SHIT HAPPY with Toni Powell

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Most of us trust what the doctor puts in our hand, assuming it’s the key to feeling normal again. We walk into the pharmacy, pick up the script, and believe we’ve found the solution to the noise in our heads. But sometimes, that solution becomes the problem.IDeke Ludwig and I are talking about the reality of prescribed benzodiazepine medication and the brutal, often quiet battle of benzo withdrawal. 

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 in the US and Canada, call 116 123 in the UK, or call 13 11 14 in Australia.

It wasn't the path he expected when he started taking Klonopin for anxiety. It became a trap that felt impossible to escape, turning his life into something utterly bonkers and dangerous.This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt like their own medication was working against them. We peel back the layers of what it means to rebuild after reliance on pharmaceuticals, why finding purpose is often the hardest and most important step, and how to start finding your footing when the ground has been pulled out from under you. 

Deke's Website: https://www.dietrichludwig.com/

Links To Love (newsletter +++): https://shithappy.com/resources/

0:00 Introduction — A Dangerous Drive Home

1:26 Prescribed Klonopin for Mild Anxiety & Insomnia

2:52 The First Sign Something Was Wrong

7:11 Harder to Quit Than Opiates

7:37 A Year Lost to Withdrawal

8:35 How the Medical System Failed

10:07 The Over-Prescribing Problem

13:57 Coming Off All Medication

15:43 Natural Tools That Actually Work

17:21 Sleep Strategies & Cognitive Shuffling

20:09 Finding Purpose Through Recovery

21:33 Advice for Anyone Going Through This

#shithappypodcast #benzowithdrawal #mentalhealthrecovery #klonopin #addictionrecovery

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After a devastating loss, how do you keep going? When Kristina Ulmer’s sister passed away in 2014, she took a handful of tip money and turned a moment of grief into a life-changing $20 kindness challenge. What started as a small classroom assignment with high school students has evolved into a global foundation, proving that even the smallest acts of generosity can spark a massive movement.In this episode, we dive into how to turn a shit show into something extraordinary. Kristina shares the raw story of using her sister's legacy to foster resilience, empathy, and community transformation. Whether you are looking for inspiration on how to start your own kindness project or seeking tools for personal growth and emotional healing after trauma, this conversation shows that radical generosity is one of the most powerful ways to rebuild after a total life reset

https://www.20dollarkindnesschallenge.org/
  Links To Love (newsletter +++): https://shithappy.com/resources/


00:00 Turning grief into a movement
01:20 Honouring her sister's memory
02:50 Turning pain into purpose
03:00 The literary spark for kindness
04:30 The $20 kindness challenge begins
05:00 From a classroom to a foundation
06:47 Watching students transform
11:02 Scaling generosity globally
11:44 Real-world acts of impact
16:00 Supporting children in need
19:02 The permanent shift in student perspective
23:54 The weirdest acts of kindness
26:15 When art meets community
28:25 Growing the grant network
31:55 How to get involved
32:48 A legacy of radical generosity

#shithappypodcast #kindness #resilience #personalgrowth #community

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Workplace toxicity can feel like a trap that never lets up. Sometimes the only way to find clarity is to remove yourself entirely from the noise. This conversation dives into the radical decision to embrace ten days of absolute silence as a way to untangle from a toxic work environment. We explore how setting down the armor and facing the quiet can reveal unexpected ways to handle immense pressure and regain personal power.

 Guest website: https://maryloustephens.com.au/

 https://maryloustephens.com.au/books/sex-drugs-and-meditation/

For daily doses of joy: https://www.youtube.com/@mooodtv

 Links To Love (newsletter +++): https://shithappy.com/resources/

00:00 — Writing Sex, Drugs and Meditation

02:48 — The Risks of Publishing an Honest Memoir

05:45 — Workplace Bullying at ABC Radio

10:17 — Inside a 10-Day Vipassana Retreat

13:23 — Fear, Pain and Silence

21:40 — How Meditation Changed Her Life

25:22 — Should You Try Vipassana?

Okay#WorkplaceBullying #SilentRetreat #MentalResilience #Vipassana #OvercomingAdversity

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Declan Edwards was trapped in the people pleasing cycle, bending out of shape to get external approval until a breaking point. Today, as a happiness researcher, happiness is framed not as forced smiles or toxic positivity but as radical ownership and treating joy like a muscle that needs training. 

This conversation peels back the layers of the good person trap and explores how to build a life of purpose after hitting rock bottom. It is a real look at high-functioning burnout, identity loss, and the messy process of reclaiming control when everything feels like a total life reset.
 
 Guest Page: https://shithappy.com/the-people-pleasing-trap-why-being-good-is-making-you-miserable-declan-edwards-ep-109/
 Links To Love (newsletter +++): https://shithappy.com/resources/

 
 00:00 Why do I always feel miserable? 
 03:15 How to stop being a people pleaser 
 07:45 Symptoms of high-functioning burnout 
 12:20 Radical ownership and life control 
 16:10 Can you train happiness as a skill? 
 20:55 How to find purpose after a setback
 
 #shithappypodcast #happinessresearch #burnoutrecovery #mentalhealth #totallifereset

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Carol Cooke was told she didn't have the body to be a gymnast. Then, at the peak of her life, she was told her body was effectively shutting down due to Multiple Sclerosis. Most people would accept the diagnosis and the wheelchair. Carol decided to treat her prognosis like a lie. This conversation pulls apart the reality of living with MS, the anger behind the diagnosis, and the obsessive, non-linear process of trading a "life over" for a Paralympic gold medal. We aren't talking about manifestation; we’re talking about what happens when you refuse to let your body decide when you’re finished.

