This week, I get to chat with Chrisina Doherty, who bravely shares her story publicly for the very first time.
This has been the most traumatic & complex conversation I've ever had on the podcast, but I really want to show Christina how proud I am of her.
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Sitting today, clean & sober for this past 4 years, Christina spoke about the many hardships she had faced before she even reached the age of 18.
Christina had her first baby aged 17, but at only 6 weeks old, he passed away due to cot death.
This saw Christina's first major trauma and her turn to alcohol & substance misuse that took over her life.
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Christina's story includes drug abuse, social services, domestic violence, s*icide, loss, rehabilitation, recovery & so much more.
Hearing real stories from real people, just like Christina, not only show us that everyone has their own battles, but they also show us how we can rebuild & recover.
Please do not miss this episode.

In this weeks episode, kindly sponsored by KSK Rathmor Engineering, I got to sit down with Connor 'The Kid' Coyle, who is a Derry native & professional boxer - who is currently ranked 3rd in the WBA World Middleweight rankings.
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Connor spoke in depth about how he got into boxing, how he got the nicknake 'the kid', the dedication & hours of training he puts in at training camps, his mental health coming up to big fights & his heart ache of missing his children when he is away for months at a time at fight camps.
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Connor also shares his story on how he contracted Lyme disease that almost ended his career, his recovery from it both physically & mentally and Connor also bravley shares the lowest point in his life, with some advice for young men 🤍
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It's Adam B! This is not a drill! It's the real, actual Adam B! I still can not believe Adam gave up some time from his busy life to come on my podcast & chat to me. 
It was an absolute honour & I think he is just the nicest & most genuine man.
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We had sooooo much fun during our conversation where we spoke about fitting in at school, Adams decision on why he decided not to go to university, opening our own nightclub, Adams viral 'coming out' video, zombies, babies in ball pits, skincare, being a MAN & so much more!

This week, I had a conversation with the incredible Geraldine Leyden, aka GiGi, SerenityTen, mentor, author, coach & recovering alcoholic.
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We discussed in depth how our own separate mental breakdowns unfolded & how we were both on the brink of leaving this world, when we were both saved by what we can only describe as a miracle. 
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We also spoke about how Geraldine manifested the man of her dreams - after the end of her first toxic relationship - who she met at 19 & is still married to, to this day. We spoke about her spiralling mental health due to her increase in alcohol dependency & we also celebrated that she is now 11 years sober! 
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Gigi is the true definition that we can recover.
What a pleasure it was to get to speak to this lady. 

We were both told we would never walk again after our accidents.
How did we beat the odds? 
With intense rehabilitation & bulletproof mindsets, we are both walking again & living life to the fullest, whilst helping other people along the way.
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Ryan & I had a profound conversation about our time in hospital, being paralysed, the loneliness that comes with it & the heartbreak of missing our children during our recovery. 
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We also speak about Ryans time as an MMA fighter, stem cell regeneration, the importance of a positive mindset, the devastating loss of his mother & so much more.

••The Mental Health & Me podcasts are conversations about the guests personal journeys, their own point of view & based on their own version of events••

During my conversation with Peter Mitchell, we spoke about his professional football career when he played for Leeds United for 3 years before he was in a horrific car accident that left him paralysed from the waist down - forever.
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During our conversation, we also spoke about his love for his granda, him 'living the dream' being a young footballer living in England and the days before & weeks after the car accident that left him needing a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
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Peter spoke about the difficulty & the dark days that followed the accident, with having to get used to his prognoais of never being able to walk again.
 Peter also tells me how he met his beautiful wife, Brenda, the birth of his daughter, his time as an actor in Hollyoaks & his current position as a football coach.
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I did shed a tear during this conversation, but I also seen how much Peter still loved life. I absolutely loved every minute of this conversation, and you will too!

••The Mental Health & Me podcasts are conversations about the guests personal journeys, their own point of view & based on their own version of events••

I finally got to sit down with Mary Keogh & we had a deep discussion about the importance of knowing when a relationship is no longer positively serving you, knowing the right time to leave & knowing our worth. 

This was an incredible conversation that may be helpful to anyone feeling stuck in a rut or stuck in a relationship they no longer feel valued in.

••The Mental Health & Me podcasts are conversations about the guests personal journeys, their own point of view & based on their own version of events••

I sat down with Jordan O'Keefe & we had such a lovely, naturally open & honest conversation about hitting the highest of highs & then falling into the lowest of lows. 
 Jordan was very open with how he became addicted to alcohol & how it negatively impacted not only himself, but also the relationships in his life.
 Thankfully, Jordan has been able to battle through the past 18 months of sobriety & is doing so well for himself again.
 A lovely, genuine man & one of my favourite conversations so far!

••The Mental Health & Me podcasts are conversations about the guests personal journeys, their own point of view & based on their own version of events••

I sat down with the former Minister of Justice, Claire Sugden MLA & we had a conversation regarding Sean Lynchs case (see episode 3)
  We also had such an interesting conversation about the important role in politics I am unknowingly representing with my mental health advocacy.
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 Claire spoke so openly about her struggles with post partum anxiety after the birth of her baby, which shows that yes, you can be a strong woman in power & you can also have mental health struggles - it doesn't make us weak, infact, it makes us stronger! 
   We discuss the importance of seeking help, the benefits of taking medication for us, personally & the issue of mental health services, in general, in the North West.
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 I absolutely loved speaking to Claire, I could have spoken to her all day! It's a brilliant, all-round conversation that you will not want to miss. 
 Breaking down barriers & opening doors!

••The Mental Health & Me podcasts are conversations about the guests personal journeys, their own point of view & based on their own version of events••

Sean discusses the days leading up to his life changing incident, the day itself, & his life now after it all. Sean also speaks about the mistreatment & the overall failings he faced at his time in Maghabury

••The Mental Health & Me podcasts are conversations about the guests personal journeys, their own point of view & based on their own version of events••