Shows / Mid-life Men: the mental health podcast
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcast
Have you ever felt like you’ve become lost in your own life?
Many men struggle to talk about their problems and mental health and grew up believing that to do can be perceived as a sign of weakness or failure. There is also a lack of open discussion in society around men’s mental health, especially aimed at mid-life men. As a result, at times many men can feel alone and lost in their own lives.
In this podcast series, I talk to mid-life men about their stories; the challenges, the turning…
Episodes
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhy Does Redundancy Feel Like Failure? with Arun Kumar
You’ve worked hard, built a career and done everything you're expected to do. Then you’re made redundant. Everyone says you’ll find something else, but what…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhat Happens When Starting Again Goes Wrong? with Mike Karame
What happens when you lose the life you love—and discover that the freedom you’ve been chasing means something different from what you thought? Mike Karame…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastChristian O’Connell: Are You Tired of Pretending?
You may know Christian O’Connell’s voice from the Absolute Radio in the UK or his eponymous breakfast show in Australia, but this conversation is about…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastRetirement: Who Am I Without My Work? with Chris Maduri
You might know when you want to retire. But what do you want your life to look like when you do? Long mornings, no commute, nobody telling you what to do. It…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastHow Do You Live With the Childhood You Survived? with Chaz Holesworth
Chaz Holesworth grew up in Kensington, Philadelphia, a neighbourhood gutted by poverty and an opioid crisis that hasn't let up since the 1980s. His father was…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWould You Paint Your Nails for a Week? with Daniele Fiandaca
In this episode, I do something I have never done before: I have my nails painted during the interview and agree to keep them that way for a week. My guest is…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhat Happens When Men Sing Together? with Dom Stichbury
When was the last time you did something that made you feel slightly exposed, a little uncomfortable, but might just have opened up a whole new part of your…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastThe Grief of Losing Who You Were, with Martin Pemberton
Content note: This episode includes discussion of depression and suicidal thoughts. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, there are…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastIs Chasing Money Making You Happy? with Tom Papasian
Growing up with a single mother in a one-bedroom apartment on the French Riviera, Tom Papasian saw extraordinary wealth all around him but experienced a very…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhen You Feel Trapped and Can’t See a Way Forward, with Ian Kinnery
Content note: This episode includes a frank discussion of depression, suicidal thoughts, a suicide attempt and psychiatric treatment. Please listen with care…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhy Didn't Success Make Me Happy? with Lewis Hackney
Everything looked successful from the outside. A thriving business. A modern apartment. A career many people would envy. Yet behind closed doors, Lewis Hackney…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastAntidepressants Didn't Work for Me, with Erik Peers
Most of us assume antidepressants are there to help. For many people, they do. But for Erik Peers, the experience was very different. In this deeply personal…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastThe Men We Think Are Fine... But Aren't, with Alfie Ruffell
From the outside, many of the men Alfie Ruffell knew looked like they were doing just fine. They were working, laughing with their mates and getting on with…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastThe Conversation We Never Thought We'd Have, with 'Friends in Low Places' podcast
What do men really talk about when they're together? In this special crossover episode, I'm joined by the four hosts - Sean, Aaron, Mike and Niall - of the…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhy Do Men Lose Themselves In Retirement? with George Jerjian
For most of our lives, we're known by what we do. Our work shapes our identity, gives us purpose and often becomes the measure of our self-worth. But what…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhy Does My Past Still Control Me? with Paul Drugan
In this episode, we talk to Paul Drugan, who carried the emotional scars of growing up with a father who, behind closed doors, was controlling, violent and…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastI've Got Everything I Wanted so Why Am I Not Happy? with Bill Williams
Many men spend decades chasing the next thing. The next promotion. The next pay rise. The next business success. The next milestone. The belief is simple: once…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastThe Shame of Starting Over at 40, with Ryan McGuigan
In this episode, I'm joined by Ryan McGuigan, whose life, from the outside, looked like a success. He had built a thriving business from scratch, was engaged…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhat If The Drinking Isn't The Problem? with Brad Hill
