology in AUD and ADHD:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9664160/

ADHD 2 to 3x higher risk of alcohol problems:
https://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/2017-08-16/is-there-a-link-between-adhd-and-alcoholism

Sex differences in alcohol's effect on brain dopamine:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11980350/

8+ drinks per week and brain lesions (April 2025, American Academy of Neurology):
https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/home/PressRelease/5251

Even light and moderate drinking linked to reduced cortical volume (Oct 2025):
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251004092919.htm

Alcohol and brain structure across the lifespan:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11421948/

7.3 months abstinence and cortical thickness recovery:
https://www.sciencealert.com/7-3-months-without-alcohol-lets-brains-repair-damage-from-heavy-drinking-study-finds

BDNF (brain fertiliser) rises in early withdrawal and stays elevated:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10039723/

BDNF and gray and white matter recovery in abstinence:
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4140861

Recovery continues 5 to 7 years (NIAAA):
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol/neuroscience-brain-addiction-and-recovery

If you have ADHD and you have ever started a business, a side hustle, or a creative project, got incredibly excited, built the whole thing, and then suddenly hit a wall of boredom and wanted to start something completely new. This episode is for you.

Because here is the truth nobody tells you. The building part is not the hard part. The strategy, the branding, the logo, the website, the Instagram page, the launch. That is the dopamine hit. That is the part your ADHD brain lives for. The hard part is what comes after. When the launch is done. When the excitement fades. When nothing is happening yet and the work feels repetitive and flat and boring. That is where most ADHD entrepreneurs quit. And that is exactly where this episode meets you.

This week I am sharing the business ideas that genuinely work for ADHD brains. Not because they are easy. But because they tap into the things we are actually wired for. Hyperfocus. Creativity. Variety. High empathy. I talk about creative services, UGC content creation, coaching, digital products, courses, Canva templates, Etsy, events, community spaces, and more. I break down which ones you can start without a degree, which ones need some learning first, and why you do not need to go to university to build something real.

This episode is not just a list of ideas. It is the conversation about what happens after the idea. I break down the ADHD boredom wall. The moment the dopamine rush of building fades and your brain starts scanning for the next exciting thing. I share the six month roadmap method I use to create future excitement around milestones that have not happened yet, so I can push through the flat days knowing what they are building towards. And I talk about why reframing a boring task is more powerful than abandoning it, because the boring work today is the foundation of the life you want in a few years time.

I get really honest about my own journey running Wilde Creative Agency for nearly six years. From launching with rainbow monochrome branding, to five or six complete rebrandings, to burning out from taking on too many clients too cheaply, to learning the hard way that consistency is more important than creativity when you are building a brand. And why going back to a casual hotel job during a slow phase was one of the best decisions I ever made and why you should never let your ego stop you from doing the same.

And there is a conversation in this episode that I think a lot of people need to hear. What it is like to be single right now and why I see this season of my life as the time to build. The first half of my life is for me. The next half will be for my family. And I do not need to apologise for that.

What you start today will be your life in a few years time. You just have to get through the boring parts to get there. And I promise you, the other side of boring is everything you have been working towards.

Business Ideas for ADHD Brains covered in this episode:

1. Creative services: social media, content, marketing, photography, videography
2. UGC: user generated content for brands
3. Coaching: Special field of interest
4. Digital products: interactive guides, mini courses, eBooks, templates
5. Courses: create and sell your own, or make them for others
6. Etsy: Canva and design templates to sell on or your own store
7. Events, retreats and community spaces: volunteer first, build from there

Connect with Jasmine

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto

💼 Wilde Creative Agency: https://www.instagram.com/wildecreativeagency

Progress, not perfection. You are not broken, you are becoming.

Those of us who drank too much weren't doing it to party. We were doing it to feel normal. To quiet the chaos. To finally slow down a brain that never, ever stopped.

If you ever used alcohol to cope, to numb, to feel something, to quiet the overwhelm, the rejection sensitivity, the spinning thoughts, this episode is for you.

