"Society never backed us! No one said to me "here, you can keep your baby, we'll look after you"

Episode 69:

This week we're straight talking Birth Mothers with Anne Marie. Anne Marie is now a psychotherapist but at 18 as an unmarried mother, she was sent to live with a family as live in help to hide her pregnancy, before being forced to give up her baby for adoption. She also tells us of her horrific experience in the hospital, not just around giving birth, how she was treated, the shame she felt, the gossip in her small town that still prevails and she tells us what it was like when she did finally reconnect with her son 

Kamron is relieved to find out he gets to complete his degree and we discuss the difficulty of social media around the podcast promotion. Allan watches the new Schumacher documentary and is riled by the "Pray Away" documentary about gay conversion therapy.

Follow Straight Talking Mental Health on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, email hello@stmhpodcast or check out www.stmhpodcast.com

"We have to wrap Christy in cotton wool and look after him because, and I don't use this lightly, he is unique!"

Episode 68:

This week we're straight talking the "Crazy World" of Aslan with band member Billy McGuinness. Aslan are 40 years in the music business and are regarded as the band that "should have been as as big as U2". Billy tells us the highs and lows of the band, from starting in a literal pigsty to being multi-platinum, the depressing times of being dropped by two labels, having to go back on the dole and the disappearance of all the hangers on. Billy opens up about front man Christy Dignam's heroin addiction and cancer, Bono's relationship with Christy, what it's like for him and the rest of the band and the fear during covid if they would get to gig again with Christy's health.

Peter jumps back on for a week, which means him and Kamron pick on poor autistic Allan. Peter's life is a roller coaster... literally and the wasps are getting more hate. We discuss Michael Kenneth William's death and Allan is quite riled at seeing a young boy slapped by his mother in a shopping centre!

Follow Straight Talking Mental Health on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, email hello@stmhpodcast or check out www.stmhpodcast.com

"There was times when she was in crisis and she wouldn't respond to anyone but me."

Episode 67:

This week we're straight talking carers with "Niamh". Niamh is a carer for her twin sister who has mental health issues. She tells us about the impact on her own mental health of being a carer, how she had to put her own life on hold, how much she repressed her own emotions, the constant state of anxiety of worrying if her sister would attempt suicide again and how carer support groups were not supportive!

Kamron is excited and terrified at the pending lifting of all covid restrictions as he reassesses his job, it's his turn to have a toothache and Allan cements his middle age by getting excited about a steam cleaner.

Follow Straight Talking Mental Health on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, email hello@stmhpodcast or check out www.stmhpodcast.com

"Because I was the first guy in, I was the assistant guru that ran a little branch."

Episode 66:

This week we're straight talking young adulthood with author/ psychotherapist Verlin Darrow. Verlin tells us about his book Prodigy Quest and we discuss the difficulties faced at the developmental stage of being a young adult, the pressure to have the rest of your life figured out once you leave school/ college, as well as the social media pressures of what your life "should" look like. Verlin also discusses his time in helping set up a cult!

Kamron discusses what it's like to be a young adult, he gets his second vaccine and his bank contact him about credit card fraud... mid interview! We also discuss the option of podcast merchandise and Allan is pissed about the All Ireland hurling final!

Follow Straight Talking Mental Health on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, email hello@stmhpodcast or check out www.stmhpodcast.com

"I ended up leaving the military, I got divorced and it was all down to my mental health after leaving."

Episode 65:

This week we're straight talking men's mental health with James Boardman aka The Man Coach. James went from working in McDonald's to becoming a Royal Marine sniper, he tells us how his father died when he was 6 and how that has drove him throughout life. James discusses the sense of purpose and belonging being in the corp gave him and how he lost that when he left and felt suicidal. We discuss the importance of self care as fathers and the difficulties in parenting, particularly teenagers and James tells us about his experience in Afghanistan and PTSD.

We find out if Kamron has Covid, we discuss the death of Sean Lock, Allan gets a dodgy meal and his autism gets in the way in a social setting.

Follow Straight Talking Mental Health on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, email hello@stmhpodcast or check out www.stmhpodcast.com

"I just said to her last week, I'm not happy and the conversation sort of went from there."

Episode 64:

This week we're straight talking your mental health with Paul. Personal Trainer Paul discusses toxic masculinity in his previous job, the stress of bad neighbours, his break up just last week and the practicalities that surround that, ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy), why he recommends the podcast to everyone and what he's taken from it.

Kamron is isolating waiting to see if he has covid, he's riled about the recent report on climate change and Allan's girlfriend thinks he might be a psychopath!

Follow Straight Talking Mental Health on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, email hello@stmhpodcast or check out www.stmhpodcast.com

"If you are a person of colour, you need to be out of that town before sundown or you are in trouble."

Episode 63:

This week we're straight talking black lives matter with Ashley France Howell. Ashley is the host of the "Hands Up Don't Shoot" podcast where she discusses police brutality on the black community. We discuss the impact that just being black has on your mental health, the blatant and subtle racism in America, we find out what a "Sundown Town" is and Ashley tells us about her own mental health and the impact birth control medication had on her and how if not for the intervening words of her daughter she would have committed suicide.

Kamron is less than impressed at the prospect of inheriting gout and he attempts to pimp his new ride. Allan is smiling as he got to play golf, is treated like the princess he is and he is riled by a possible guest wasting his time.

Follow Straight Talking Mental Health on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, email hello@stmhpodcast or check out www.stmhpodcast.com

"We were sitting at the kitchen table doing homework and she just came in and slapped me across the face."

Episode 62:

This week we're straight talking childhood abuse with "Cody". Triggered by the death of her grandfather, Cody was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. She tells us about being groomed (which she learned about from the podcast), her experience of sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather, the physical abuse she endured from her grandmother, the eating disorders that developed later in life and the immense difficulty she faced trying to be hospitalised when she was suicidal.

Allan is proper riled by people abusing pub staff for needing a Covid certificate and liking themselves to Jews in the Holocaust while Kamron lays low on the smiles this week after having two last week - balance!

Follow Straight Talking Mental Health on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, email hello@stmhpodcast or check out www.stmhpodcast.com

"We have the symptoms but they may not be ours."

Episode 61:

This week we're straight talking inherited family trauma with award winning author Mark Wolynn. Mark literally wrote the book on generational trauma "It Didn't Start With You" and on this very special episode Mark breaks down the science of how traumatic experiences that happened to our parents and grandparents can be affecting us now! He shares some clinical examples with us, tells us how to identify if we are carrying family trauma and most importantly teaches us how to start to heal if we are. Mark also shares his amazing story of how he was facing blindness until he healed his own trauma.

Peter jumps on for a catch up, Kamron is smiling after getting his first car, with tragic news events we chat about how in Ireland we idealise the dead and how the "the good (front) room" typifies the persona that we all present.

Follow Straight Talking Mental Health on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, email hello@stmhpodcast or check out www.stmhpodcast.com

"Hell is wanting the present moment to be different."

Episode 60:

This week we're straight talking perfectionism with Dr. Jane Tornatore. Jane is a psychotherapist, speaker and author and we discuss the impact of perfectionism, how it develops, the impact of having more compassion for ourselves and she has some great advise with how to deal with that inner critic.

Allan and Kamron are riled about the indoor dining in Ireland only for those vaccinated and Allan is riled by the English fans after the Euros final defeat.

Follow Straight Talking Mental Health on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, email hello@stmhpodcast or check out www.stmhpodcast.com