Louise Beech on the the day her mother jumped from the Humber Bridge and the memoir it inspired
Welcome to episode 235 with Louise Beech, who is an award-winning author and writer who was making up stories in her head before she was even old enough to hold a pen.
One of her many published works is the incredible memoir ’18 Seconds’ where she writes about the day her mother jumped from the Humber Bridge and somehow survived the fall. This event inspired Louise to look back at her life and recon with the impact that parental mental illness and alcoholism had on her childhood.
In this episode I chat to Louise about her mother’s suicide attempt, the lifetime of madness that led to it and how her mother’s behaviour over the years impacted both her and her siblings.
We chat about growing up in and out of the care system and her complicated relationship with her mum and we chat about unhealthy coping mechanisms, cutting ties, moving on and why trauma is not an excuse for harmful behaviour.
We also chat about Louise’s lifelong passion for writing and how she refused to give up on her dream of becoming a published author despite years of trying and hundreds of rejections.
Despite an incredibly challenging subject matter, it was a joy to chat to Louise! We really get in to some deep waters here but we do so with Louise’s trademark humour and openness.
Learn more about 18 Seconds and all aspects of Louise’s work here: https://louisebeech.co.uk
Connect on social media @louise_beech_swanson
You can connect with me on social media @propermentalpodcast or via www.propermentalpodcast.com.
You can support the show and help me to keep it independent and ad free by buying a coffee at
www.buymeacoffee.com/propermental
Another great way to support the show and spread the word is to rate, review and subscribe on whatever platform you get your podcasts from.
If you or anyone you know needs to find support in your local area, please go to www.hubofhope.co.uk
Thanks for listening!
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Andy Ellis on feeling things deeply, dealing with rejection, This is England and mental health
Welcome to episode 234 with Andy Ellis, who is an actor, voice actor and film maker known for his roles in This is England, The Walk In and Supertato. He is also acting coach at Scene to Screen Acting School in Manchester.
Andy found a passion for acting in high school and it was almost by chance that he landed a part in Shane Meadow’s BAFTA winning film ‘This is England’. He went on to star in a number of film and television productions as well as reprising his role as the lovable ‘Gadget’ in ‘This is England’ television series.
In this episode I chat to Andy about growing up in Manchester, getting in to acting and why it’s particularly hard for working class people to find work in the creative industries.
We chat about the coaching side of his work and how acting can help people to get in touch with their emotions, be part of a community and practice being vulnerable in a safe space.
And we chat about dealing with rejection and navigating the feast or famine nature of Andy’s work, how going to counselling and learning to open up helped him to find a way through some dark times and we also talk about his recent short film ‘Blackpool’ which touches on themes of class, mental health and suicide.
There’s loads of This is England chat in here too and it was very cool to chat to Andy about acting and mental health and everything in between!
Follow Andy on social media: @andy_lp_ellis
Scene to Screen Acting School: @scene2screenmcr
Watch the ‘Blackpool’ trailer at: https://vimeo.com/1067269265?fl=pl&fe=sh
You can connect with me on social media @propermentalpodcast or via www.propermentalpodcast.com.
You can support the show and help me to keep it independent and ad free by buying a coffee at
www.buymeacoffee.com/propermental
Another great way to support the show and spread the word is to rate, review and subscribe on whatever platform you get your podcasts from.
If you or anyone you know needs to find support in your local area, please go to www.hubofhope.co.uk
Thanks for listening!
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Finding meaning and answering life's big questions with Brother Richard Hendrick
Welcome to episode 233 with Brother Richard Hendrick, who is a Capuchin Franciscan priest-friar, a mindfulness and meditation teacher, and a poet and author.
For over 20 years, he has worked to bring the insights of the Christian Contemplative tradition to wider public awareness, particularly in relation to modern mindfulness theory and has worked as a retreat giver and chaplain in various settings, including schools, hospitals, and prisons.
He is the author of two books about mindfulness and mediation and his poem 'Lockdown' went viral in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and was translated into twenty-six languages.
In this episode I chat to Brother Richard about why he decided to join the priesthood, his path to becoming a monk and the origins of the Capuchin Franciscan brotherhood.
We chat about the difference between meaning and purpose, how to find meaning in all aspects of life, facing our own mortality and looking for answers to life’s big questions.
We also chat about small acts of service, getting curious, the importance of differentiating between self-centeredness and self-compassion and how to cultivate compassion for ourselves as well as others.