This is the episode I wish someone had made for me years ago. Because nobody was connecting the dots between ADHD and alcohol. Nobody was talking about why neurodivergent brains are so much more vulnerable to dependency. Nobody was explaining that it was never really about the drink, it was about regulation.

In this episode I share my full story, from socially drinking at 15, to using alcohol to cope when my dad attempted to take his life, to the party years, to drinking alone after we lost him in 2016, to the 75 day challenges I kept completing and falling back from, to the morning I woke up at 35 and just stopped. Nearly a thousand days sober. Almost three years. And I am only just beginning.

I also break down the science behind why ADHD brains are literally wired to self-medicate with alcohol, the dopamine connection, the masking, the shame spiral, the slide from coping to dependency and what actually becomes possible when you remove it.

This is not about telling you to stop drinking. This is about giving you the awareness, the compassion, and the information you deserve to make that decision for yourself.

And at the end I have something for you. My ADHD Sobriety Survival Kit. Eight chapters, a Notion Hub, nervous system reset tools, a dopamine menu, alcohol free social scripts and more. Built by an ADHD brain, for ADHD brains. And it is completely free.

SHOW NOTES

🎁 FREE ADHD Sobriety Survival Kit 👉

https://jasminelisciotto.com.au/shop/adhd-sobriety-survival-kit

Homework for today:

1️⃣ Write down three things alcohol was doing FOR you, not to you. Quieting, numbing, suppressing, masking, surviving.

2️⃣ If you are sober curious, write down the areas of your life where alcohol is affecting you negatively. Keep it somewhere safe. Things are about to change.

Connect with Jasmine

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciotto

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto

Progress, not perfection. You are not broken, you are becoming.

Season Two is a wrap. And I am not okay about it, in the best possible way.

This episode is my love letter to the season that cracked everything open. Season Two, Unmasked, was supposed to be about removing the masks we wear. What it actually became was something so much bigger than that. It became a season about grief, sobriety, identity, trauma, creativity, healing, relationships, neurodivergence, and what it really means to stop hiding and start becoming.

Every single guest that walked into this space this season held up a mirror. Some of them made me laugh. Some of them made me cry mid-recording. All of them reminded me that the work I'm doing, the work you're doing, matters. That sharing our stories is not just brave, it's necessary. That we are all, in our own way, in the process of becoming.

In this episode I'm sharing some of my favourite moments from across the season, snippets from the conversations that stayed with me, the ones I keep coming back to, and the ones I think you need to hear if you missed them the first time.

And I have an announcement. Season Three is coming. It's called Becoming. And it is going to be the most real, most aligned, most exciting thing I have ever created. I cannot wait to take you on this journey.

But first, let's go back. Let's celebrate what we built together this season. Let's honour every single person who showed up and shared their truth.

This one is for all of you. Thank you for being here.

🎙️ SEASON TWO GUEST EPISODES — LISTEN OR RELISTEN:

🎧 Ep 19 — Cindy https://open.spotify.com/episode/3C5GYVk8M8OCAjdL5nZuBl

🎧 Ep 20 — Nick https://open.spotify.com/episode/7iEN7QTX2CldD6DtmFruGg

🎧 Ep 22 — Rick https://open.spotify.com/episode/6scoNzp4qPR5CfAi8ePSsN

🎧 Ep 25 — Sabrina https://open.spotify.com/episode/44dMyKf50TKSisrHHMwjHC

🎧 Ep 26 — Anthony https://open.spotify.com/episode/2tgevKq7ZlXbEI7eEEopkC

🎧 Ep 28 — Cari https://open.spotify.com/episode/0tYIoKX5ZLmKM5Wte30VRI

🎧 Ep 29 — Viktoria https://open.spotify.com/episode/6QSg4ryOPTfeZIepqQleSE

🎧 Ep 30 — Regina https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Lg5GLrqciKlsJDOkTbm0Q

