Everyone’s mental health journey is unique, but finding hope in spite of mental health challenges is always possible… so, I’m sharing my own journey with mental health in this special bonus episode, and the biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way. So, let’s talk! 😃

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LISTEN TO THE EPISODE

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TRANSCRIPT

My Mental Health Journey

(AKA: 5 important mental health lessons I learned the hard way!)

Have you ever felt stuck, wondering if things will ever get better? I know I have, and in this special episode I want to share a bit about my own journey — how I went from struggling with my mental health to building a life that feels meaningful and fulfilling.

So… let’s talk!

Hello and welcome to another bonus episode of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast, the independent show full of simple ideas for better mental health!

I’m Jeremy Godwin, I’m a writer and mental health counsellor, and this is a different kind of podcast; each week I teach you practical ways to improve your mental wellbeing, based on quality research and my own experience of learning to live with anxiety and depression (after a breakdown in 2011 that completely changed my life).

This is a special episode going out at the start of 2025, and today I’m going to share a little bit about my own mental health journey and why I do the work I do now, like this podcast, plus the important lessons I’ve learned along the way (and how they’ll help you with your own mental health). So, let’s talk!

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For me, working in the mental health space definitely wasn’t the result of a perfectly planned path; it was born out of a lot of personal struggles, a lot of lessons learned the hard and painful way, and a very deep desire to make things better, not just for myself but for others too.  

So, in this special episode, I’m opening up about my own journey with mental health: the highs, the lows, and everything in between. I’m not going to sit here and go through my whole history with you, because this isn’t a memoir, but I will share how my challenges shaped who I am today, why I do the work I do, and — most importantly — what I’ve learned about creating a life that feels meaningful and fulfilling… and how all of that can help you to improve your own mental health.  

If you’re new here, like I said before my name’s Jeremy Godwin and I’m a writer and mental health counsellor who lives in Australia, and I create this podcast and my weekly YouTube videos to help you to improve your mental health. I’m a recovering alcoholic who’s six and a half years sober, and I love reading, coffee, the Spice Girls, and words like ‘bamboozled’ and ‘discombobulated’, and I dislike fake people, meanness, and the expression ‘game changer’ (because it’s rarely ever an actual game changer, and it gets on my nerves when people use it to describe anything and everything like a new flavour of something; it’s a packet of chips, dude, not the secret to eternal youth… so, calm down!).

Now, this episode isn’t just about my story; it’s actually about hope, and it’s about the belief that no matter where you are now in life, and no matter how difficult it may be, things can and do get better. Because if I’ve learned one thing for sure, it’s that healing and growth really are possible for everyone… even when you don’t think it is (especially when you don’t think it is!).

Whether you’re a long-time listener or just discovering the show, I hope my journey helps you to reflect on your own and that it reminds you that even the toughest chapters can lead to something better. So, let’s talk about how I got here — and how you can keep moving forward on your own path to better mental health.

My mental health journey

Now, I was tempted to start today with, “Picture it: Sicily, 1912,” which is a joke you’ll get if you’re a fan of The Golden Girls, but then I realised that was going to make me sound super-old, which, you know, I’m getting up there but I’m still in my 40’s (so let’s not get too carried away)!

Anyway, why I was thinking that is that 2011 is probably the best place to start; I was working in the corporate sector, as the national manager of a contact centre here in Australia, and I was miserable (but I hadn’t fully admitted that to myself at that point). On paper, I was supposed to be happy; I had a good career, a good life, and was earning six figures (back when six figures was a lot of money, before inflation went nuts and the economy ended up in the toilet!). The problem was that I was suppressing a lot of stuff: I hated my job, I didn’t like the company I was working for and felt completely unsupported in my role, I was drinking way too much, I was also eating and shopping too much, I had accumulated a massive amount of debt (most of which my partner knew nothing about), and I was struggling with a huge amount of unresolved family trauma as well as trauma from stuff that had happened at my previous job. In short, I was a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.

And that’s exactly what happened. One day, at work, something just snapped and I could not function. I sat at my desk, I put my head in my hands and I said out loud, “I can’t do this.” I grabbed my stuff, got in my car and drove home… except that I still, to this day, do not remember anything about that drive at all, and the next thing I knew I was sitting on my couch, catatonic, and that was the beginning of the most difficult couple of years of my life.

I had panic attacks so severe I’d have to curl up in my wardrobe for hours on end, I could barely walk out my front door without freaking out, and I was suicidal. Eventually I was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety. I spent most of 2012 and 2013 in a deep fog, but gradually I started to find my way through the haze (thanks to a combination of medication, therapy, and self-management strategies, many of which have found their way into the mental health advice I share in my podcast and YouTube videos). 

