Let's Talk About Mental Health

Feeling manipulated by someone? Manipulation can include guilt tripping, pressure, emotional manipulation, controlling behaviour, and sometimes gaslighting, but the common thread is the same: someone is trying to pull you away from your own needs, wants, and choices.
In this episode of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast, I’m talking about how to deal with manipulation: what manipulative behavior is, and how to approach emotional manipulation in a more assertive way, especially when manipulation tactics make it hard to navigate a difficult relationship. If you’re dealing with manipulative people, toxic relationships, or unhealthy relationships, or if you’re trying to understand the signs of manipulation before you get pulled in too far, this episode is for you. I’ll explore why guilt and manipulation can affect your self-esteem and mental health so deeply, why manipulative dynamics often get worse when you start setting boundaries, and how to say no without over-explaining, apologising, or letting someone else’s pressure make your choices for you. You’ll learn how to recognise manipulation earlier, respond with more self-respect, and practice assertiveness in a way that protects your peace without turning you into someone cold or cruel. 

👉 Ready to recognise manipulation and respond more assertively? Then let’s talk!

💡 TL;DR: If guilt trips, gaslighting, or manipulative behaviour keep pushing you into saying yes when you really mean no, this episode will help you spot manipulation earlier and respond with more self-respect.

Let’s Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is all about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I teach you how to improve your mental wellbeing with simple tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor as well as my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome to the conversation!

________________________________

⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps:
0:00 Manipulation and mental health
0:36 Dealing with manipulative people
3:15 What is manipulation?
6:49 Why manipulation harms your mental health
11:21 How to stop being manipulated
23:35 Final tips for dealing with manipulation

📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=20211     

📖 Buy ‘Life Advice That Doesn’t Suck’: https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/

➕ Related episodes:
Discomfort (Episode 239): https://ltamh.com/?p=14013
Patterns (Episode 303): https://ltamh.com/?p=18325
Healthier Relationships (Episode 266): https://ltamh.com/?p=15724 
Boundaries/People Pleasing (Episode 322): https://ltamh.com/?p=19518
Difficult People (Episode 325): https://ltamh.com/?p=19737

👋 New here? 
Hi! I’m Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and cultivate better mental health, with new episodes every Sunday.

🔗 Links
Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/  
Learn more about Let’s Talk About Mental Health: https://ltamh.com 
Support me on Patreon for early ad-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin 
My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/  
Buy my Daily Reflection Tool here: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/
Find me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh  
Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/        

#manipulation #manipulativepeople #mentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #bettermentalhealth #ltamhpodcast #letstalkaboutmentalhealth #ltamh #peaceofmind #findingpeace #emotionalhealth #personalgrowth #mentalwellness #mentalwellbeing #emotionalwellbeing #jeremygodwin #bettermentalhealth #findingpeace #protectyourpeace #mentalhealthpodcast #selfimprovement #healthierrelationships #emotionalmanipulation #manipulativebehaviour #toxicrelationships #unhealthyrelationships #boundaries #assertiveness #selfrespect

Ever wondered, “Why am I lonely even when people are around me?” You’re not alone, and loneliness around others is more common that you might think. 
In this episode of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast, I’m talking about loneliness in one of its most confusing forms: feeling alone, unseen, and disconnected even when you’re surrounded by other people. If you feel lonely in friendships, at work, in a relationship, or in social situations that look fine on the outside, this episode is for you. I explore why loneliness is not just about having no friends or being physically by yourself, but about the quality of your connection, the levels of loneliness people can experience, and what may be driving chronic loneliness or that constant thought of “why am I lonely?”. I also look at why you may feel unseen, how to deal with loneliness, what to do when you feel lonely around other people, and how to stop feeling lonely by building connections that feels more real. 
So if you’ve been wondering how to overcome loneliness, how to feel more connected, or why being around people still leaves you feeling alone, this episode will help you understand what’s really going on and what to do next. 

👉 Ready to feel more connected and less alone? Then let’s talk!

💡 TL;DR: If you often feel lonely even around other people, this episode will help you understand why you feel alone, what you need to focus on, and how to start overcoming loneliness and build real connections. 

Let’s Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is all about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I teach you how to improve your mental wellbeing with simple tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor as well as my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome to the conversation!

________________________________

⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps:
0:00 Loneliness and mental health
0:32 Feeling lonely when you’re not alone
3:08 What is feeling lonely around others
8:10 Why loneliness affects your mental health
12:55 How to deal with loneliness
22:22 Final tips for dealing with loneliness

📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=20200    

📖 Buy ‘Life Advice That Doesn’t Suck’: https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/

➕ Related episodes:
Emotional regulation (Episode 15): https://ltamh.com/?p=848  

👋 New here? 
Hi! I’m Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and cultivate better mental health, with new episodes every Sunday.