🎧 Ep 31 — Jesse https://open.spotify.com/episode/1jJBVcse7AYYIQs6umUFdS

🎧 Ep 33 — Peter https://open.spotify.com/episode/7LOvO935uNuAiqTL2kMv1U

🎧 Ep 34 — Larisa https://open.spotify.com/episode/469NASKx2qcXAQq94ava1i

🎧 Ep 35 — Dalia https://open.spotify.com/episode/1BSUvAwMctAfsmeshUkYL8

🎧 Ep 36 — Naomi https://open.spotify.com/episode/2CUBGPv4EDbmPPNyGCWSuI

🎧 Ep 37 — Sam https://open.spotify.com/episode/424jWqrpEkQqTOTc0I0MYH

🎧 Ep 38 — Nika https://open.spotify.com/episode/4cGCO7GNQk70MhwWtAmCE0

🎧 Ep 40 — Angie https://open.spotify.com/episode/1kdmisPpi5cqMEKsr4hHhq

🎧 Ep 41 — Janelle https://open.spotify.com/episode/6JqjC20grURJYnnPzPvAda

🎧 Ep 42 — Susan https://open.spotify.com/episode/6dQ5ZzrGlWS2BeHX0rrOmp

🎧 Ep 43 — John https://open.spotify.com/episode/4T6sSW5wJVQlMqY5Scadj2

🎧 Ep 45 — Kyle https://open.spotify.com/episode/6yMGccAiYfTv2O2qcZRJHt

🎧 Ep 46 — Jacki https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Xqf7CYb4NYb0YO0dSvixt

🎧 Ep 47 — Jen https://open.spotify.com/episode/7KPg7FOTtCDNz765tvniJ6

🎧 Ep 48 — Lena https://open.spotify.com/episode/2NJ5vnrFZGFuRPmbtzZ6bD

🎧 Ep 49 — Alyssa https://open.spotify.com/episode/4BzPJsH1dZIuODHEnsiz29

🎧 Ep 50 — Amanda https://open.spotify.com/episode/7AGDMfQ9OHkUux2Gp1hBaU

🎧 Ep 51 — Taylor https://open.spotify.com/episode/3w2bv2pFlLHwW1mxrD2j03

🎧 Ep 54 — Billy https://open.spotify.com/episode/0FffiL0DJu11Ehy6xdUReH

Connect with Jasmine

📸 Podcast Insta: https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz

📸 Personal Insta: https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial

🎵 Podcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz

🎵 Personal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto

Thank you for being part of this season. You are not broken. You are not behind. You are becoming.

Progress, not perfection. You are not broken, you are becoming.

Hey, hey, hey! If you're new here, welcome to the family. And if you've been here a while, this one's for you.

Before we dive into Season Three, I just needed to stop for a second and get real with you. Because a lot has changed. Like, a lot.

Everything I have been quietly building, the podcast, my personal brand, my agency Wilde Creative, has finally come together in a way I genuinely dreamed of. And I know how easy it is to be so deep in the process that you forget to look up and actually feel it. But I have felt every single step of this one. The big wins, the hard days, the loops I kept coming back to in my twenties, the healing, the losing my dad, the sobriety, all of it. And I wouldn't take back a single thing that brought me to exactly where I am today.

This little in-between episode is me taking a breath, saying thank you, and giving you a glimpse of what's coming.

Season Three is going to be something special. We are talking about building systems, creating a life that actually feels like yours, sobriety, mental health, neurodivergence, running a business with an ADHD brain, and just showing up, even on the hard days. There will be incredible guests, more solo episodes, and I am genuinely planning to show up more than once a week because why would I want it any other way?

If you are neurodivergent, sober curious, in recovery, struggling with your mental health, trying to build something from scratch, or you just want to feel less alone, Season Three is for you. I am so excited to take you on this journey.

Episode 55 drops next Monday and that is where it all begins. I cannot wait.

🔗 Connect with Jasmine

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here. Progress, not perfection. You are not broken, you are becoming.

What if your life didn't have to be written in permanent marker

What if everything you thought you had to have figured out, the five year plan, the career ladder, the perfectly mapped out future could actually just be written in pencil?

That's exactly where this conversation starts. And honestly? It doesn't stop there.