Carol's website: https://www.carolcooke.com.au

Links To Love (newsletter +++): https://shithappy.com/resources/

0:00 Introduction: Life With MS Diagnosis

1:01 Carol's Childhood Olympic Dream

2:27 Rejected From Gymnastics at Age Nine

3:41 Mum's Life-Changing Advice: Try a Different Sport

6:12 Swimming Career and the 1980 Olympics Boycott

7:28 World Police and Fire Games: Representing Canada

9:52 Moving to Australia and Meeting Her Husband

11:23 MS Symptoms Begin: Hobart Swimming Competition

14:30 The MS Diagnosis: A Cruel Doctor's Verdict

19:18 Husband's Response: 'We Have It Together'

20:10 Wheelchair, Work Struggles, and Starting a Charity

22:15 Paralympics Discovery: Classification as a Para Swimmer

23:26 Talent Search and Switching to Rowing

26:20 Standing Up to the Rowing Coach Who Said She'd Never Make It

28:31 Discovering Cycling: From Rower to National Team

32:10 2012 London Paralympics: Winning Gold Against the World Champion

37:10 Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020: Competing Into Her 60s

#shithappypodcast #carolcooke #paralympic #multipleclerosis #resilience

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Matt Runnalls was bouncing from gutter to gutter, isolated and convinced he was a burden. At 26, diagnosed with bipolar disorder and living on the streets, he was 10 minutes away from ending it all. Then, a stranger offered him a garage.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org in the US and Canada, or call 13 11 14 in Australia.

In this episode, Matt shares the raw reality of rock bottom and the "utterly bonkers" kindness of a family who saw something in him that he couldn't see in himself. This isn't just a story about surviving homelessness—it’s about the surgical precision of human connection and how Matt went from the street to becoming the "CEO of his life."We dive into the simple skills that changed everything, the danger of the "victim" mindset, and why life happens for you, not to you.If you’ve ever felt like a burden or wondered if you can actually rebound from the dark, Matt is the proof that you can stir your shit into gold.

Guest :https://mattrunnalls.com.au/

Links To Love (newsletter +++): https://shithappy.com/resources/

  0:00 — Introduction & Early Life

2:05 — First Seeking Help (Age 16–17)

4:09 — Medication & Struggling Through the 20s

5:03 — Hitting Rock Bottom — Homeless & Suicidal

7:50 — The Family That Saved Him

12:26 — The Road to Recovery — Tools & Mindset

15:42 — Finding Purpose Through Loss

16:51 — The Book: Nobody Can Save Me

17:42 — The Mash Hammer Story

20:28 — Meeting His Partner

#shithappypodcast #mentalhealth #resilience #homelessness #mattrunnalls

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Paul McDermott joins the Sh!t Happy Podcast to share his journey from a high-pressure career to providing hospice care. After a near-death experience left him rethinking everything, he met Val, a woman given only four weeks to live. Their eighteen months together became a masterclass in humility, letting go of ego, and finding profound meaning in the final stages of life. 

Through their bond, Paul learned how to truly follow rather than lead and discovered the unexpected beauty found within the darkest of human experiences. This conversation explores how we move through pain, the significance of dreams, and the ways we can foster genuine connection even when life falls apart.

 Guest: https://www.paulmcdermott.org/

 Links To Love (newsletter +++): https://shithappy.com/resources/

0:00 Cold Open — "I Quit My Job on the Spot" 

0:19 The Vault Intro 

0:27 About Paul McDermott and the Book Pilgrims 

1:03 Paul's Career, Near-Death from Legionnaires' Disease, and Leaving Everything Behind 

2:49 How Pilgrims Was Written — A Dream Sparked the Book 

5:00 Meeting Val — Given Four Weeks to Live 

5:36 Why Val Lived 18 Months Instead of 4 Weeks 

6:44 Val's Difficult Personality 

7:40 The Arm Around the Shoulder Mistake  

10:30 Dismantling Ego Together 

21:22 How Paul Met His Partner Yvonne 

21:44 The Dream That Made Paul Learn to Tango 

24:31 Meeting Yvonne at the Dance Event in Europe 

25:32 Walking Down the Aisle — Past Life Recognition 

27:34 The Dream Group Miracle 

30:08 "She Looked Like Death. She Looked Full of Wonder." 

31:58 Val Was More Alive Than Anyone Paul Knew 

33:25 Closing — Pilgrims and Why It Stays With You

#shithappypodcast #paulmcdermott #hospicecare #meaningoflife #pilgrims

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In this episode, we dive into the chaotic, brilliant origins of 'The Shootout,' a 24-hour film festival that turned amateur storytellers into filmmakers overnight. Founder Kristi Street joins us to share how a simple, high-pressure constraint proved that creativity is often born from limited time, rather than unlimited resources.

