The Just Checking In Podcast

In episode 165 of The Just Checking In Podcast, we checked back in with journalist and author James Bloodworth.During the Covid-19 pandemic, James returned to his home county of Cornwall to live with and support his Gran. James saw this as repaying a childhood debt after she helped raise him for much of his adolescence. Unfortunately, James’s Gran passed away in 2022 and the impact the grief had on him was immense and made him question his path in life, the choices he’s made and affected his relationships with those closest to him. In this episode we discuss that grief and why it had such a profound impact on him, how its forced him to grow up even as a 39-year-old, addressing underlying mental health issues and putting new internal systems in place to deal with the ups and downs of life. We also discuss the anxiety he’d been having during Covid-19 and how it alleviated significantly when he stopped taking his ADHD medication. We finish by analysing the pros and cons of that decision and his experience of antidepressants he was prescribed after his gran’s death and therapy.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can follow James on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/J_BloodworthYou can read The Times article we mentioned which interviewed James and his gran here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/i-went-to-see-gran-for-the-weekend-so-how-did-i-end-up-staying-for-a-year-p370c30j3Listen to Part 1 of James's story here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-69-james-bloodworthSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 164 of The Just Checking In Podcast, we checked in with Antoine Brimbal. Antoine is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Modern Insurgent, which is a grass-roots independent media organisation which specialises solely on insurgencies, rebellions and political movements from around the globe. Antoine set up the project in the summer of 2022 and he is currently still a university student studying a degree in International Relations and Politics. The spark for Antoine starting The Modern Insurgent came from his involvement in videoing an actual terrorist attack as it happened outside his home in Vienna in Austria in November 2020. After the event, Antoine was interviewed by media outlets and since then he has started the platform, where his fellow students and others write for it. In this episode we discuss the professional and mental health impact of that terrorist attack and how it’s shaped his life, being taken seriously in the industry and the competitive nature of conflict journalism. For Antoine’s mental health, we discuss his French-Serbian upbringing and the values that mixed-heritage had on him, losing friends after starting The Modern Insurgent and an inner antifragility and perspective he’s had since he was a child and how it’s helped him manage his mental health then and now. As always, #itsokaytoventFind out more about The Modern Insurgent here: https://www.moderninsurgent.org/You can follow The Modern Insurgent on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moderninsurgent/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJo0ImLC7qCY6pfr1IpTqQSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In this episode of our Mind On The Game series, we checked in with Alex Kihurani. Alex is a co-driver in the World Rally Championships (WRC) who currently competes in a Citroen car for the Sainteloc team and has been competing for 20 seasons. Alex started competing as a co-driver when he was just 16 years old and debuted in the WRC when he was 25 years old. Alex combines his job as a co-driver with a role in finance and data analytics. In this episode we discuss his journey into motorsport, from being inspired by his dad who was originally from Kenya and then moved to America, to Alex’s move to the UK 10 years ago. We discuss the adrenaline rush of the races themselves, what impact Colin McRae had on commercialising the sport and bringing it into the mainstream and the psychological profile of co-drivers including Alex and the type of person it attracts. For Alex’s mental health, we discuss his parents difficult divorce, his diagnosis of Crohn’s disease and how he developed resilience and antifragility after the divorce. Alex was also diagnosed with leukaemia in 2015 and we discuss that treatment process and how he was able to thankfully live a fully and happy life after his diagnosis. We finish by discussing the birth of his daughter who was born 13 weeks premature, fatherhood and three periods of grief that Alex experienced from the motorsport world: His mentor in a motorcycle crash, his best friend from university who took his own life and one of his childhood heroes and drivers he worked with Dave Mirra.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can follow Alex on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexkihurani/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In this episode of our Reel Stories series, we checked in with Joseph Kundi. Joseph is a director, producer and co-founder of production company 3 Minds Media.Joseph is also the director and producer of GDF Diaries, which friend of the pod Jackie Kibanza hosts on her platform La Grâce de Françoise.In this episode we discuss how he found his self-worth to feel confident charging fees for clients after he started his production company and a severe ankle injury he went through in his late adolescence and the impact it had on his mental health. We also discuss a depressive period he went through at the start of 2022, how the power of journaling helped him articulate and channel his mental health state, his friendship with his best mate Aaron and how they have helped each other with their mental health.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can follow 3 Minds Media on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/3mindsmedia/You can follow Joseph on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/JojoVisionarySupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @ekkah - Backseat Driver: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFhgxYuoP8U

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In episode 163 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Shaun Flores.Shaun Flores a podcaster, presenter and mental health advocate. He is the host of ‘The Flower Hour’ where he talks to people from all backgrounds about their journey through life.In this episode we discuss Shaun’s lived experience of OCD and his diagnosis in April 2022, particularly ‘Pure-O’ which is a severe form of the neurological condition and how it manifests itself in his thoughts and his day-to-day life. 2022 has also been an extremely difficult year for Shaun. He has had to deal with multiple periods of grief when his cousin was murdered aged 24 in Trinidad, his aunt on his mother’s side died in October 2022 and his half-brother on his father’s side aged 62 to bowel cancer. The grief that had the biggest impact on him was the loss of his dad when he was aged six on Christmas Day. We discuss how he adjusted to a new male figure when his step-dad entered his life and how a form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) called Exposure Response Prevention has helped him massively with his recovery. We finish by discussing the journey he has gone on to become a mental health advocate for greater awareness around OCD, how he turned his negative experience into a positive and the stigmas that exist within the black community when it comes to mental health. As always, #itsokaytoventYou can subscribe to 'The Flower Hour' on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@ShaunFloresYou can follow Shaun on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshaunflores/Twitter: https://twitter.com/theshaunfloresSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvkTRIGGER WARNING: This podcast contains deep and detailed discussions about suicide and suicidality, grief and OCD which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

