Bryony Gordon's Mad World
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Intimate conversations about getting unwell - and getting better - with Bryony Gordon. From household names to ordinary people with extraordinary stories. Because mental health deserves to be talked about.
Bryony Gordon's Mad World is a podcast hosted by Bryony Gordon dedicated to exploring the depths of mental health, focusing on openness, vulnerability, and personal journeys. With a unique blend of candid conversations and interviews with celebrities, public figures, and experts, the podcast sheds light on the often stigmatized topic of mental health.
In each episode, Bryony Gordon tackles various subjects, including addiction, stress, depression, and self-esteem. By delving into these issues, Bryony offers a safe space for guests to share their personal experiences, providing listeners with relatable stories that inspire empathy and understanding.
The podcast addresses a wide array of mental health challenges, from breakdowns to addictions and even thoughts of suicide. Through these conversations, Bryony Gordon encourages an atmosphere of support and awareness, fostering a sense of community for those navigating their mental health journeys.
Additionally, Bryony delves into the transformative power of sobriety, exploring how individuals have reclaimed their lives from addiction to substances like alcohol, drugs, and gambling. It sheds light on the road to recovery and the challenges faced along the way.
By sharing stories of resilience and recovery, Bryony offers hope for those in need, emphasising the importance of self-care, self-knowledge, and relaxation in fostering mental wellness. The podcast goes beyond the darkness of mental health struggles to celebrate moments of joy, happiness, and personal triumph.
Through her conversations, Bryony sparks a dialogue about mental health, raising awareness and breaking down societal barriers. It serves as a reminder that vulnerability and seeking help are not signs of weakness but rather acts of strength and self-care.
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Join Olympic hockey legend Sam Quek and a host of top guests to discuss all the big issues and talking points of women's sport, from from ACL injuries and activism to menstruation and motherhood.Follow now wherever you're listening to this. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gabor Maté is a doctor and expert in addiction, stress and childhood development. But he's also something of a revolutionary, challenging all our assumptions about what it is to be well. His book, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, was a great comfort to Bryony when she had to get sober, and you've probably heard her talk about it with other guests here on Mad World. His new book, The Myth of Normal, looks at trauma, illness and healing in a toxic culture.Gabor joins Bryony to talk about why he would ban the word 'addict' and how he thinks that in 150 years we'll look back in horror that we've been separating the mind and the body in healthcare.The Myth of Normal, by Gabor MatéThis bonus episode was recorded to mark Addiction Awareness Week by Action on Addiction and the Forward Trust. Find our more here about their campaign for #SupportNotStigma.Read Bryony's columns: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode contains discussion of suicide.Joe Tracini is an actor, comedian and champion magician. He's also frequently suicidal. Joe suffers from borderline personality disorder and since speaking publicly about it, he's not shied away from talking about the 'unfashionable' side of mental illness. He's now written a book called '10 Things I Hate About Me: how to stay alive with a brain that's trying to kill you', which he says he wrote to save his life.Joe joins Bryony to talk about the worst thing he's ever done and why he decided to commit it to paper, introduces Bryony to 'Mick', his name for his BPD, and asks listeners to always remember one phrase: wait for a bit.10 Things I Hate About Me: how to stay alive with a brain that's trying to kill you, by Joe Tracini Find out more about National Suicide Prevention DayRead Bryony's columns: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
James Purefoy is one of Britain's most prolific actors, appearing in everything from the Royal Shakespeare Company to Netflix's Sex Education. But his latest film, Fisherman’s Friends: One and For All, while ostensibly about a bunch of Cornish blokes who sing sea shanties, is really about the fragile issue that is male mental health. James joins Bryony to talk about dealing with the grief of his father, while playing a character grieving their father, boarding schools as a place to 'cauterise people’s emotions' and the power of articulating your pain. Fisherman’s Friends: One and For All is in cinemas across the UK and Irelands from Friday 19th August |Read more from Bryony: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Charmain Bynoe is one of our favourite guests here at Mad World, an unsung hero making a difference in our communities. She's a housing officer for Southwark, in London, and you may have seen in the Channel 4 TV series, Council