As I started to slowly recover from the worst of my mental illness I had no real idea what I was going to do with myself, because I still wasn’t well enough to go back to work (and I really didn’t want to return to the corporate world), then one day I was sitting in my therapist’s office and I had a realisation, clear as day, that that was what I wanted to do — become a therapist; I mean, I also just wanted to find a way to make sense of everything that had happened. I spent the next four years doing a degree in psychology and sociology (which, by the way, isn’t easy when you’re doped up to the eyeballs on the highest dosage level possible of antidepressants!), and it took a bit after I graduated to kind of figure out what to do with all of that study, but I was starting to really think about how I could potentially take everything I’d been through and turn into something meaningful, by helping other people find the type of information I couldn’t find when I was struggling the most; I had found a lot of theory-type stuff, but it was not easy (especially back then) to find practical advice on how to deal with what I was dealing with, as well as practical advice from people who actually understood what it felt like… I have huge respect for anyone with a massive amount of academic knowledge, but until you know what it’s like to not be physically or mentally able to get yourself out of bed for four days, or what it feels like to question whether or not you still want to be here, then it’s really hard to genuinely understand what those experiences are like. It took until late 2019 for me to finally put my money where my mouth was, and so I started this show; that first week I had four listens (and one of them was me, checking the audio) and I was so happy… now I have listeners in over 170 countries worldwide and my little independent show is in the top 2% of podcasts, and I feel absolutely honoured that I get to do what I do every week (both here and in my YouTube videos).

The thing that feels like the biggest honour, however, is that I get to take all of this stuff — all of those horrible experiences that felt, to me, at the time, like the end of the world — and I get to make them actually mean something positive, by turning them into an opportunity to teach people (like you!) how to work through their own mental health challenges one step at a time. And that’s incredibly rewarding.

So, next I’m going to talk about the biggest lessons I’ve learned through this journey, and how they can help you to improve your own mental health, but let’s first take a quick break to hear from the brands who help me create this show each week…

AD BREAK [Note: Ads do not play if you have Spotify Premium or are an Official Supporter tier Patreon supporter]

And welcome back! 

OK, now let’s get into… 

5 important lessons for your mental health

First, progress isn’t linear — it took me a long time to discover that recovery from mental illness is rarely ever a straight path; it’s much more like a winding road with ups and downs (and quite a few potholes). Experiencing setbacks doesn’t mean you’re failing; they’re a normal part of the journey. I’ve had several setbacks along the way, and a fairly major relapse several years ago when a good friend of mine died. Focus on the bigger picture and take things one day at a time, one step at a time, because every bit of progress adds up. OK, next…

You have to do the work — improving your mental health requires consistent effort; it’s not something that just happens on its own, or just because of the passing of time. You know, I’m proud to say that I’m in a really good place now… but I still have challenges to deal with, and it still takes work, and setbacks can still throw me for a loop (I mean, I’ve been working through a huge one over the past year and a half, after having a major falling out with two of my aunts), but thanks to therapy and my own self-care practices (plus a lovely little pill to help with the worst of my anxiety), I’m able to not just survive but truly thrive… and I would never have thought that was possible, 10 or 12 years ago, and yet it’s not just possible but it’s my reality! And so I want to say this to anyone who’s going through difficult times: it can get better, and it will get better; you just need to do the work, even when it’s tough. Will it happen overnight? Probably not! Will it be easy? Probably not! You’ll need time, and patience, and perseverance, and you need to choose a more positive mindset even when that’s quite likely the last thing you feel like doing… and you’ll need to put in the work every single day, even when you’d rather eat your own hair. Healing and growth come from taking consistent, intentional steps, even when it feels hard. The good news? The work you put in will lead to meaningful and lasting change, one step at a time. Alright, next…

Mental illness sucks, but it’s not the end of the world — look… living with mental illness is tough, but it doesn’t define your entire life or your future. With time, support, and effort, things can and do get better. It’s a chapter in your story, not the whole book… and there’s so much more ahead. Strangely enough, I’m even at point now where I’m actually grateful for what I went through; please don’t get me wrong, I would not wish it on my worst enemy (and I certainly wouldn’t choose it for myself again!) but it changed my life in ways that I never would have actually had the courage to do, and it’s what led me to do the work that I do now, which I absolutely love… and so, for all of that, I have nothing but gratitude. Sure, it was horrible, and there were days that I wasn’t sure I was actually going to make it, but I did make it… and I grew as a person as a result of being forced to confront all of these things that I’d been avoiding my entire life… and it set me on a completely different path. I mean, I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I’m a completely different person than the one I was 10 or 15 years ago, and that’s a good thing… and it just wouldn’t have happened without the breakdown, the depression, the anxiety, and all the shenanigans and trauma that I went through. Even out of negative, awful experiences, something positive can come… and so, having to deal with mental health issues really isn’t the end of the world; in fact, it just might be the start of a brand new world! OK, so my next lesson is… 