This week I'm sitting down with Billy, author of Fumbling Forward, a book that is part memoir, part life manual, and completely real. Billy takes us through his journey from freelancing straight out of college, to navigating his first full time corporate role, to building a business, losing a business partner to embezzlement, and somewhere in the middle of all of it. Figuring out that life is a lot more like Mad Libs than any of us were ever taught. You fill in the blanks as you go. And that's not a failure. That's just life.

This episode goes deep. We talk about what happens when your career becomes your entire identity — and the quiet, unsettling moment when it no longer fits. We talk about OCD and anxiety, being diagnosed as adults, and why both of us spent years pushing through life thinking the chaos in our heads was just normal. We talk about the reality gap that painful space between the life you have and the life you think you should have and the concept of living a values based life instead of a goal obsessed one.

And yes, we talk about sobriety. Because it turns out Billy also stopped drinking around three years ago. What started as a hungover morning on his late dad's birthday turned into one of the most clarifying decisions of his life. We share what those first months really felt like, why the people who gave us the most grief about not drinking were often the ones who needed to look at their own relationship with alcohol, and how removing it changed everything sleep, clarity, creativity, and that ability to find joy in the smallest things again.

We also get into careers, AI, the rising cost of university education, why most people end up working in something completely different to what they studied, and whether college is even necessary anymore in a world where you can learn almost anything from YouTube. We talk about tiny experiments the idea that you don't have to commit to the whole thing, you just have to take the smallest possible version of the step. Billy made 40 strangers press publish on their first ever article at a writing workshop. Not because it was perfect. Just to prove they could.

There's something in this conversation for anyone who has ever felt like they're fumbling their way through life without a clear destination. Because maybe that's not a problem to fix. Maybe that's just what being human actually looks like.

Connect with Billy

📖 Order Fumbling Forward: https://www.fumblingbook.com/

🌐 Billy's website/socials: @fumblingbook (everywhere) @billyfrazr (personal)

Connect with Jasmine

📸 Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz

📸 Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial

🎵 Podcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz

🎵 Personal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto

Loved this episode? Hit follow, leave a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

You are not fumbling, you are becoming.

Progress, not perfection. You are not broken, you are becoming.

⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains open and honest conversations about mental health and suicide. Please listen with care. Support resources are listed below.

Some episodes you plan. Some episodes you feel called to make. This is one of those episodes.

This week, I'm taking part in Podcasthon, a global movement where thousands of podcasters from all over the world dedicate an episode to a charity that truly means something to them. When it came time to choose my charity, there was only ever one answer for me, Lifeline Australia.

And here's why.

My dad used to volunteer with Lifeline. He showed up for their charity events, and he was even featured in their book, Glimmer of Hope. What I admired most about my dad was that even when he was fighting his own darkest battles, living with bipolar disorder, he always wanted to make sure that no one else had to feel alone. He believed in the power of listening and showing up for someone even when life felt impossibly heavy.

We lost dad in 2016, losing him is one of the most painful things I have ever been through.

But his story, his heart, and everything he stood for, that doesn't end with him. That continues here. In this podcast. In every conversation I have about mental health and suicide prevention. In every person who hears this episode and feels a little less alone because of it.

That is his legacy. And I will never stop sharing it.

In this episode I cover what Lifeline Australia actually does, because so many people don't know the full scope of their services. Yes, they have their 24/7 crisis support line but they also offer text support, online chat, community programs like the Out of the Shadows Walk, and workplace suicide prevention training. If you've ever felt like you couldn't pick up the phone, the text and chat options exist exactly for that reason. You can reach out from your bed, from your couch, from wherever feels safe and someone will be there.

I also talk about the permission to reach out even when you don't think your problem is "big enough." Whether you're overwhelmed, spiralling, or just need to vent to someone. Lifeline is there for all of it. No problem is too small. No problem is too big. You are never a burden.

Beyond Lifeline, I get into the real practical stuff, the things that have genuinely helped me on my own mental health and sobriety journey. We talk about neuroplasticity and how the smallest daily habits compound into real, lasting change. We talk about the way you speak to yourself, and a simple reframing technique I use every single day. We talk about movement, morning routines, slowing down and resetting, not the perfect Instagram version, just the real accessible version that works for people with full lives.

