In seeking out resources and support after my diagnosis of Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder & I came across the Mental Podcast, who are an organisation determined to #BreakTheStigma
So I decided to get in touch with the host of the Mental Podcast, Bobby Temps, & find out some more.
Sarah: What is the mental podcast?
Bobby: It’s a platform to normalise discussion around mental health through open & honest conversation on our weekly podcast. With a special guest each week, I discuss either a specific mental illness or a factor that influences mental health in general.
S: That sounds great, I’d be happy to be a special guest sometime. Who, when & why did it get started?
B: It’s something I had been planning for a little while & when Bexy initially came on board as well we went from our first conversation to the first episode in about 6 weeks. As for why, since being diagnosed with depression it’s been striking how many people I’ve met who are also fighting these internal battles in their heads everyday that most people don’t feel comfortable talking about for one reason – stigma.
S: That’s so true about the stigma. How many staff & volunteers are involved?
B: Right now it’s me as the host with support from my brilliant producer Pete Murtagh who handles the technical side and makes each episode sound as clean as possible. We also have Annie who helps me do everything else. Then of course there are the guests who take time out of their day to come share their diverse insight with us each episode.
S: Do you help specific mental health conditions more than? If so, which ones?
B: We are working to include perspectives on as broad a range of mental health conditions & factors as possible. However those that are more common are likely to be more frequently discussed by our guests even if they are not the core topic for that episode. Ultimately we want every episode to be relatable as whilst every condition is different there are many unifying experiences like battling stigma that bring our audience together.
S: Exactly, they all appear on the spectrum so we share so many symptoms. What’s the vision or mission or both for the long term future?
B: My hope is that we can create a safe space to share stories of the highs & lows of mental health. We want to inspire listeners to share their stories with others & keep the conversation going. Over time the plan is to build up a range of resources to normalise conversations & reduce stigma so whilst it’s to early to say much more… This podcast is just the start.
S: How do you best help people?
B: I should say straight away that I’m not a qualified mental health professional, so may not be best suited to answer it though even if I were I don’t think there is one answer for everyone. However if this podcast encourages people to talk more openly about what’s on their mind that seems like a brilliant place to start. Already from hosting this show more people in my personal life feel comfortable sharing how mental illness affects their lives and I see how much relief sharing can give them.
S: That’s amazing, you should be so proud. What is the most important message to get out there?
B: To elaborate on what we end each episode with. You are not alone, whoever you are reading this there are so many people out there that feel as you feel & I hope that in listening to our show you find some comfort in that. Also remember ‘You are enough’.
S: Thank you so much Bobby for sharing. I have attached all the links below and you can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify via links on their website.
You can also find out about their latest campaign here about making Mental Health a part of the national curriculum in all schools!
Mental – The Podcast to Destigmatise Mental Health
INSTAGRAM – instagram.com/mentalpodcast
TWITTER – twitter.com/mental_podcast
WEBSITE – mentalpodcast.co.uk
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