Crazy Talk

On this episode my brilliant guest Lydia opened up about her personal journey with anxiety, depression and an eating disorder. We also discuss how the traditional practise of yoga is becoming increasingly popular in western cultures as a powerful tool to aid mental health.

We talk yoga for beginners, top tips for starting out, how yoga has helped both of us cope with mental illness and the importance of respecting the practise's cultural origins. 

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Mentioned in the episode:

Yoga with Tim (for power yoga, quarantine challenges and various workouts): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCciuZl2ydLCvN5txlLW0rIg

Yoga with Adrienne (for 100s of gentle and more difficult yoga practises depending on what you're looking for): https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=yoga+with+adrienne

Further reading on yoga and cultural appropriation vs appreciation: 

https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/yoga-cultural-appropriation-appreciation

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/23/yoga-classes-cultural-appropriation

https://futuretravel.today/ask-a-hindu-indian-is-yoga-cultural-appropriation-560c7a54f793

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On this episode we delved into a slightly different topic and my two guests introduced me to the world of gaming. We explored how computer and console games have become a prominent form of escapism and a way to relax and switch off that is probably more immersive than watching TV. Jay and Adam told me a bit about their personal experiences with mental health issues, the role that their hobby has played in that and how developers are starting to positively represent mental health in games.

Mentioned in the show:

This game changed my life podcast - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08fbwvw?fbclid=IwAR3H7DuYmdKrvjRhp-4UvJyrRDBbMXe2Vp0KxTmjLvk55agtZj_ipvkFmiA 

Celeste - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celeste_(video_game)

Critical Role - https://critrole.com/

Jackbox - https://jackbox.tv/


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This week on Crazy Talk, I talked mental health and fitness with my pal Steff - personal trainer and bikini competitor. We talked about Steff's own journey through the ups and downs of being a professional bodybuilder, as well as her approach to personal training and how social media and bodyshaming/beauty standards condition us to think we need to aim for impossible bodies. Steff aims to help clients focus on feeling happy and healthy in a way that they can maintain long term. 

Steff's Instagram - pt_steffm

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On this episode I spoke to my friend meg about mental health and meditation - a topic I've been exploring a lot over the past year, particularly through lockdown. We talked about how meditation practises have helped both of us manage mental illness, the direct benefits of meditation, false assumptions about the practise and a meditation retreat that allowed Meg to really develop her ability to sit with her own thoughts.

Resources mentioned:

Find out more about Vipassana meditation practices and the retreat Meg mentioned: https://www.dhamma.org/en/index?fbclid=IwAR3zu057Ijj4R4fDkZPFdSu2-Gk7Nn1j4BnI2kbTxE9LIuT4yB59LUARt9w

Apps mentioned include Calm, Headspace, and Insight Timer. 

Free resources for mindful meditations: https://www.mindful.org/audio-resources-for-mindfulness-meditation/

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This week I spoke to my friend Emma Underwood about mental health in the transgender community, we discussed the stigma around both mental illness and being trans, coming out, transphobia and gender dysphoria among a range of other topic areas (including JK Rowling!). We also talked in depth about how people can better support their trans family members, friends and partners, and what changes we need in our society to ensure that trans people do not face inequality.  This is a particularly important episode and may not only be relatable to many but provide some useful information for anyone looking to be a better ally to trans people, so we would really appreciating you sharing it far and wide!

Trigger Warnings for: transphobia, transphobic violence, coming out, gender dysphoria, mention of sex assigned at birth and the difficulties often faced during the process of transitioning. 

Below are links to the resources Emma mentioned in the episode:

In this episode of Crazy Talk I sat down (remotely) with my pal Pippa to discuss our experiences of lockdown in the UK. As two people who have struggled with severe depression and anxiety amongst a super fun selection of other mental health issues over the years, we were able to share our own insights into the impact of lockdown on our lives and how it has changed our outlook on life and shaped changes that we aim to continue with once things begin to return to normal. We acknowledged that both of us have been extremely privileged in our experiences with the COVID19 pandemic and it's impacts but were also keen to share how our own lockdown experiences and those of people close to us relate directly to mental health. 

Ever wondered how mental health and medical treatment of mental illness interplay with holistic or spiritual approaches? Are you curious about herbal remedies, meditation, and for women, our roots in witchcraft and healing? 

In this episode I sat down (remotely) with my friend Grace Kirkby (AKA Madame Culpeper), Grace is a practising, hereditary witch, holder of sacred spaces, herbalist, astrologer and tarot reader and comes from a family in which spirituality and a strong connection with the earth have always held an important place. 

Over the past year or so my personal struggle with mental illness has led me to pursue every possible alley for healing and Grace has been an amazing guide for me, sharing her wisdom whether I'm delving into healing herbs, confronting my shadows through meditation or finding peace in nature. 

We've included below some key resources for anyone who is keen to explore these topics further.

Books recommended by Grace:

When Women Rise Rooted by Carol Blackie

When Women Rise Rooted by Carol Blackie

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmer

The Great Cosmic Mother by Barbara Mor and Monica Sjjoo

The Witch's Herbal Apothecary by Marysia Miernowska

The Little Book of Chakras by Patricia Mercler

Moonology by Yasmin Boland

Witch by Lisa Lister

Code Red by Lisa Lister 

Podcasts:

Spirituality in Progress

Highest Self 

On this episode of Crazy Talk, I spoke to my pal Steven, about his experiences with BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder). We discussed the lack of information/representation around BPD, Steven's experiences of diagnosis and treatment as well as specific triggers, the impact of lockdown and cultural differences in mental health treatment.

We've linked below some key resources recommended by Steven so make sure you take a look if these may be helpful. 

Trigger Warnings: BPD, anxiety, social anxiety, therapy and misdiagnosis and brief mention of suicide. 

Resources for BPD: 

On this episode I was joined by Agnes to chat about mental health in the workplace, job hunting, working from home, and cats! 

If you want to find out more about how to support employees with mental health issues, gaining the confidence to be open with your manager about what you're going through, or top tips for self care throughout the job hunting and new job processes, this is the episode for you.

In the first episode of Crazy Talk, we discuss topics including (but not limited to) DnD, 5G conspiracy theories, and whether Ronald Reagan replaced all birds with spies. In between these tangents we work our way through a list of top tips and advice generously shared by a range of people currently getting creative with ways to protect their mental health and wellbeing during a COVID-19 lockdown.