House Britain. The work she does in helping vulnerable people is vitally important, but often overlooked. Now she's written a book, The Estate, which lays bare the challenges so many are facing in the midst of the UK's housing crisis.Charmain joins Bryony to talk about helping those dealing with hoarding, how the community spirit on estates is so important, plus how she dealt with her own burnout and important of 'letting the TV watch you'.The Estate: My Life Working on the Front Line of Britain's Housing Crisis, by Charmain Bynoe |Read more from Bryony: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Salma El-Wardany has been described as a half Egyptian, half Irish Muslim writer, travelling the world, eating cake and dismantling the patriarchy - but even that doesn't quite sum up the unapologetic brilliance of her. Now, she's released her first novel, These Impossible Things, which charts the friendship of three British Muslim women and what life throws at them. Salma joins Bryony to talk about the hurt of not finding yourself in the pages of the books you love, the impact of growing up Muslim in the wake of 9/11, and why she wants all women to have the pleasure of the soft things in life. These Impossible Things, by Salma El-Wardany |Read more from Bryony: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Abi Morgan is the BAFTA and Emmy award-winning screenwriter of films like Suffragette, Shame and The Iron Lady, as well as creating the impossibly brilliant BBC drama The Split. But all the screenwriting expertise in the world could not have prepared her for the series of cataclysmic events that shattered her life three years ago. Now she's written a book about those events, 'This is Not a Pity Memoir.' It's a love story, but not as you know it.Abi joins Bryony to talk about the 'quiet drama' of a loved one in a coma, continuing to find joy in the darkness, and the terrifying realisation that she couldn't hide behind actors and directors in her own life.This is not a Pity Memoir, by Abi Morgan |Read more from Bryony: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Right now, 332 million people across the globe are suffering from depression. You might be one of them. And yet despite the prevalence of this illness, it is still barely understood, with precious few treatment options available. The science writer Alex Riley - this week’s guest on Mad World - has now produced the most comprehensive history of depression ever written, with the hope of changing this.In A Cure For Darkness, Riley busts a whole host of myths about depression. It is not a modern illness - in fact, it is as old as humans - and it is certainly not a western illness, with people all around the world experiencing it. He also explores the treatment options available, and why there are so few of them - plus, he goes into some of the exciting new options for depression on the horizon, and some of the awful practices that have been used in the past, including the ice pick lobotomy. Read more from Bryony: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1Self Esteem AKA Rebecca Taylor is a multi-award winning and Brit Award nominated artist, touring the globe and supporting Adele. And yet, during her 20s, she was crippled by shame and feeling like she was never accepted as herself. She found time to come on Mad World and talk openly and honestly about mental health and the role it's played in her life, including shaking off the shackles of patriarchy and getting out of self destruct mode.Listen to Self Esteem |Read more from Bryony: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In 2018, Rebecca Humphries was thrust into the spotlight when her boyfriend cheated on her very publicly with his Strictly dance partner. Seeing your partner snogging someone else on the front page of a tabloid might not be the ideal way to discover you've been cheated on, but Humphries has come to realise it was the best thing that could ever have happened to her. Set free from an emotionally abusive relationship, she was able to finally live the life she wanted to... with amazing results. Rebecca joins Bryony to discuss her book about the painful but valuable lessons she learnt through the very public disintegration of her long term relationship, from the impact of Little Mo in Eastenders and Disney, to learning your own worth. Why Did You Stay? by Rebecca Humphries |Read more from Bryony: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To his millions of fans, he was Avicii - music producer and DJ extraordinaire who created some of the most anthemic dance music of recent years. But behind the global superstar DJ was Tim Bergling, an anxious boy from Sweden who first saw a therapist at the age of 14, and years later tragically took his own life.Swedish journalist Måns Mossesson was given extraordinary access by Tim’s parents to the artist’s friends, family and colleagues, as well as his texts and emails to write 'Tim', the biography of a man whose battles with mental health will resonate with many. Måns joins Bryony to talk about how he hopes the book lets us meet Tim, rather than Avicii, and how Tim's story is so much more nuanced than a tale of the evils of fame, money and