Self-compassion is essential — oh, how I wish I had known this one a lot earlier… and even now it’s something my therapist has to remind me about regularly, because I’m actually very hard on myself. But being kind to yourself isn’t just a luxury or a ‘nice’ idea — it’s an absolute necessity for your healing and growth. Treat yourself with the same understanding and care you’d offer to a loved one, and stop bullying yourself; seriously, you deserve better and if you can’t love yourself then you’re going to end up perpetuating a really sort-of messed up and adversarial relationship with yourself… but when you approach your struggles with self-compassion, you build resilience and self-worth, and you create a foundation for better mental health. OK, next…

Change takes time — look, any kind of meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight; it’s a gradual process that requires patience and persistence. There’s no pill you can pop or course you can take that will magically make everything feel better; like I said earlier, you need to do the work, and give yourself time. Focus on making small and consistent steps forward rather than rushing for quick fixes. Give yourself the time and grace to grow, knowing that every bit of progress matters.

Final Tips and Next Time

Because when it comes to your own mental health journey, what it all boils down to is this:

If you’re struggling right now, I want you to know that it’s not the end of your story. This is not going to last for forever, and things not only can get better but they do get better.. with time, effort, and perseverance. Healing takes time, and it takes patience, and it’s not always easy… but it’s definitely worth it. If I can find my way out of the darkness, I truly believe that you can too. And that’s why I do what I do: to help anyone who needs it find their own way out of the darkness.

Now, usually I finish up each episode with a quote that I get you to reflect on, and consider what it means to you, and I’m going to slightly change that this week by quoting a passage from a very important and meaningful song (which just happens to be one of my all-time favourites), and it is:

When you’re feelin’ sad and low 

We will take you where you gotta go 

Smilin’, dancin’, everything is free 

All you need is positivity

Spice Girls, Spice Up Your Life

Alright… that’s it from the Spice Girls and that’s nearly it for this special episode; if you’ve made it this far then leave me a comment to let me know which tip you’re going to try out first (and why!). 

And become a supporter on Patreon for early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive content; it’s linked in the episode description.

Next week I’ll be back to my regular-length episodes and I’ll be talking about how to make your needs a priority; that will be released on January 12th and I hope you’ll join me for it!

Thank you very much for joining me today. Look after yourself and make a conscious effort to share positivity and kindness out into the world… because you get back what you put out. Take care and talk to you next time!

Let’s Talk About Mental Health is an independent program proudly produced by Reconnaissance Media. For more information visit reconnaissancemedia.com   

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SUPPORT THE SHOW

Let’s Talk About Mental Health is an independent program written and created by me (Jeremy Godwin), and I rely on listeners like you to help with the costs of producing my podcast each week. If you’d like to support my show, you can become a paid subscriber on Patreon for early access to ad-free episodes. Thank you!

Huge thanks to my wonderful Patreon supporters (in alphabetical order): Amanda D., Amanda K., Belinda, Bill, Brittnee, Carol, Charlie, Isabel, Janis & Steve, Jo, Kaiulani, Keith, Lenka, Maya, Michael, Monte, Nikki, Patricia, Paula, Rachel, Roxanne, Sonia, Susan, Tatiana, Taylor.

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TOOLS & RESOURCES FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

I offer simple digital products that will help you improve and look after your mental health. My Daily Affirmations tool will help you start your day with focus and intention, grounding you and creating a sense of calm. My Daily Reflection Tool is a buy-once-use-forever PDF tool that helps you to do the work that will lead to better mental health and well-being. Plus I have a Masterclass Video which is like your own coaching session with me so that you can get the most out of your daily tool. Buy the two as a bundle and save 20% for a limited time! Click the links below for your chosen product(s):

Click here for details of mental health resources in most countries.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Find more content at www.letstalkaboutmentalhealth.com.au

Let’s Talk About Mental Health.
Making Mental Health Simple.

Let’s Talk About Mental Health. © 2024 Jeremy Godwin.

The information provided in this episode is for general awareness on the topic and does not constitute advice. You should consult a doctor and/or mental health professional if you’re struggling with your mental health and wellbeing. You’ll find additional information on the Resources page of this website.