The Fellowman Podcast

Nick is a Harvard trained psychiatrist who’s developed a unique approach to managing ADHD without the use of some of the most common stimulant medications like Adderall or Ritalin.

We chat about the explosion in prescribing stimulant medications during the pandemic and the rise of companies like Cerebral. The pros and cons of using stimulants to treat ADHD, the importance of developing executive functioning skills and not just relying on a medication.

Again, we touch on the subject of temporary use of medication while working in therapy vs staying on meds long term, and why ADHD tends to fall into the latter with many patients taking a stimulant medication long term without working on any of the non-medication interventions that Nick describes.

Lastly we talk in detail about Nick’s clinical approach in working with patients with ADHD and the Bio, Psycho, Social interventions that he uses which can include; therapy, coaching, non stimulant medications, supplements, diet, exercise, sleep and more.

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Couple of points to note, in the intro I refer to Nick treating ADHD without the use of medication, this is not quite accurate.. As you’ll hear he treats without controlled substances like stimulants or benzodiazepines, but he does use other medications like antidepressants.

Nick also mis-quoted a book by Nick Norwitz’s. The approach is called Medi-keto, not Ketotarian. https://a.co/d/j2ofBAQ

Uncontrolled Substances: how tele-health company Cerebral set out to shake up the mental health industry and ended up under federal investigation.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5eKfXdhLOjl7mrfbq0jF7e 

In this episode I chat to a former colleague of mine at Slipstream Sports, the management company behind the professional cycling team that’s been known over the years as Garmin, Cannondale and most recently EF Pro Cycling.

Dr Kevin Sprouse is a rare breed of both medical MD and exercise physiologist and has worked closely with riders like David Millar, David Zabriske, Christian Vandevelde through to the current crop of EF riders like Lachlan Morton, Ben Healy, Rigoberto Uran and Richard Carapaz.

Kevin also runs a private practice working with high performance athletes across a variety of sports and high level amateurs and weekend warriors who want the same level of medical care and performance support that the pro's get.

We dig into how professional cycling has changed in the ten or so years he’s been in the sport and the mental impact of so many variables in cycling being measurable these days, and related to this how pro cyclists and teams approach dealing with athlete mental health.

From a physical health standpoint Kevin walks me through the types of things guys in their 40's should be getting checked out on a regular basis and we finish up tackling the tricky subject of testosterone, when to know you have a problem and what to do about it.

Dr Kevin Sprouse Instagram

Listen on iTunes here.

It's been a few months since i've published any new episodes so it's time to get the Fellowman wagon rolling again. This episode is a short update from me on what's been happening the last 9 or so months and a preview of some of the episodes that will be coming in the next few weeks.

I've also just launch a new website at Fellowman.net where you can sign up to my first cohort of men's groups. If you've never tried a men's group before check it out and see what it can do for you. Head over to Fellowman.net for all the details.

**Warning - This episode talks in some detail about topics including fertility treatment, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancies so please consider this if you are triggered by any of these.**

If you’ve listened to any previous episodes of the pod, you’ll know that breaking the stigma around men’s mental health and getting more men talking about this stuff is something that I believe is incredibly important. While, in general I think we’re doing a better job talking about men’s mental health there are still some topics related to men’s health & wellness in general that are not talked about.

One of these is the whole area of having kids, and specifically what happens when this does not happen naturally. Topics such as infertility (in both men and women) IVF, adoption and surrogacy are impacting more and more couples these days, but if my own experience is anything to go by, most men find themselves navigating these challenges with little in the way of support from other men who have been through it before.

I’ve been conscious of wanting to talk about this for a while on the podcast, but it's taken a while to find the right time and person to explore this with. Well, I’m really pleased that the time is now right, both as my wife and I have reached the happy conclusion of our own fertility journey, and I found the right co-host to explore this in more detail along with his own story. I’m joined by Anthony Palmer, who while not related shares a passion for men’s mental health & wellness through his Wake, Dad, Drink Repeat podcast, so we decided to team up for this episode that will go out on both feeds.

So, have a listen as we dig into both of our experiences with IVF, adoption & surrogacy and most importantly share this episode with a Fellowman who may be going through something similar and needs support.

Connect with me on Instagram or LinkedIn.

Listen on iTunes here.

In this episode of the Fellowman Podcast I’m joined by leadership coach turned former athlete mentor Jeff Murray. 

Like me you’re probably wondering what a former athlete mentor does, which is exactly why I wanted to get Jeff on the pod to dig into this in more detail…

What’s most fascinating about this chat with Jeff is not just his own unique story of how he got into working with former athletes, but how he works with former athletes helping them navigate specific challenges once their sporting career is over.