the music industry.Please note that this episode contains discussion about suicide and suicidal thoughts.The Tim Bergling Foundation: https://www.timberglingfoundation.org/ |Tim: The Official Biography of Avicii, by Måns MosessonRead more from Bryony: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When Joanna Scanlan was in her twenties, she had a breakdown and was told by her doctor that if she didn't do what she loved, she would never get better. Thank goodness for that doctor's words, because today she is an award winning actress and screenwriter, starring in the Thick of It, Getting On and her recent film After Love, for which she won the best actress BAFTA. Joanna joins Bryony about the dark thoughts that came young and followed her into later life, having to make an effort to learn the language of emotions, and the tools she uses to get through those duvet days when all you want to do is "smother yourself in custard and not pick up the phone at all". Read more from Bryony: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today's guest is on a mission to transform the way we view people addicted to drugs. This year, Professor Dame Carol Black led a government review into the way we handle drug addiction in this country - be that treatment and recovery, or even prevention. She called for a more health-based approach and more than £500 million investment over five years.This Addiction Awareness Week, Bryony has teamed up with Action on Addiction and the Forward Trust to bring you a conversation each day tackling a different element of addiction. Because even though we are slowly breaking down the stigma around discussing mental health, addiction - sadly - remains a taboo, even though we will all know someone touched by it.Dame Carol tells Bryony why alcohol is "just as dangerous" as other drugs, why she feels addiction should be treated as a chronic health condition, and explains why the current system is "broken".You can read Professor Dame Carol Black's review here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/independent-review-of-drugs-by-professor-dame-carol-black |Action on Addiction is a UK charity providing support to people who need rehab, as well as a wealth of resources for those battling addiction issues: https://www.actiononaddiction.org.uk |You can find more information about organisations that offer free and confidential support at the end of this episode.Read Bryony's columns: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Arsenal and England legend Tony Adams has done as much in his career to challenge the stigma around addiction as he has to make footballing history. From becoming sober very publicly back in the 90s, to setting up Sporting Chance, a charity that provides mental health support to current and former professional athletes, he's made it his mission to help others by sharing his story. This Addiction Awareness Week, Bryony has teamed up with Action on Addiction and the Forward Trust to bring you a conversation each day tackling a different element of addiction. Because even though we are slowly breaking down the stigma around discussing mental health, addiction - sadly - remains a taboo, even though we will all know someone touched by it.Tony tells Bryony how following a 12-step programme changed his life, how the new generation of footballers is battling a very different addiction, and why he's heading back to Chelmsford prison, three decades after serving time there.Action on Addiction is a UK charity providing support to people who need rehab, as well as a wealth of resources for those battling addiction issues: https://www.actiononaddiction.org.uk |Tony's charity, Sporting Chance, can be found here: https://www.sportingchanceclinic.com/ |You can find more information about organisations that offer free and confidential support at the end of this episode.Read Bryony's columns: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the 90s there was rarely a week where Davinia Taylor wasn't on the television or in the newspapers, as an actor, presenter and well-known member of the so-called "Primrose Hill set". But behind the seemingly glamorous partying was a person in the grips of addiction.This Addiction Awareness Week, Bryony has teamed up with Action on Addiction and the Forward Trust to bring you a conversation each day tackling a different element of addiction. Because even though we are slowly breaking down the stigma around discussing mental health, addiction - sadly - remains a taboo, even though we will all know someone touched by it.Davinia tells Bryony about the alcoholic seizures she experienced trying to go cold turkey, opens up about her quest to find out why she drank, and bemoans the fact that addiction treatment doesn't often join up mental and physical well-being. Action on Addiction is a UK charity providing support to people who need rehab, as well as a wealth of resources for those battling addiction issues: https://www.actiononaddiction.org.uk |You can find more information about organisations that offer free and confidential support at the end of this episode.Read Bryony's columns: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When today's Mad World guest first