🔗 Links
Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/  
Learn more about Let’s Talk About Mental Health: https://ltamh.com 
Support me on Patreon for early ad-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin 
My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/  
Buy my Daily Reflection Tool here: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/
Buy my Daily Affirmations tool here: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/  
Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh  
Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/        

#loneliness #feelinglonely #mentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #bettermentalhealth #ltamhpodcast #letstalkaboutmentalhealth #ltamh #peaceofmind #findingpeace #emotionalhealth #personalgrowth #mentalwellness #mentalwellbeing #emotionalwellbeing #jeremygodwin #bettermentalhealth #findingpeace #protectyourpeace #mentalhealthpodcast #selfimprovement #feelingalone #dealingwithloneliness #healthierrelationships #emotionalconnection

Are you dealing with fatigue and anxiety, brain fog, and that horrible feeling of being both wired and worn out at the same time? Welcome to one of the most common anxiety symptoms: fatigue.
In this episode of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast, I’m talking about why ‘anxiety exhaustion’ can leave you feeling flat, mentally exhausted, emotionally exhausted, and stuck in survival mode even when you’re trying your best to hold it all together. This episode is for anyone who feels anxious often, keeps pushing through stress and anxiety, and is starting to wonder whether they’re dealing with burnout, mental exhaustion, anxiety symptoms, or just some vague kind of fatigue they can’t explain. 
I unpack how anxiety, stress, and constant internal pressure can quietly drain your system, fuel brain fog, and make ordinary life feel harder than it should, and I explore how to stop anxiety and fatigue feeding each other without piling on more pressure or pretending you can just “power through”. If you’ve ever worried about adrenal fatigue, felt confused by your anxiety symptoms, or wondered why anxiety relief can feel so hard when you’re already worn down, this episode will help you understand what’s really going on and how to begin breaking the cycle in practical, realistic ways. 

👉 Ready to understand your exhaustion and start breaking the cycle? Then let’s talk!

💡 TL;DR: Sick of feeling anxious, exhausted, foggy, and stuck in survival mode? In this episode I unpack the link between fatigue and anxiety so you can understand what’s draining you and how to start changing it. 

Let’s Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is all about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I teach you how to improve your mental wellbeing with simple tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor as well as my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome to the conversation!

________________________________

⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps:
0:00 Mental health and anxiety
0:39 Fatigue and anxiety
4:21 What is fatigue and anxiety?
7:20 Why fatigue and anxiety affects your mental health
11:52 How to break the cycle of fatigue and anxiety
22:06 Final freeze response tips 

📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=20080   

📖 Buy ‘Life Advice That Doesn’t Suck’: https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/

➕ Related episodes:
Emotional regulation (Episode 327): https://ltamh.com/?p=19866 

👋 New here? 
Hi! I’m Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and cultivate better mental health, with new episodes every Sunday.

🔗 Links
Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/  
Learn more about Let’s Talk About Mental Health: https://ltamh.com 
Support me on Patreon for early ad-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin 
My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/  
Buy my Daily Reflection Tool here: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/
Buy my Daily Affirmations tool here: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/  
Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh  
Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/        

#anxiety #fatigue #mentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #bettermentalhealth #ltamhpodcast #letstalkaboutmentalhealth #ltamh #peaceofmind #findingpeace #emotionalhealth #personalgrowth #mentalwellness #mentalwellbeing #emotionalwellbeing #jeremygodwin #bettermentalhealth #findingpeace #protectyourpeace #mentalhealthpodcast #selfimprovement #stressresponse #emotionalregulation #nervoussystem #copingwithoverwhelm

Feeling overwhelmed, frozen, or emotionally numb even when you’re still getting through the day? That’s the freeze response in action, which you may know as part of the fight flight freeze response.
In this episode of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast, I’m exploring the freeze response: what functional freeze is, why overwhelm can trigger emotional shutdown, and why feeling overwhelmed and exhausted is not just about motivation or willpower. I talk about what this stress response looks like in real life when you’re feeling overwhelmed, can’t think straight, feel stuck, or notice your nervous system has basically hit a wall. I also unpack why functional freeze can quietly damage your emotional health, affect your emotional regulation, and make coping with overwhelm even harder (especially if you keep piling on pressure, instead of understanding what your system is actually doing). I’ll also walk you through practical mental health tips to help you respond differently: reduce pressure, recognise the pattern underneath the shutdown, protect your limits, and start moving forward. 
If you’ve been dealing with overwhelm, functional freeze, shutdown, or a freeze response that’s leaving you flat, foggy, or disconnected, this episode is for you. 

