Adventurer Alex Staniforth turned to outdoor sports as a teenager as a way of counteracting a lack of self-confidence caused by a bad stutter, mild epilepsy and anxiety. Immediately he felt like he had found his calling… until he was injured and the resulting time off led to an eating disorder. Alex tells of how […]
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Finding your own personal Everest, Alex Staniforth
Expressing feelings through fashion, George Hodgson
After a teenage episode with drugs triggered physical and mental side effects, including frequent panic attacks, George Hodgson started experiencing suicidal thoughts. He found therapy hugely beneficial in tackling his OCD and other issues, but telling people his story has been one of the best ways of alleviating his anxiety. George has founded a fashion […]
Spotlighting social issues, Dominic Streeter
Filmmaker Dominic Streeter wants to shine a spotlight on social problems through his work. This year, he will release a film on men’s mental health, called Feel the Burn, featuring a retired firefighter suffering from PTSD and suicide ideation, and looking at masculinity, macho environments, and how we can have more empathy. Dom also talks […]
Listen to the right voices online, Phil Clifton
TV and radio presenter Phil Clifton is a comedy creator, who runs several popular, global content platforms. He says that running these accounts has opened his eyes into the dynamics and the relationship that you have with social media and the impacts of that on your mental health. “Social media can be an incredible way […]
The joy of sobriety, Millie Gooch
Almost four years ago, Millie Gooch gave up alcohol to save her rapidly declining mental health. When she first stopped drinking, she couldn’t find support and a community that reflected her experience of sobriety – most were related to recovery programmes. So she founded Sober Girl Society, a growing community who are either committed to […]
Closing your mind’s apps, Richie Norton
Richie Norton discovered yoga when struggling to recover from injuries from his rugby career. The different forms of movement, plus the connection to his breath, helped him deal with what was going on in his mind at the same time. “That took me into breathwork, and meditation, and the power of restorative movement, and functional movement.” […]
The most empowering work you can do, Christo Hudson
Christo Hudson had always wanted to be a pilot, and spent 12 years doing the job he loved, until it all stopped overnight with the pandemic. He suffered anxiety and bouts of depression, unable to see a way forward. “My dream was stolen from me. I had been completely defined by the job I had. […]
From Soho to sheep farming, Zoe Colville
Zoe Colville was a hairdresser in Soho until she gave it all up to protect her mental health. Moving to the countryside, she and her partner Kriss started farming their own flock of sheep. Following the death of her father, she got therapy to deal with extreme anxiety and panic attacks. “There wasn’t a minute […]
Loving the skin you’re in, Eryca Freemantle
As a child, Eryca Freemantle was bullied at school for being different, and remembers the constant feeling of heaviness and sadness. Home was her safe space. But when a life-changing accident left her with serious facial scarring from burns, those memories of childhood bullying came back. After suffering a breakdown, having suicidal thoughts and finally […]
Tomorrow might be great, Josh Zitser
Josh Zitser was always a deeply sensitive child, but when a teenage friend took her own life, he suffered depression, panic attacks and an eating disorder. But it took a while for him to realise his feelings weren’t the same as everyone else. Josh has had suicidal thoughts, but recent therapy has changed his life. […]
Don’t run away from panic, Joshua Fletcher
After suffering from anxiety, culminating in a full-blown panic attack at work, Joshua Fletcher studied how he could effectively treat himself. His best advice was “stop trying to fix yourself” which was genuinely liberating. He qualified as a psychotherapist and founded The Panic Room. Josh encourages people just to experience their panic. He says the […]
Music, mental health and me, Jack Williamson
After his brother took his own life, music executive Jack Williamson started to question his purpose and his drive. Artist management was taking its toll on his mental health, and he realised there was a need in the music industry to provide early onset mental health support. Since then, Music and You, which Jack founded […]