This conversation with Brother Richard had quite a profound effect on me and I’ve found myself coming back to it several times since we spoke.
I can’t wait to hear what you take from it if you choose to listen!
Follow Brother Richard on social media @brorichard
His blog can be found at Brother Richard's blog: mindful mystical musings.
More about his books here: Brother Richard Hendrick | Hachette UK
You can connect with me on social media @propermentalpodcast or via www.propermentalpodcast.com.
You can support the show and help me to keep it independent and ad free by buying a coffee at
www.buymeacoffee.com/propermental
Another great way to support the show and spread the word is to rate, review and subscribe on whatever platform you get your podcasts from.
If you or anyone you know needs to find support in your local area, please go to www.hubofhope.co.uk
Thanks for listening!
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I'm sorry my mental illness isn't sexy enough for you with Katja Pavlovna from Lives Not Labels
Welcome to episode 232 with Katja Pavlovna, who is an educator and award-winning activist and the co-founder of Lives Not Labels, a project designed to shine a light on the mental health conditions and labels that are stigmatised, discriminated against and typically left out of the mainstream conversation.
After years of struggling with her mental health and fighting to access support, Katja received a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD/EUPD). She was later diagnosed with Schizotypal Personality Disorder (STPD), which is now her primary diagnosis, and an eating disorder.
In this episode I chat to Katja about her experiences with mental illness, everything that led to her diagnosis and why she decided to set up Lives Not Labels with her oldest friend and co-author, Kay Garbett.
We chat about personality disorders and variations of these types of conditions; we chat about some of the common misconceptions and stereotypes that drive the stigma and fear around them and we chat about the day-to-day realities of living with multiple labels and knowing where one diagnosis stops and another one starts.
We also chat about the new book that Katja and Kay have written, which is called ‘Sorry My Mental Illness Isn’t Sexy Enough for You’ which is part memoir, part self-help guide and tells the story of how the project came to be and the unique journeys of the authors.
Some people are just left out of the mental health discourse and it’s all OK to not be OK until you have a label or diagnosis that isn’t as palatable or as common as anxiety or depression.
Stigma can exist for everyone of course, but there is definitely more of it for some than there is for others and through Lives Not Labels and this new book, Katja and Kay are doing incredible work to give everyone a voice.
Follow on socials @livesnotlables and learn more about this incredible work at www.livesnotlables.com
The book is available everywhere learn more here: Book Sorry My Mental Illness Isn't Sexy Enough for You
You can connect with me on social media @propermentalpodcast or via www.propermentalpodcast.com.
You can support the show and help me to keep it independent and ad free by buying a coffee at
www.buymeacoffee.com/propermental
Another great way to support the show and spread the word is to rate, review and subscribe on whatever platform you get your podcasts from.
If you or anyone you know needs to find support in your local area, please go to www.hubofhope.co.uk
Thanks for listening!
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Krystal Evans on how to survive a fire and a chaotic childhood without losing your sense of humour
Welcome to episode 231 with Krystal Evans who is a writer and stand-up comedian.
Krystal is also the author of The Hottest Girl at Burn Camp, a memoir about growing up poor in America, living with a mentally ill mother and narrowly escaping a house fire that led to the unimaginable tragedy of losing her sister.
In this episode I chat to Krystal about the chaos of her childhood, the impact of constantly moving from place to place, changing schools and repeatedly starting over and how identity and a sense of place are important for how we come to understand ourselves and build a foundation for good mental health.
We chat about what it’s like to grow up in an unpredictable household, why things like blame and responsibility get complicated when it comes to family and how everyone assumes a traumatic childhood automatically leads to a messed-up adult.
We also chat about the housefire that Krystal survived when she was 14, the process of finding comedy in that tragedy and how she wrote about it for her comedy special and her book.
Krystal’s book is funny and heart breaking and a lot of other things too and it was a pleasure to chat to her all about it.
Follow Krystal @krystalevanscomedy and learn more at www.comedykrystal.com
The Hottest Girl at Burn Camp is available here: Buy the Book | Krystal Evans
You can connect with me on social media @propermentalpodcast or via www.propermentalpodcast.com.
You can support the show and help me to keep it independent and ad free by buying a coffee at
www.buymeacoffee.com/propermental
Another great way to support the show and spread the word is to rate, review and subscribe on whatever platform you get your podcasts from.
If you or anyone you know needs to find support in your local area, please go to www.hubofhope.co.uk
Thanks for listening!
Ireland