In this episode, we hear from Brad Hill. For most of his life, from the outside, it looked like he was coping, functioning, working, getting on with life. But…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastHow Long Can You Keep Escaping Yourself? with Tom Jenkins
Tom Jenkins looked functional from the outside. He held down jobs, travelled the world and kept life moving forward. But underneath, he was trapped in a cycle…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastRefusing to Accept a Terminal Diagnosis with Samuel Shepherd
When Samuel Shepherd was diagnosed with a rare terminal blood cancer, doctors told him there was no treatment, no cure, and possibly very little time left. For…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastIs It Too Late To Fix My Health? with Jack Clifford
At 47, Jack Clifford was told he had a 100% blocked LAD “widowmaker” artery and needed emergency triple bypass surgery. Instead, he walked out of the hospital…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhat If Some Days You Just Want Out? with Graham Noble
This episode contains an open and honest conversation about suicidal thoughts. We've chosen not to shy away from the reality of what that experience feels like…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhat If Life Doesn’t Go the Way You Planned? with Seejai
Seejai was a Division I basketball player with a professional future in his sights. Then, without warning, his body started telling a different story. What he…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastAm I Sleepwalking Into A Health Crisis? with Dr. Kenneth Ro
Most men know something is wrong before anything goes seriously wrong. The sleep getting worse. The energy is not quite there. The body that used to be…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastHow Far Would You Go To Fix Your Life? with Cam Cordin
Most men are good at one thing: Keeping going. Through stress. Through pain. Through things not quite working. Until eventually, it all starts catching up. In…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastMy Life Is Fine… So Why Am I Not? with Kenyada Meadows
What if nothing is wrong in your life… but you don’t feel anything anymore? Some men don’t break down. They just go numb. They keep working, providing, showing…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhy I Kept Trying to Make It Work, with Simon Verhage
Some men don’t just go through one difficult relationship. They find themselves asking a harder question: Why do I keep ending up in the same situation with…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhen You Know Something Has to Change, with Dr James Rouse
In this episode I talk with Dr James Rouse, author of "No Days Off", about what that moment looked like for him. Growing up around alcohol, instability, and…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastHow to Let Your Body Release Stress, with Richmond Heath
Most men deal with stress the same way: push through, stay in control, and keep going. But what if the body already has its own built-in way to release stress…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastThe Price of Playing the Tough Guy, with Jacob Butchoff
This is a difficult and honest conversation. For years, Jacob played the tough guy. Violence, intimidation, and control became a shield against something he…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastFeeling Like I’m From Mars: Late Autism Diagnosis, with Gary Hawkins
What happens when you grow up feeling like you don’t quite fit, and you spend decades assuming the problem is you? In this episode, I speak with Gary Hawkins…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastHard Choices, Easy Life, with Jerzy Gregorek
You won’t hear many life stories like this. Jerzy Gregorek’s life spans teenage alcoholism and suicidal thoughts, elite Olympic-level weightlifting, political…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastGrowing Up in Chaos with Lee Greenhough
What happens when you grow up in chaos and just learn to get on with it? In this episode, I talk with filmmaker and speaker Lee Greenhough about growing up…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhy Intimacy Starts to Fade, with Dr Dan Sneider
A lot of men don’t think they have a problem with intimacy. They just feel a bit distant. A bit shut down. Less connected than they used to be to their…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastHow To Rebuild A Life That Fits, with Michael Rice
In this episode, I’m joined by Michael Rice, a bioarchitect and the founder of Mentorus. Michael approaches men’s lives the same way he approaches buildings…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhatever I Do, It’s Never Enough, with Mordy Gottlieb
In this episode, we talk to Mordy Gottlieb, a men’s therapist whose work - and life - has been shaped by one quiet, corrosive belief: “Whatever I do, it’s…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhat No One Tells Men About Losing a Parent, with John Colbert
What happens to a man when he loses his father and no one shows him how to grieve? In this honest, darkly funny, and deeply human conversation, we hear from…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastThe Weight Isn’t the Problem; Your Mindset Is, with Jonathan Boulware
What do you do when you look in the mirror and no longer recognise the man staring back? When the weight you’re carrying - physically and mentally - feels…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastThe Pain You Don’t Talk About Shows Up Anyway, with Dr Brian Livesay