If today is a hard day, take it minute by minute. That is always enough.

Lifeline Australia: Free, Confidential, 24/7 Crisis Support

📱 Call: 13 11 14

💬 Text: 0477131114

🌐 Website: www.lifeline.org.au

Support Lifeline

❤️ Donate: www.lifeline.org.au/get-involved/donate

🎗️ Fundraise: www.lifeline.org.au/get-involved/fundraising

🙋 Volunteer: www.lifeline.org.au/get-involved/volunteer

Podcasthon

This episode is part of Podcasthon; a global event where thousands of podcasters dedicate an episode to a charity that matters to them. Head to their website to discover all the other incredible episodes from podcasters around the world.

🌐 www.podcasthon.org

Mentioned in This Episode - Sobriety Journey Episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1O7nyIQfIjzR5zTzDB51Oz?si=ogSfJDgpTWe72Y3nKQ-rqw

Connect with Jasmine

Insta
https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial

Podcast Insta
https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz

TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz

YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto

Loved this episode? Hit follow, leave a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Every conversation has the power to change a life.

Progress, not perfection. You are not broken, you are becoming.

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of suicide, suicide attempts, depression, addiction, and mental health struggles. Please listen with care. If this topic is difficult for you, consider listening when you feel supported, or skip this episode. Mental health support resources are included below.

This is one of the most personal and emotional episodes I’ve ever recorded.

On Monday it would have been my dad’s 64th birthday, and this year also marks 10 years since we lost him. For this episode, I wanted to honour him by sharing part of his story, in his own words.

My dad, Graziano, lived with depression and bipolar disorder for more than 25 years. In 2003, during one of his darkest moments, he attempted to take his life by setting himself on fire inside our family home. He survived with severe burns and spent months in hospital recovering.

What followed was an incredible transformation. After surviving the fire, my dad dedicated his life to mental health awareness, helping other burn survivors, and supporting people struggling with depression and suicide ideation. He became involved with the Burns Foundation, participated in charity events, and spoke publicly about his experiences.

Years later, he shared his story in a book published by Lifeline WA called A Glimmer of Hope.

I read his chapter from the book aloud for the first time in many years.

It’s confronting. It’s raw. And it’s deeply human.

Through his own words, my dad describes what it felt like to live with decades of depression, suicidal thoughts, addiction, shame, and emotional pain, while trying to keep up appearances to the outside world.

He talks about the stigma men faced around mental health, why he felt he couldn’t ask for help, and how alcohol and substances became a way to escape the pain he carried for so long.

He also shares the moment everything changed, the fire that nearly took his life, the long road to recovery, and how therapy, support, and community helped him rebuild his life.

Tragically, in 2016, we lost him to suicide.

Even though his story ended that way, it doesn’t erase the hope, the love, and the lessons that came from the life he lived.

In this deeply personal episode, I also reflect on:

• The impact depression can have on families and children
• The complicated emotions that come with suicide loss and grief
• How addiction and alcohol can worsen mental health struggles
• Why conversations about suicide prevention and mental health awareness are so important
• The importance of ongoing support, boundaries, and caring for your mental health long-term

Mental health is not something we fix once and move on from. It’s something many of us need to care for and manage throughout our lives.

My hope in sharing this episode is simple:

That someone listening feels less alone. That families feel encouraged to talk openly about mental health. And that we continue working together to reduce the stigma around depression, addiction, and suicide.

Because behind every statistic is a family, a story, and a life that mattered.

If sharing my dad’s story can help even one person reach out for help, then this conversation is worth it.

You are never a burden.

You are never alone.

And there is always someone who cares.

If you or someone you love is struggling, please reach out for help.

Mental Health Support

Australia: Lifeline: 13 11 14

Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467

If you are in immediate danger, please contact emergency services.

If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear from you.

Connect With Jasmine

📍 Insta:
https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial

📍 Podcast Insta:
https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz

📍 TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz

📍 YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto

Sharing stories like this helps break the stigma around mental health. If this episode touched you, please consider sharing it with someone who might need to hear it