Tame Impala’s Cam Avery joins us for one of the most surprisingly raw, honest, and hilarious conversations we’ve ever had on These Lads Are Mental.

Fresh off a U.S. tour, Cam sits down with us in Los Angeles just hours before a flight home — and we dive straight into the unexpected connection between music, mental health, identity, and golf (yes, golf). And trust us… you’ve never heard a musician talk like this.

From almost becoming a pro golfer, to shooting 74 while half-cut, to accidentally missing a tee time with Bill Murray, Cam opens up about:

• Life touring with Tame Impala

• The pressure of creativity when you’re an “outcome-driven” person

• Why golf became his anchor during a chaotic period

• The power of ritual, reps, and routine for your mind

• How sport teaches presence, discipline, and emotional regulation

• Finding connection (and yourself) on and off the course

• His sports media company, The Fade — and why talking about struggle matters

This episode is deep, funny, unpredictable and packed with insight.

Cam’s reflections on mental health, accountability, and rebuilding your life are some of the most honest we’ve heard on the show.

If you’ve ever struggled with burnout, identity, or finding something stable to hold onto — you’ll feel this one.

🎙️ Listen now and join the conversation.

💬 Drop your biggest takeaway in the comments.

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ABOUT THESE LADS ARE MENTAL

Hosted by Neil O’Sullivan & Gary Rafferty, the podcast creating open, unfiltered conversations about mental health, resilience, and what it means to be human.

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In this episode of These Lads Are Mental, Neil O’Sullivan and Gary Rafferty sit down with ADHD specialist Andy Hayes for an eye-opening conversation about ADHD and mental health. 🧠✨

We cover it all:

• The real impact ADHD has on your mental health
• How ADHD can unlock creativity and out-of-the-box thinking
• What the diagnosis journey looks like (and how to get started)
• Life after diagnosis—what changes, what challenges, and what’s next
• Practical steps to manage stress, anxiety, and overwhelm
• Plus: Is ADHD a case of nature vs nurture? Andy weighs in with expert insights

Whether you’re curious about ADHD, navigating your own diagnosis, or supporting someone who is, this episode is packed with real talk, helpful advice, and plenty of laughs along the way.

🔔 Subscribe for more raw and relatable chats about mental health every week!

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In this episode, we sit down with Tom Cronin – former finance executive turned global meditation teacher, wellness entrepreneur, and co-creator of The Portal.

Tom shares his powerful journey from high-stress city life to inner peace, and how he's now on a mission to inspire one billion people to meditate daily.

We dive deep into:

🔹 The Seven States of Consciousness

🔹 How stillness can radically reduce anxiety and stress

🔹 Breaking the stigma around meditation (especially for men)

🔹 The making of The Portal – a film and book experience changing lives worldwide

🔹 Simple tools to bring more peace and presence into your everyday life

Whether you're a skeptic, beginner, or seasoned meditator – this episode is packed with practical wisdom and grounded insight to help you take your mental health to the next level.

🌍 Explore Tom’s work: https://tomcronin.com

📖 The Portal: https://entertheportal.com

👇 Drop a comment and let us know your biggest takeaway – and if you’ve ever tried meditation.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe & hit the bell 🔔 for more real chats on mental health, mindset & masculinity.

#TomCronin #TheseLadsAreMental #Meditation #MentalHealth #MensMentalHealth #StillnessProject #ThePortal #Mindfulness #Wellbeing #Podcast

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We’re back, lads and ladies! Season three kicks off with a powerful and eye-opening conversation featuring Gary Groves, CEO of ReachOut, and Azhaan, one of their passionate youth ambassadors.

In this episode, Neil and Gary dive into the increasingly worrying impact social media is having on young people, from constant comparison culture to digital overload. We talk about the rising rates of mental health conditions affecting our youth, just how high the numbers really are, and more importantly, what can actually be done about it.

Gary G shares insight into ReachOut’s mission to provide digital mental health support to young people across Australia. Because the online world isn’t going anywhere, and our kids need tools to navigate it safely.

From raw stats to real stories, this is a must-listen for parents, educators, and anyone who wants to understand what’s happening beneath the surface for the next generation.

🔗 If you or someone you know needs help, visit https://au.reachout.com/

#TheseLadsAreMental #SeasonThree #ReachOut #YouthMentalHealth #DigitalLiteracy #SocialMediaAwareness #MentalHealthMatters

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This episode sees Neil and Gary sit down with Dr Dean Miller (PHD) with the conversation focused on the importance of sleep for high performance and overall health, with an emphasis on aiming for 7-9 hours per night. We discuss different sleep patterns, the impact of wearable technology on tracking sleep, and the potential drawbacks of becoming obsessed with sleep data; an especially poignant note as Dr Dean is helping the Australian Olympic team in their preparation for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Dr Dean provides tips for optimising sleep routines, creating a sleep-friendly environment, and avoiding stimulating activities before bed. We also touch on the correlation between lack of sleep and mental health issues, emphasising the importance of seeking help from healthcare professionals if experiencing sleep difficulties.