Kristi discusses the early days when filmmaking was stuck in the 'coffee and bullshit' phase—all talk and no action. She explains why the festival’s strict 24-hour deadline and requirement for in-camera editing forced participants to stop overthinking and start creating. We also explore why the most memorable films weren't the most polished, but the ones with the most nerve and the biggest stories.

Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-street-a510b8b9/

Newsletter and More: https://shithappy.com/resources/

MOOOd: Check here for an instant mood boost: 

https://youtube.com/@mooodtv?si=wJntNYURoVRqIJxy

0:12 Intro

1:38 The 'Coffee & Bullshit' Phase: Why Nobody Was Actually Making Films

2:50 How a Crazy House Party Idea Became a 24-Hour Film Festival

3:50 1,000 People, 24 Hours, 105 Films: The First Shoot Out Exceeds All Expectations

5:29 The Night That Changed Everything: Watching Strangers Make Magic

7:32 Missing the Festival and Finding a Way Back In

10:09 Why Deadlines and Constraints Are the Secret Weapon of Creativity

16:01 Why Winning Wasn't What We Expected — And What Happened Next

16:30 Channel 9 Crews vs. Ordinary Families: Why Gear Doesn't Win Film Festivals

17:50 The Genius Safety Net: How the 24-Hour Format Made Everyone Brave Enough to Try

18:39 A Family With No Film Skills Decides They Can Win — And Does

21:18 The After-Party Conversation That Launched a Career

22:58 Outro

#shithappypodcast #filmmaking #creativity #storytelling #24hourfilmfestival

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Marathon swimmer Tammy Van Wisse took on the Bass Strait, a treacherous 96-kilometer stretch of ocean. She faced hypothermia, severe weather, and jellyfish stings, but it was an unexpected encounter with a pod of dolphins that changed everything. Tammy shares how this raw, terrifying challenge—and a later battle with breast cancer—shaped her relentless spirit.

0:00 – The symptoms begin: dizziness, balance issues & shaking eyes
1:07 – Referred to the city for a vision field test
1:44 – The optometrist's bombshell: optic neuritis & a possible MS diagnosis
2:10 – Finding a neurologist — and why rushing that decision was the biggest mistake
2:57 – The appointment that changed everything: a cruel diagnosis delivery
4:16 – "Your life as you know it's over" — the doctor's devastating words
5:16 – Walking out without paying the bill (and never looking back)
5:38 – "I'm not dead and he probably is" — Carol's winning perspective
6:18 – Coming to terms with MS: six months to acceptance, a year to identity
7:50 – Using MS as an excuse to quit the AFL football club (no regrets)
8:35 – Russ's response: the most romantic thing anyone ever said to Carol
9:39 – "We don't have it, we have it" — Carol's husband refuses to let her face MS alone

#shithappypodcast #tammyvanwisse #resilience #bassstrait #survivor

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Victor Simone left for work on an ordinary Friday morning. His wife Liz took their two daughters to school, met friends for coffee, and never came home.       

A freak car accident changed everything in seconds.

Suddenly Victor was a single father to two young girls, trying to explain the unimaginable while the world was entering COVID lockdowns. With no roadmap for grief, parenting, or surviving devastating loss, he made a decision: his daughters would not be defined by tragedy.

In this deeply moving conversation, Victor shares the heartbreaking moment he had to tell his daughters their mum was gone, the photo he took just before their lives changed forever, and the unexpected lesson he learned about the invisible mental load carried by so many mothers.

This episode explores grief, resilience, parenting, widowhood, single fatherhood, raising daughters, mental health, anxiety, depression, community support, healing after loss, family relationships, emotional recovery, personal growth, overcoming adversity, life after tragedy, and finding happiness again after unimaginable heartbreak.

If you've experienced loss, grief, trauma, or major life change, Victor's story is a powerful reminder that even after life's darkest moments, there can still be laughter, connection, purpose, and joy.

Listen now and discover why Victor says his life is both difficult and happy.

Guest Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-simone-mortgage-broker/

0:00 — Capturing the Last Moment of Innocence

0:52 — Happy Life in Australia Before the Accident

2:10 — The Day Everything Changed: Liz's Fatal Accident

5:43 — Becoming a Widower: Breaking the News to His Daughters

6:08 — Navigating COVID Lockdowns as a Single Dad

13:20 — Discovering the Hidden Mental Load of Motherhood

17:49 — The Power of Community: Giving and Receiving Help

19:41 — Why Victor Stayed in Australia Instead of Moving Home

24:49 — The Rollercoaster of Life: Teaching Kids to Embrace Ups and Downs

27:38 — Victor's Personal Battle: Anxiety, Depression and Keeping Going

29:51 — Learning Ballet Buns, Makeup and How to Be a Dance Dad

32:24 — Six Years Later: What Has Helped Most on This Journey

33:36 — The Gift No One Asked For: A Deep Bond With His Daughters

#ShitHappyPodcast #Grief #SingleDad #MentalHealth #Resilience

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