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 points, and the support received to help them find their way so that others who may be suffering in silence or don’t know what to do next, realise that they are not alone and there is help available.
Stories will cover a whole range of challenges faced by mid-life men mainly relating to the causes of mental health issues including feelings of isolation, depression, job dissatisfaction, addiction, PTSD, and long-term illness.
The podcast is NOT a replacement for professional support and we signpost to organisations and their contact details by episode.
If you have a story you would like to share or any feedback on the podcasts, please email me: midlifemen01@gmail.com.
Mid-life Men: the mental health podcast
What If The Drinking Isn't The Problem? with Brad Hill
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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 underneath, he was carrying things he had never really dealt with: a father who wasn't there, childhood sexual abuse, feelings of inadequacy and a growing dependence on alcohol that became his longest relationship.
In this honest and powerful conversation, Brad shares how decades of buried pain, self-criticism and addiction eventually caught up with him and why getting sober was only the beginning of the real work.
We talk about:
- growing up without the validation many boys need
- becoming a "functioning" alcoholic and hiding it from the world
- relapse, recovery and why change is rarely a straight line
- the impact of childhood trauma on adult life
- learning to stop seeing yourself as a victim
- writing his book No One Is Normal and why telling the truth can be healing
Most of all, this episode is a reminder that the struggles many men carry in silence are often far more common than we think.
What you'll learn:
- Why unresolved childhood experiences can shape adult behaviour
- How to identify the triggers behind self-destructive habits
- Why relapse doesn't mean failure
- The importance of self-reflection, journaling and honest conversations
- How accepting that "no one is normal" can be the first step towards healing
To find out more about Brad, his podcast and is book - both called No One is Normal - visit his website: bradhhill.com.