The Struggles of Man Podcast

Matt shares his former double life as a supporting father, and addict. He starting drinking at age 15 and moved on to experimenting with drugs through high school. After finding out he was going to become a father in grade 12, he set his priorities to take care of his child. He went to college and worked full time, taking care of his kids when he had them and partying on his off weekends. This continued for years until he hit rock bottom, he then starting down the path of a new life thanks to some good friends and a new job. Matt shares his childhood traumas, chronic bullying, and anxiety attacks he now knows are the reasons he turned to drugs to cope.

Spencer began feeling anxious around 13 years old after transitioning to junior high. He remembers avoiding social situations as much as possible purposing showing up late to school and class. This continued through high school and university until having a sever panic attack during an exam. He then knew he had to seek help. He spent years in counselling and received the diagnoses of anxiety, depression, and ADHD. Spencer is now a high level personal trainer, and talks about his tools and therapies that helped him and continue to help him stay healthy.  

 Hope you enjoy!

Jenny shares her mental health experiences starting with her first panic attack at 13 years old. Coming to a head later on when she was 20 and had her first manic episode. For the next few years she had many struggles a few stints at the hospital getting a number of diagnoses. Including Bi Polar Type 2 and Borderline Personality Disorder. She describes navigating and learning to understand these things, and how much Dialectical behavioral therapy helped her.  Great conversation with Jenny,   Hope you enjoy!

Skylar shares his plans to run across Canada to raise awareness for mental health. He will be leaving June 1rst 2021 from Victoria B.C., arriving in St. John’s N.L. near the end of October. His goal is to finish the run in 150 days or less, and to raise 50,000$ for the Canadian Mental Health Association. We discuss what lead him on this path of being a mental health advocate, and what sparked such a unfathomable challenge. Skylar shares his story losing a friend to suicide at 12 years old, and another at 16. Along with a "wave" of suicides with a total of 8 in his age group before the end of high school. Skylar and I discuss grief, coping mechanisms, and the silver lining of pain. He shares events that dramatically shifted the trajectory of his life, after feeling stuck in a depression for years.  Really great conversation with Skyler!    

Hope you enjoy!  

You can donate to the cause here!  - https://milesforsmilescanada.com/the-goal   

Fallow Skylar's journey here! - https://instagram.com/skylarrothmac?igshid=je4inas4lvgi

Sam is a mother of four, a former Machinist, and cofounder of Women Building PEI. A non for profit organization the supports women in the trades on PEI.   Sam shares her story from childhood trauma, to a high school life of partying and finding herself pregnant at 17. She speaks on blessings found in motherhood including meaning, structure, purpose and a new found confidence.   Sam found herself in a deep depression a few years later, struggling with her identity outside of being a mother. This lead to her almost losing her life, and spending some time in unit 9.    Sam then made some life changes. She went to trade school, starting working in the field, starting the non for profit, and participating in other jobs and hobbies.   She outlines the biggest lessons she learns and continues to learn in life, and the things that helped her most get through hard times.   Great conversation with Sam,   Hope you enjoy!

Greg is a business owner, fitness trainer, and a behavior change coach that specifies with busy moms. He shares his story growing up the oldest of 10 siblings with his single mother, and the effects this had on his mental health. Struggling through his teens he found himself in a life of partying with unhealthy habits and relationships. This continued into his early twenties, eventually hitting a breaking point when he knew he had to make a change. We chat about some of the biggest obstacles he helps his clients overcome and how his own experiences help him relate. These include -  self awareness, burnout, small steps, comparing to others, fear of failure and more..  

Great conversation with Greg,   

Hope you enjoy!

Connor describes recently being diagnosed with ADHD. He works in the HR department with the RCMP in Dartmouth, and noticed his productivity go down when switching to working from home. This got to the point where his coworkers were reaching out in concern, and this is when he sought out help and got the diagnoses. Conner talks about some of the emotional tie's with undiagnosed ADHD including frustration, confusion, feeling less then, and misunderstood. He shares tools that have helped him starting with awareness, visual organization, making lists, exercise, etc..   Great chat with Connor!

Hope you enjoy.

Connor describes recently being diagnosed with ADHD. He works in the HR department with the RCMP in Dartmouth, and noticed his productivity go down when switching to working from home. This got to the point where his coworkers were reaching out in concern, and this is when he sought out help and got the diagnoses. Conner talks about some of the emotional tie's with undiagnosed ADHD including frustration, confusion, feeling less then, and misunderstood. He shares tools that have helped him starting with awareness, visual organization, making lists, exercise, etc..   Great chat with Connor!   

Hope you enjoy.

Tony Davis is a Journalist at CBC, and a former Photographer and Reporter at The Guardian.   Tony shares his story experiencing trauma and instability during childhood, and later seeing his mother slip into addiction just after graduating high school. He describes the impacts this had on him and his family, leading to her passing just a few years later. Tony describes the grieving process, tools he has learned to work through it, and a perspective shift with determination to turn it into a positive. He touches on seeking professional help, support systems, the power of positivity, hobbies, work life balance and more..   

Hope you enjoy!   

Tony emphasizes the importance of people sharing their experiences with mental health, he hopes by sharing his it may inspire others to do the same. You can contact him at [email protected] if you'd like to share your story.

Website - https://tonyverses.weebly.com/ 

 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. February 23rd 2021

Beth Gardner is a former rowing athlete, a 20 year cancer survivor, and now  life coach. Beth specializes here life coaching to non-addicts affected by addicts as codependents, and cancer patients battling the disease. Beth shares here story growing up in an very competitive high achieving environment, leading into rowing with some of the top athletes in the United States for most of her twenties. She emphasizes never learning to recover properly, she believes this was the root cause of her cancer. Beth shares her personal experiences with that gave her the insight to be able to help others through her coaching. She recently found out she has a benine brain tumor, and will undergo surgery the day of this podcasts release. She says she sees this as just another challenge, and will use the skills she has learned and teaches starting with  "anticipation, preparation, and resilience." So Inspiring!  

Hope you enjoy!  

You can find more information on Beths services at -  

http://selfreliant.info/