In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Brian Livesay, a trauma therapist and Director of Clinical Research at Arise Alliance, and we explore how men can heal from…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhat if the Life You Built Isn't You Anymore? with Nick Shelton
What happens when the work stops, the job title is no longer relevant, and the role that defined you disappears? In this episode, Nick Shelton tells the story…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhy Midlife Doesn’t Have to Mean Decline, with Louis Bezich
What if midlife wasn’t the beginning of decline, but a second chance to feel alive again? In this episode, my guest is Louis Bezich, men’s health advocate, and…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastThe Moment You Realise You're Not the Only One, with Merlin Matthews
In this episode, Merlin Matthews, founder of Man Academy, explores how men can move from isolation to connection, from being “lone warriors” who suppress…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastPowerful or Pitiful – You Choose, with Coach Anthony Cudjo
In this powerful conversation, transformational coach Anthony Cudjo shares a no-excuses roadmap for men who are tired of living small, disconnected lives. With…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastCracked Open: How Honesty Heals Men, with Gary Jader
In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, Gary Jader, a lifelong advocate for men’s mental health, talks about growing up in a house full of conflict…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhy It’s So Hard for Men to Talk, with Tom Karrel
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains references to suicide, which you may find distressing, so please listen with care. So many men grow up hearing the same…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcast“I’m desperate for work...redundancy triggered a mental illness in me”, with Joe Emery
What happens when a successful career suddenly disappears overnight? In this frank conversation, we explore the hidden reality of job loss in today's brutal…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastFrom Bullied Teen to Marathon Warrior, with Ben White
TRIGGER WARNING This episode contains a reference to suicidal thoughts, which you may find distressing, so please listen with care. In this powerful episode…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastHow to Future-Proof Your Midlife Career, with Mike Dwyer
In this episode of the Mid-Life Men Podcast, I sit down with career strategist Mike Dwyer to tackle one of the biggest midlife challenges: how to stay…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastKill the Coward: Reclaim Your Life, with Jack Muldoon
TRIGGER WARNING : This episode contains a raw and honest account of a suicide attempt. Some of what you will hear may be distressing, so please listen with…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastFame to Rock Bottom: Never Throw in the Towel, with Anthony Hutton
What happens when fame fades, money runs out, and identity slips away? In 2005, Anthony Hutton became an overnight celebrity after winning Big Brother. aged…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastMidlife Reset: How to Let Go and Begin Again, with Erik ten Have
What happens when the life you’ve built no longer feels like the life you’re meant to live? At 54, Erik walked away from a long marriage, left the country he’d…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastWhy Humility is a Superpower for Midlife Men, with Simon Moss
What if the root of many problems faced by middle-aged men - burnout, broken relationships, anxiety, aggression - stemmed from something hiding in plain sight…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastMy Midlife Reset: Four Hours That Changed Everything with Tik Maynard
Tik Maynard is an internationally respected horseman, author, and dad who hit midlife before realising that life is less about striving and external validation…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcast"I'm not Done Yet": Reinventing Life After 50, with Andrew Middleton
What happens when the big job ends and no one’s lining up to offer another? For Andrew Middleton, that moment sparked an identity crisis, financial panic, and…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastOn the surface, I had everything; inside I was unravelling, with Mike Flynn
In this powerful and quietly revealing episode, Mike Flynn talks about a mid-life experience that will sound painfully familiar to many men: ticking all the…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastSurvival Isn’t Living: Learning to Breathe, with Kenny Mammarella-D-Cruz
In this extraordinary episode, Kenny Mammarella-D’Cruz - known as The Man Whisperer - opens up about a life that began in chaos and fear: fleeing Idi Amin’s…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastIt’s Not Over: Finding Strength in Your 40s, 50s & 60s, with Waldemar Franco
What happens when the body that carried you through life starts to break? For Waldemar, an architect and explorer from Mexico City, who built his identity…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastHaving It All and Still Asking: Is This It? with Josh Fineman
In this episode, we're joined by Josh Fineman. Josh had the career, the young family, the success but behind it all was exhaustion, self-doubt, and a…
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcastFeeding Others, While Falling Apart, with Adam Smith
Trigger warning: This episode includes honest discussions about suicide attempts, mental illness, domestic violence, and trauma. Adam Smith’s story is unlike…