👉 Ready to understand the freeze response and tackle overwhelm? Then let’s talk!

💡 TL;DR: Overwhelmed, feeling frozen and shut down, and stuck in your own head? In this episode I’m breaking down the freeze response: what functional freeze is, why it happens, and how to start finding clarity when your system is overloaded.

Let’s Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is all about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I teach you how to improve your mental wellbeing with simple tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor as well as my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome to the conversation!

________________________________

⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps:
0:00 Overwhelm and mental health
0:40 The freeze response
3:49 What is functional freeze and shutdown?
7:04 Why shutdown affects your mental health
11:39 How to deal with the freeze response
24:24 Final freeze response tips 

📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=20056  

📖 Buy ‘Life Advice That Doesn’t Suck’: https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/

➕ Related episodes:
Being kinder to yourself (Episode 326): https://ltamh.com/?p=19801
Emotional regulation (Episode 327): https://ltamh.com/?p=19866 

👋 New here? 
Hi! I’m Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and cultivate better mental health, with new episodes every Sunday.

🔗 Links
Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/  
Learn more about Let’s Talk About Mental Health: https://ltamh.com 
Support me on Patreon for early ad-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin 
My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/  
Buy my Daily Reflection Tool here: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/
Buy my Daily Affirmations tool here: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/  
Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh  
Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/        

#overwhelmed #freezeresponse #mentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #bettermentalhealth #ltamhpodcast #letstalkaboutmentalhealth #ltamh #peaceofmind #findingpeace #emotionalhealth #personalgrowth #mentalwellness #mentalwellbeing #emotionalwellbeing #jeremygodwin #bettermentalhealth #findingpeace #protectyourpeace #mentalhealthpodcast #selfimprovement #functionalfreeze #emotionalshutdown #feelingstuck #stressresponse #emotionalregulation #nervoussystem #copingwithoverwhelm

Toxic family relationships can leave you feeling drained, confused, and stuck between protecting your peace and trying to keep everybody else happy. So how do you deal with toxic family members when the people hurting you are the same people you’re told you should love, respect, and stay loyal to?
In this episode of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast, I’m talking about why toxic family relationships affect your mental health, and how to deal with toxic family members in a way that’s grounded in self-respect. I explore the difference between difficult and toxic behaviour, why family dynamics can make you doubt yourself, and how guilt and manipulation can keep you stuck in patterns that harm your peace of mind. You’ll discover practical ways to recognise the emotional cost of toxic family dynamics, decide what access people should have to you, communicate more clearly, and make healthier choices without jumping straight to an all-or-nothing solution.
If you’ve been struggling with toxic family relationships, setting boundaries with family, or working out what to do when enough is enough, this episode will help you feel supported and much clearer about what needs to change… and how to make those changes.

👉 Ready to protect your peace from toxic family relationships and move forward in life? Then let’s talk!

💡 TL;DR: Sick of toxic family dynamics draining your peace? In this episode I explore toxic family relationships, why they affect your mental health, and how to deal with toxic family members with greater clarity and self-respect.

Let’s Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is all about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I teach you how to improve your mental wellbeing with simple tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor as well as my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome to the conversation!

________________________________

⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps:
0:00 Family and mental health
0:47 Toxic family relationships
3:23 What are toxic family relationships?
7:43 Why toxic family relationships affect your mental health
12:22 How to deal with toxic family relationships
25:28 Final tips

📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=20023 

📖 Buy ‘Life Advice That Doesn’t Suck’: https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/

➕ Related episodes:
Family estrangement (Episode 328): https://ltamh.com/?p=19952
Difficult people (Episode 325): https://ltamh.com/?p=19737
Why family boundaries don’t stick (Episode 312): https://ltamh.com/?p=19035 
How to be more assertive (Episode 242): https://ltamh.com/?p=14199 

👋 New here? 
Hi! I’m Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and cultivate better mental health, with new episodes every Sunday.

🔗 Links
Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/  
Learn more about Let’s Talk About Mental Health: https://ltamh.com 
Support me on Patreon for early ad-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin 
My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/  
Buy my Daily Reflection Tool here: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/
Buy my Daily Affirmations tool here: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/  
Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh  
Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/        

#toxicfamilyrelationships #familyboundaries #mentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #bettermentalhealth #ltamhpodcast #letstalkaboutmentalhealth #ltamh #peaceofmind #findingpeace #emotionalhealth #personalgrowth #mentalwellness #mentalwellbeing #emotionalwellbeing #jeremygodwin #bettermentalhealth #findingpeace #protectyourpeace #mentalhealthpodcast #selfimprovement #toxicfamily, #familydynamics, #relationshipboundaries #dysfunctionalfamily