Winning the War Within

Today’s guest is Dr Antonis Kousoulis, Director of the Mental Health Foundation.

Antonis is a very caring man with a desire to help all with mental health through improving the public mental health field, helping people with mental illness be part of the research process and improving access to treatment. We discuss directions for future work and advancements that have been made. I hope you enjoy the episode. Click the link in my bio for more!

James is the host of the Rut podcast which has taken the mental health field by storm. He’s helping raise awareness of men’s mental health by speaking to prominent politicians, sportsmen and businessmen on their struggles with mental illness. He was inspired to do so after his own breakdown which left him suicidal. His life mission is trying to help people to become comfortable with the uncomfortable.

James had a difficult childhood. His ADHD and experiences of sexual abuse led him down a dark path - A dark path which sadly led to prison time. Like a true champion, he turned his life around and now spends his time and resources helping people with mental illness. He is managing director of a newly released clothes brand which this podcast supports. Go to eeverse.co.uk to get a mental health advocating t-shirt. 20% of profits go to charity. For 10% off use code WTWW10%.

Chioma is a Forbes featured parenting consultant, award-winning youth consultant and a keynote speaker. In today’s episode, we talk about how to rear confident and productive children. Chioma is determined to help the lives of children and was inspired to do so following her own difficult childhood. We hope that this episode will inspire one parent to take on some of the advice Chioma has learnt over her years of work in this field.

James was given 2 years to live 2 years ago. Where is he now? He’s living life to the full. He was the most responsive patient to treatment in South Africa and has now devoted his life to help others in any way he can. His empathy is unmatched and his desire to help others admirable.

Bipolar UK helps people with bipolar disorder through support groups, peer support as well as hosting an eCommunity with over 7000 active users. Bipolar UK is one of the biggest mental health charities in the UK and is the only national charity dedicated to empowering individuals and families affected by bipolar. Listen to this episode to hear Simon Kitchen’s take on how to provide a holistic treatment approach to bipolar.

Dr Deb is a PTSD survivor. Following a difficult childhood, she had to learn how to fight for herself. Now she fights for others too. Dr Deb is the host of the amazing PTSD and Beyond podcast and is the developer of Practical Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (PMBSR). We highly recommend the PTSD and Beyond podcast for anyone interested in or struggling with PTSD.

Chris is a very special guest as he is not just any schoolteacher, he was my schoolteacher. I would have struggled to finish my schooling had it not been for him. Chris’ experience of being farmed as a child and his experiences with depression led him to want to devote his life to helping children within the school system.

Mark Rice-Oxley achieved everything his heart ever desired. He is highly revered in the journaling profession and is the author of ‘Underneath the Lemon Tree’, a book about his experience with depression . At the age of 40 he fell into a depression, he thought: “Why me? I have everything I could have ever wished for”. Now he realises the truth - anyone can develop mental health difficulties. Now, he fights for change. He also actively advocates for mental health change through social media.

Paul Marks used to hide his mental health difficulties from everyone, except his wife. Over time, he learnt to embrace vulnerability. He recovered, and now valiantly fights for change. He was recently invited to be a TED-x speaker, talking about his experience with depression and his plans to improve mental health outcomes in entrepreneurs. His story is an inspiration, and his mission visionary.