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In episode 162 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with journalist Thomas Mackintosh. Thomas currently works for BBC London and fronted the recently published documentary ‘Who Stole Tamara Ecclestone’s Diamonds?’, which focused on the diamond heist of the home of daughter of former Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, Tamara Ecclestone and who was behind it.In this episode we discuss how Thomas broke into the journalism industry and the barriers he had to overcome, the stress that comes from covering the crime stories he does and the documentary about Tamara Ecclestone’s diamond heist. For Thomas’s mental health, we talk about the isolation and loneliness that living in London can bring about in people, therapy he has accessed in the past because of issues he’s had in previous relationships and how he’s now recovered and in a great place with a supportive partner and wider support network.As always, #itsokaytovent You can watch ‘Who Stole Tamara Ecclestone’s Diamonds?’ on BBC iPlayer here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0019dz7/who-stole-tamara-ecclestones-diamondsYou can follow Thomas on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/T_MackintoshSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In this episode of our Behind The Mic series, we checked back in with Alex Shaw from New Car Smell. In Part 2 of his journey, we discussed the latest updates with NCS, his new venture, Sax And The City and music burnout he experienced from doing a huge amount of live shows in the aftermath of Covid-19. For Alex's mental health, we dive back into his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) diagnosis and the greater levels of self-awareness and exploration he's had around it, male gender stereotype non-conformity and a form of therapy he's done called Schema therapy.As always, #itsokaytoventListen to New Car Smell on streaming platforms below:Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/4H2D0mQLV…E-Q8qoAjLNGqqa5QYouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC2uPvt6BIxqfss-8HXVG_lgSoundCloud: @newcar_smellFollow New Car Smell on social media below:Twitter: twitter.com/NewCar_SmellInstagram: www.instagram.com/newcarsmell.brass/Facebook: www.facebook.com/newcarsmell.bras…ef=page_internalFollow Sax And The City on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saxandthecity.london/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 162 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Justin Peach.Justin is the co-founder of the Second Tier Podcast, the self-described biggest podcast dedicated to Championship football, the second tier in the English Football League (EFL). Justin also writes for Football League World for the Championship section of their website. In this episode we discuss how and why he started Second Tier and the inspiration behind it, the snobbery he’s faced from certain elements of the online football content community and the challenges around work-life balance in running the pod.For Justin’s mental health, we discuss the impact that his parent’s divorce had on him when he was six years old and how he struggled to adapt to the new family his father made through his adolescence and adulthood. Justin witnessed the conflict with his parents as a child which affected him and he feels like he was an individual within his family because of the way his parents divorced and the fact that his siblings are much older than him. We discuss his diagnosed depression when he was around 13/14 years old, the struggles he had in university around anxiety and making friends and what role his parents’ divorce played into that introversion. As always, #itsokaytoventYou can follow Justin on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustinPeach27You can listen to the Second Tier Podcast here: https://www.secondtierpod.co.uk/You can follow Second Tier Podcast on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/secondtierpodSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 160 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with journalist Christian Hewgill.Christian is currently freelance and working for outlets including LBC and TalkSport. Prior to going freelance, Christian worked at BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat where he worked as a Reporter and Presenter for five years. Before he got his big break at Radio 1, Christian cut his teeth working for a variety of outlets including BBC Radio Leicester in his hometown, Notts TV and Orion Media.In this episode we discuss how and why Christian got into broadcast journalism, the mental health difficulty he experienced when he was made redundant from his Newsbeat role and why that role was more than a job for him.When it comes to issues in the industry, we discuss class, specifically Christian’s working-class background and the all-consuming nature of the UK news cycle.For Christian’s mental health, he is someone who has lived with anxiety and depression from an early age and often had panic attacks as a child.Christian comes from a loving and supportive, working-class Leicestershire family but felt huge confusion over his sexuality in his teenage years before coming out as gay. Before he could do that, Christian was bullied in school for expressing signs of male gender stereotype non-conformity that led his peers to suspect he was gay before he did and he was also bullied for his weight. Between the ages of 14-20 was the most difficult period of Christian’s mental health and we discuss the impact that this period of poor mental health had on him and why he’s found the positive tools he needed through therapy to deal with it and any other challenge life throws at him. As always, #itsokaytoventYou can follow Christian on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisHewgillSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In this episode of our Behind The Mic series, we checked in with Australian artist jnr.Ben has been making music since 2018/2019. During the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020 he started learning how to produce for himself and is now venturing out into making more records and doing live shows in Sydney to build his profile. In this episode we chart his music journey, from learning the piano at eight years old with his grandma to playing in indie-rock bands in secondary school and to making pop music today. We discuss the mental toll that comes with being an unsigned artist and having to be a jack of all trades as an artist. We also talk about the positives of being in the music industry, particularly the camaraderie that’s come from being in the underground music scene in Sydney.For Ben’s mental health, we discuss growing up as a mixed-race boy in a white-dominated school and the impact that had on his identity and self-worth as a teenager and adolescence, his struggles with anxiety and depression and how he found therapy to be a positive tool in helping him find himself, accept himself and get to a better place with his mental health today.As always, #itsokaytovent Listen to jnr. on streaming platforms below: SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/jnrfullstopFollow jnr. on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jnrfullstop/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvkOutro: jnr. - Say (Light Me Up): https://soundcloud.com/jnrfullstop/say-light-me-up

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