For any of us who have struggled to cope when something we identify with as strongly as sports, a job, or a relationship suddenly ends, then this episode is well worth a listen to understand how to navigate challenging life transitions.

Links to resources mentioned during this episode:

Jeff on LinkedIn 

https://athletesafterlife.com/ 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/athletes-afterlife-with-jeff-murray/id1653783548 

Book - The Mindful Athlete 

Book - Untethered Soul

https://www.instagram.com/samsons_strength/?hl=en

If you’ve listened to any of my previous podcasts you’ll know I love exploring the intersection of sports, mental health and performance. So when I come across experts in this space I’m always keen to get them on the podcast for a chat.

My guest on this episode is a fellow USA based Brit, Lee Povey, a former elite track cycling coach turned leadership coach who works with startup founders and CEO’s to help them maximise their potential.

What’s most interesting about this chat with Lee is how he transitioned from working with elite athletes on the cycling track to the world of business coaching and how his experience developing the mental aspects of performance in athletes helps develop a winning mindset in entrepreneurs.

Lee is also a fellow devotee and believer in men’s work so we also dig into his experience with men’s groups, healthy masculinity and much more.

Stay tuned for a Part 2 with Lee where we take one of my own questions / challenges I brought up in this episode and explore it in more detail in a live coaching session. So, if you are keen to explore exactly what Lee does and how he works with clients keep a look out for this.

Welcome to the first official episode under the new FELLOWMAN banner! I'm joined by another great fellow man, Mr Andrew Newton. Andrew is a mental health champion and men’s coach who I met recently through a regular Thursday morning workout / men's group here in Austin called the MPOWERED Brotherhood.

Aside from how similar our interests, history and approach to mental health are, what I love most about this conversation with Andrew is the way in which he shares his own mental health journey and specifically the role that men’s work has played in this.

We get into some detail on mental health diagnoses, the complex area of psychiatric medications, taking ownership of your lifestyle and much more. 

You can follow Andrew here on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/iamandrewnewton/

Links to other resources mentioned in this episode:

My interview with Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Cecelia Howard.

You’re most likely listening to this as you’d previously subscribed to what was The Blackdog Cast, so I wanted to take a few minutes to explain why I’ve decided to change the name and focus of the podcast.

When I started the podcast, Blackdog was a project that was born out of mine and one of my best friends struggles with depression and Bipolar. The name itself refers to what Winston Churchill used to call his own very serious bouts of depression.

Since then, I’ve learned alot about my own mental health, talked to a lot of people, some of whom have been featured on previous episodes of the podcast, and while my own mental health issues are certainly not fixed, they are a lot better.

So it feels like a good moment to put the Blackdog to rest and focus on a more positive outlook going forward and also a slightly wider context looking at both mental, physical and spiritual health for men. 

That’s where Fellowman comes in; a curated source of knowledge, inspiration and storytelling for men looking to improve their mental, physical and spiritual health. Throughout my own journey, I’ve learned alot about my own health and wellness, mostly from some of the many people I’ve met along the way who are far more knowledgeable than I am on these matters.

So, stay tuned over the coming months for some great episodes with coaches, experts, entrepreneurs, scientists who have all got stories or knowledge that can help our Fellowman. 

In this episode i’m joined by award winning Neuroscientist Dr Scott Frey. Scott has spent the last 30 years in academic research into neuroscience, psychology and how they impact human performance. He’s recently made the shift into the world of business as a mindset coach and mentor, using his experience in neuroscience to help individuals and companies achieve increased performance and improved quality of life.

We dig into some of the neuroscience around mental health and developing a healthy mindset, what we can do minimise stress and other lifestyle factors that contribute to a healthy brain. As a fellow cyclist, Scott and I also talk in detail about balancing the pressures of being an amateur athlete, how too much data might be a bad thing, and how pro cyclists are impacted by the latest developments in neuroscience, mindset and psychology.

If you like what you hear please give this episode a rating on iTunes and share it with a friend.

You can connect with Scott and find out more about his work via his website, LinkedIn or directly via email; [email protected]

In another episode tackling the tricky subject of layoffs I'm joined by fellow bike industry exec and all round good chap Rhys Howell who like me was impacted by the layoffs sweeping many industries in the past months.

We chat about how Rhys has been handling the situation and dig into some of the detail around what's happening in the bike industry right now which has lead to this sort of thing. 

We also just have a good catch up and talk about life in Berlin, pro bike racing, Remco's lack of banter, will G win the Giro (alas he didn't).. and how Rhys became the most famous welshman in Berlin thanks to a gorilla marketing sticker campaign. Tune in to find out more...

You can connect with Rhys on Insta or LinkedIn.