Are You Mental?

There seems to be an explosion of people who identify as having ADHD in recent years. But what is ADHD really? How do you know if you have it? How does it impact someone’s life? And what’s the best way to manage it? Izzy and Bree talk about the challenges of having ADHD, as well as the superpowers it’s given them. And our psychologist, Nettie, is back to give clarity, dispel myths and dispense hope.areyoumental.com

We all feel lonely sometimes. But if we feel lonely for a long time it has a destructive effect on our mental, emotional and even physical health. Lonely people experience more depression and anxiety, more serious health conditions and even die younger. And social isolation is on the rise. So what makes us lonely and what can we do to avoid it? In this episode, Sooz and Drew share heartfelt stories of their journey into, and through, loneliness and our favourite psychologist, Nettie Cullen, is back to give us the low-down on loneliness. This one is for all of us. areyoumental.com

Year after year a huge number of people take their own lives, leaving behind a world of pain for their loved ones. In this episode, Joe talks about his own suicide attempt, what brought him to the point of total hopelessness and how he found healing afterwards. Debby shares about her brother taking his own life and her grief process since. And our Psychologist, Nettie, gives us insights into why people kill themselves, what can prevent them from taking their own lives, what signs to look out for in our loved ones and how we can talk about this confronting topic.areyoumental.comIf this episode brings anything up for you and you would like to talk to someone confidentially, here are some international helplines: Aotearoa/New Zealand:1737Lifeline: 0800 543 354 UK:Samaritans: 116 123Suicide Prevention Helpline: 0800 689 5652 US and Canada:Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 Australia:Lifeline: 13 11 14Suicide Callback Service: 300 659 467 Any other country:Go to findahelpline.com to find your local helpline.

Ryan is usually a positive, upbeat guy, but when he found himself crying and unable to get out of bed he knew something was wrong. In this third episode of this mini-series he talks about how he delved into his past, found the source of his depression and learned how to release himself from it.areyoumental.com

Niva is a newsreader and journalist. She’s usually the life of the party but after both her parents died she found herself in a deep, dark hole and didn’t know how to get out. In this second episode of this mini-series, she talks about how she found a path back to a rich and fulfilling life.areyoumental.com

Depression is extremely common. It feels heavy, inescapable, often dark and it stops us from living the life we want to live. But it doesn’t have to have the last word. A huge amount of people have experienced depression and come out the other side. Laura is one of them. She gives a candid, emotional and extremely insightful account of her journey to the depths and how she made it back again.areyoumental.com

They call Alzheimer’s Disease the long goodbye. In this moving episode, Mick shares his personal experience of his Dad slowly disappearing in front of his eyes. He talks to his Dad about what it’s like, his Mum about how she’s faced this challenge and Dr Etu Ma’u, a psychiatrist specialising in dementia, about what Alzheimer's is, what causes it, how it impacts someone's life, and what we can do to reduce our chances of getting it.areyoumental.com

Why do some people think they're God’s gift to planet earth? What is a narcissist?  Am I one? Mick talks to Lee, a diagnosed narcissist, about how he treats people and why. Sarah reveals the shocking treatment she endured married to a narcissist for 13 years. And, of course, our favourite psychologist, Nettie, is back to uncover the anatomy of arrogance. This episode will make podcasting great again.

Is your relationship more hard work than you want it to be? Do you and your partner have more triggers than Texas? Have your past relationships followed a disturbingly similar pattern? Well, it may be to do with your attachment style. In this episode, the very knowledgeable and very eloquent Grace McArthur gives us a brilliant rundown of attachment in relationships, shares vulnerably from her own experience and dishes out tips to escape those dreaded cycles.areyoumental.com

Panic attacks are terrifying - just ask Caren and Hamish who openly share about their battles with them. And our psychologist, Nettie, is back to give us insight into the mechanics of panic.areyoumental.com

Trauma can shatter our world and leave us deeply scarred.  But it doesn’t have to have the last word.  Antonia and Preston bravely share their experience with trauma and how they made it through PTSD. Our psychologist, Nettie, is back to help us understand how trauma and PTSD work and how we can live through them. areyoumental.com

Why would someone go to therapy?  Does it really work?  What happens in the therapy room?  What type of therapist is best?  Mick sits down with a psychologist, a counsellor and a psychotherapist to tackle these questions and more. areyoumental.com

Schizophrenia can be a scary condition to have.  It usually involves hearing voices and often comes with visual hallucinations and delusions that can mess with your idea of reality.  We talk to Chloe and Chris about their intense journeys with Schizophrenia and our Psychologist, Nettie, who unpacks what Schizophrenia is and how it works. www.areyoumental.com

Hard work is good for you right? Well... it is until it’s not. Mick talks to Olivia and Keith about when they hit shut-down from pushing themselves too far. And our psychologist, Nettie, explains what burnout is and how to avoid it.www.areyoumental.com

Bipolar is more than just having ups and downs. It’s a potent condition that can really take hold of people’s lives. David and Sally openly share the roller-coaster ride Bipolar has taken them on while our psychologist, Nettie, explores what’s going on the behind the scenes.www.areyoumental.com

Anton and Suzy tell their amazing stories of their battle with drug addiction and how they were able to leave drugs behind. They share with us what thoughts and feelings fuelled their addiction. Mick also talks to an addiction expert, Grant, who explores what a road to recovery might look like.www.areyoumental.com

This really strange time we find ourselves in can have a very real impact on our mental health. All this turmoil can fuel anxiety and the isolation can stir up loneliness. So in this episode Mick, and our resident psychologist Nettie, explore ways we can manage our anxiety and isolation and look at where hope can be found at a time like this.areyoumental.com

We all know someone who has battled depression. But how much do we really know about it?In this episode Mick speaks to Rob and Rosie about what it’s like when depression descends on them and how they manage it. Psychologist, Nettie Cullen is back on the show to explore what exactly depression is, what might contribute to it and how we might take part in the lifting of those dark clouds.areyoumental.com

Struggling with anxiety is more common than being left-handed. Yet so many of us are a little hazy on how anxiety actually works and what it’s like to experience. In this episode Mick talks with Michael and Alicia about the impact anxiety has on their lives. He also sits down with a psychologist, Nettie Cullen, who sheds light on what happens in our brain, body and emotions when we’re anxious and what it might look like to find our way through anxiety. areyoumental.com

A 2min trailer for the show.