sought help, she didn't even realise she was a gambling addict. But within a few years Hayley had lost her job, her home, and she had arrived at a rehab centre with a small suitcase containing all of her possessions. This Addiction Awareness Week, Bryony has teamed up with Action on Addiction and the Forward Trust to bring you a conversation each day tackling a different element of addiction. Because even though we are slowly breaking down the stigma around discussing mental health, addiction - sadly - remains a taboo, even though we will all know someone touched by it.Hayley tells Bryony how betting was actually a substitute for alcohol, describes the relief of speaking to others dealing with the illness, and lays bare the hurdles she had to clear to even get help.Action on Addiction is a UK charity providing support to people who need rehab, as well as a wealth of resources for those battling addiction issues: https://www.actiononaddiction.org.uk |You can find more information about organisations that offer free and confidential support at the end of this episode.Read Bryony's columns: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When Camilla Tominey isn't writing in the Telegraph, she's the patron of Nacoa, The National Association for Children of Alcoholics, a charity that provides a space for people, young and old, to discuss the effect parental drinking has had on their life. This Addiction Awareness Week, Bryony has teamed up with Action on Addiction and the Forward Trust to bring you a conversation each day tackling a different element of addiction. Because even though we are slowly breaking down the stigma around discussing mental health, addiction - sadly - remains a taboo, even though we will all know someone touched by it.Camilla tells Bryony about the slow realisation that her childhood wasn't normal, why she's keen to paint a picture of her mum beyond her alcoholism, and how she wishes she didn't have to explain why she doesn't drink.Action on Addiction is a UK charity providing support to people who need rehab, as well as a wealth of resources for those battling addiction issues: https://www.actiononaddiction.org.uk |If you are a child of an alcoholic you can get advice and support from Nacoa for free on 0800 358 3456 |You can find more information about organisations that offer free and confidential support at the end of this episode. Read more from Camilla Tominey: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/c/ca-ce/camilla-tominey/ |Read Bryony's columns: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Legendary musician and producer Nile Rodgers joins Bryony for the first episode of this special series of Mad World.This Addiction Awareness Week, Bryony has teamed up with Action on Addiction and the Forward Trust to bring you a conversation each day tackling a different element of addiction. Because even though we are slowly breaking down the stigma around discussing mental health, addiction - sadly - remains a taboo, even though we will all know someone touched by it.Listen as Nile tells Bryony how he grew up surrounded by the illness, describes the euphoria of his first gig playing sober, and shares how Keith Richards was the unlikely inspiration for his sobriety.Action on Addiction is a UK charity providing support to people who need rehab, as well as a wealth of resources for those battling addiction issues: https://www.actiononaddiction.org.uk |You can find more information about organisations that offer free and confidential support at the end of this episode. Read Bryony's columns: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On World Suicide Prevention Day, Bryony talks to someone with a very unusual - but important - job. Laura Campbell is the suicide prevention manager for Govia Thameslink Railway - the first person to have that title and the only suicide prevention manager for any train company. Laura joins Bryony to talk about how she trains railway staff to carry out suicide interventions at their stations, shares invaluable tools to support vulnerable people and opens up about the painful childhood experience that drew her towards this role. Read Bryony's columns: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Have you ever felt like a fraud? That you don't belong in the room? That you could get found out at any moment? You're not alone - and we have a podcast to help you. As this series of Mad World comes to a close, Bryony Gordon introduces The Telegraph's Women's Editor, Claire Cohen, and her new show, Imposters. Each week, Claire meets a woman at the top of her game and finds out how she defeated imposter syndrome to get there.Follow Imposters to make sure you don't miss an episode: https://www.playpodca.st/imposters |Read Bryony's columns: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/bryony-gordon/ |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/madworld |Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/ |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Great episode 👌🏿
wow @Joe Tracini was brilliant 👏 actually someone I resonate with
Actually obsessed
brilliant show, please tell me there will be another series!!
Loved this! Such a great listen. :)