'The C Word with Catharine Redden'
START HERE → BLOODY HORRENDOUS
If you’re new and wondering where to begin, scroll nearly to the bottom and find Bloody Horrendous.
It was my second episode, and it’s still the one people land on.
It’s about first periods.
Not the neat version. The real one.
• What it was actually like
• What we weren’t told
• What’s changed (thank god)
• What hasn’t (of course)
It’s funny in parts, uncomfortable in others, and very recognisable if you’ve ever had a body that does things without asking your permission.
THE C-WORD WITH CATHARINE REDDEN
A podcast for difficult women.
Inside:
• Bodies that don’t behave
• Anxiety that doesn’t respond to medication tested predominantly on men, while being told to just meditate
• Ageing without apology
• Small, everyday moments where sexism just… hums in the background
No self-improvement arc.
No neat conclusions.
Just the ongoing, slightly absurd experience of being a woman paying attention.
This is what it sounds like from inside one life.
Not polished.
Not resolved.
Just said out loud.
Welcome to the party of women’s direct experience.
'The C Word with Catharine Redden'
Not on My Bingo Card: A Panic Attack at Woolworths (FIELD NOTES)
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
If you’ve ever wondered what a panic attack actually feels like, this episode is a very honest answer.
This episode was recorded while I was recovering from a panic attack. Earlier that morning I found myself lying on the floor of the self-checkout at Woolworths, with a bag full of ice cream, fresh salmon and milk — more worried about getting the groceries home to the fridge and freezer than the fact that I’d been nanoseconds away from passing out in public.
For me, panic attacks don’t look like hyperventilating into a paper bag. They look like shaking at 4am, feeling freezing cold, not knowing where I am for a moment, and sometimes spending hours trying to convince myself I’m just being lazy rather than recognising what’s actually happening.
In this episode I talk openly about living with anxiety and depression as a 54-year-old woman, the strange realities of panic attacks, CPTSD, medication, childhood trauma, and the quiet ways these experiences shape everyday life.
This conversation includes discussion of depression, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, trauma, childhood abuse, medication, fainting and domestic violence, so please take care while listening.
If you’re struggling, please reach out to someone you trust or a support service like Lifeline.
And if you’re listening because you live with anxiety too, I hope this episode helps you feel a little less alone.
🎙️👀 What worked? What dragged? What made you mutter “Jesus Christ, Catharine”? Tell me.
Content Note
This podcast gets into bodies, panic attacks, trauma, sexism, mental health, and the occasional emotional sinkhole. Please look after yourself only listen when you feel safe to engage with potentially triggering material.
Also, I swear.
Support
These aren’t here as a formality. I’ve used some of these myself.
Lifeline 13 11 14 (24/7)
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (ages 5–25)
1800RESPECT 1800 737 732
Emergency 000
Outside Australia, local crisis services are available.
The Socials (I'd love a follow)
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/catharine.redden/
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/catharine-redden/
Support The Pod
Substack (where I write stuff)
https://catharineredden.substack.com
Buy Me a Coffee (where you can financially support the pod, and me!)
https://buymeacoffee.com/CatharineRedden
Credits
Recorded on the lands of the Ramindjeri and Ngarrindjeri peoples.
Sovereignty never ceded.
Recorded & edited at Ridley Farm Studio by Luke Ridley
https://ridleyfarmstudio.com.au...