00:00 - Introduction to episode and guest introduction

05:09 - Dr. Dean Miller's background and interest in sleep

09:19 - The importance of sleep quantity and quality

16:20 - Different sleep patterns and their impact

21:43 - The accuracy and usefulness of sleep-tracking technology

27:46 - The relationship between sleep and mental health

31:53 - Tips for improving sleep hygiene and routines

36:39 - The impact of caffeine and food on sleep

40:19 - Sleep strategies for athletes and post-training recovery

45:14 - The role of sleep in overall health and performance

51:10 - Seeking help for sleep issues and insomnia

55:34 - Sleep studies, sex, and closing remarks

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In this epic episode, Neil chats with Grant Trebilco, founder of One Wave Foundation and 'One wave is all it takes', a movement born on the beaches of Bondi that not only saved Grant's life but now spreads 'stoke factor' on beaches across the globe. The now-famous 'Floor Fridays' are weekly meet-ups where people gather in illumines clothing for circles of trust, followed by a dip in the ocean or surf and then coffee chats after.

The weekly meet-ups had a special guest not too long ago when Royals Harry and Megan visited them, just showcasing the magnitude and reach of what Grant the movement is doing.

We explore in the chat Grant's own story and struggles with having bipolar, depression, and what led him to One Wave. He and Neil chat about life in general, the stresses of everyday life and the importance of having a support network around you.

A must listen.

#mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #bipolar #depression #stress

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This is a video about TLAM: S2 EP #21 Trent Knox, The 440 Club - On Addiction, His Story and How He Turned It into Good.

What a guy Trent is. The 440 is not new, it's been going for seven years. In the early days, unbeknownst to most, Trent was still struggling. Some mornings not even showing up. But potential and momentum was gathering. He had that a-ha moment, where he thought, 'I have two options here'. Listen to the full ep to hear how he traversed all of this and got himself to the beautiful place he's in today.

Here are the talking points in the ep:

• Early foundations in sports; especially swimming
• The importance of training and how it helped Trent as his anchor
• Why you need to enjoy training
• How nothing overdoes AA and seeking proper help
• Additcion: will he ever drink again?
• How he maintains himself (4-6 AA meetings p/wk)
• Being mindful, and enjoying it
• Being efficient with time
• Connection is key to recovery
• Grounding with stability in 440
• The power of meditation
• Need for internal dialogue to encourage yourself
• The 440 itself and what it’s all about
• Impacts of letting go and finding your community
• Power of people in creating a movement
• Sharing energy - people helping to push you
• Leaning on each other, when we need support
• His personal journey and rock bottom moment.
• How you can’t do it on your own. Cut the bullshit
• Turning a corner. One meeting at a time.
• Reconnecting with psychology
• Impact of Tod (440 Club) and having anchors in your life
• Line in the sand movement - do I want 440 to survive? He only had two options.
• How the coffee club was built on his sobriety
• Finding out who you are. Not pretending any more
• Having a purpose
• Getting anchored
• Having your own Batman belt - tools for when you need them
• Can you be addicted to… good things?
• Live a balanced life. Surrounding to addiction
• Don’t try to fix yourself. Learn to live with it. 

These were Trent's quickfire scores:

• Where is the world out of ten for mental health awareness: 4/10
• Where are you with your own mental health: 7/10
• What's the one thing you'd recommend people to do each day to improve their mental health: meditation

#mentalhealth #mentalhealthpodcast #podcast #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawareness #runclub #the440 #the440runclub

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This is our latest TLAM episode this time with Timothy O'Brien: on the topic(s) of purpose and measurement in mental health and how it affects us professionally and personally.

Are we doing enough? What is being done by corporations and governments when it comes to mental health? Find out all the answers inside this particularly informative episode.

#mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmonth #mentalhealthmeasurement #society #purpose #corporations #business #businesses #CSR #impact

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Born under the skin condition of Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), Dean Clifford was given just a short time to live. Still, since then, he has defied the odds through his own determination and family support, to be fit and well today in his mid-40s. But not only that, he has gone on to showcase the real power of turning a negative into a positive.

Dean now uses his story to inspire others through his public speaking. He travels regularly on the circuit speaking to governments, corporations and communities on how you can take anything in life and turn it into good. He's carried Olympic torches and has consulted to some of the biggest leaders on the globe.

What a guy, we loved this chat. Full of honour and laughs, a really TLAM goldie. Enjoy.

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We speak with Mark White, over from the UK, to host his Run Grateful 24-hour marathon in Australia, this time in the sunny coastline of Bondi Beach. In this episode, Mark speaks about his own journey of addiction, how he checked into rehab at 19, and how he overcame it all.

Mark speaks to the event itself, running a marathon via a mile on the hour, every hour for a day straight. He's collected 20 men from the Sydney area, with the aid of the 440 Run Club founder, Trent Know. In between each mile there is an activity; yoga, breathwork etc, and it's all for men's mental health.

We hear about Mark's vision for the future and how he's focusing on combining movement and gratitude for powerful good. Run Grateful is more than a run and we hear about how Mark is taking his work to businesses and corporate to spread the word.

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