Gill Skene – a story of surviving post-natal PTSD

"I started to grieve for everything he was losing long before we lost him...it wasn't just him that couldn't see any future clearly, it was me too"Key takeaways from this podcastSerious mental illness doesn't happen overnight, its a slow emergenceWe need to re-think how we work with families and loved onesAn inspirational example of turning grief into positive conversations for changeJacqui lost her son Will to suicide in July of 2024. At the time he was an in-patient at New Craigs psychiatric hospital in Inverness, being treated for schizophrenia. Will’s mental ill health didn’t come overnight, it was a long slow and painful road full of anxiety for his family who battled to support him for years until it became clear that Will was seriously unwell. When he was finally diagnosed and started being treated, the family and care team tried to keep Will believing there was hope of a better life ahead but for Will, who loved the outdoors and was singularly determined, the cage of being sectioned in a secure hospital was too much. Since losing Will, Jacqui has turned her grief into a drive for change, taking part in the review into Will’s death and working alongside the NHS to come up with a plan and timeframe so that more families are supported and fewer have to ever experience the pain of losing a loved one to suicide when they’re receiving hospital care. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/funding-research-into-schizophrenia Call to Action...If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Or come and visit at 4 Strothers Lane, Inverness IV1 1LR, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Follow Mikeysline on socials XFacebookInstagramSpeaking of Suicide hosting is supported by D and D Paving Ltd. Speaking of Suicide is produced and presented by Adventurous Audio

29 Sep 54min

"I think it's really important if people are struggling and they have reached out that you take that time. I try to be as kind and caring and compassionate as I possibly can be"Key takeaways from this podcastWe need to build in time, space and compassion to our lives to help and support people who are struggling. We all have a part to play in that in our lives.We can have these courageous conversations with people we are concerned about it and you will make a difference by opening up the conversation.What if a conversation about suicide could save a life. That life might a friend, a family member, a loved one. So how would you start it? What words will you use?A new campaign from Suicide Prevention Scotland wants us to do exactly that, start the conversation. It’s a campaign aimed at normalising the idea of talking about suicide - and giving all of us the confidence to do so. Because here’s the thing, talking about suicide is the best way to prevent it. Haylis Smith is the National Delivery Lead for Suicide Prevention Scotland – she’s the one leading this campaign which is based around people’s lived experiences of suicide and it’s something that sits very closely to her heart having lost her uncle Joe to suicide when she was a teenager.Discover more about Suicide Prevention Scotland If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Or come and visit at 4 Strothers Lane, Inverness IV1 1LR, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Follow Mikeysline on socials XFacebookInstagramSpeaking of Suicide hosting is supported by D and D Paving Ltd. Speaking of Suicide is produced and presented by Adventurous Audio

10 Sep 42min

"my heart was stopping, I couldn't breathe, I felt like I was dying, I couldn't see that it would ever be ok"Counsellor Shona Macpherson's key takeaways from this podcastThe shock of losing someone to suicide can be utterly physical. Don't be surprised if your body shuts down in order to protect itself from the pain of grief.Friendship groups can be incredibly important to get you through extreme grief. There is a huge amount to learn from how Charlotte's friends coped in the aftermath of losing their great friend.Charlotte and Amelia had been friends since they were at school. They were part of an incredibly tight friendship group throughout their teens. In spite of being really different in character, the two friends had a wonderful relationship and Amelia was a constant in Charlotte’s life, becoming her bestie in all things. They talked every day and shared everything they were going through. So when Amelia started struggling when she first went to University, Charlotte was well aware of her troubles. Even though they shared so much when Amelia left University for a second time, returned home and took her life, the shockwave through Charlotte and all the friends’ lives was massive. Since losing Amelia 2 years ago Charlotte has been processing her grief and, in this frank and deeply heartfelt conversation, Charlotte provides extraordinary insight into the pressures of student life and how she’s coped in the dark days since losing the friend she loved so very much. Call to Action...If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Or come and visit at 4 Strothers Lane, Inverness IV1 1LR, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Follow Mikeysline on socials XFacebookInstagramSpeaking of Suicide hosting is supported by D and D Paving Ltd. Speaking of Suicide is produced and presented by Adventurous Audio

1 Sep 39min

Maike’s father died by suicide when she was 21. For the following 30 years she has been not just coming to terms with the impact his death had on her, her mental health and wellbeing, but following a path of acceptance about his death.This journey to acceptance isn’t to hold guilt or shame herself, but to allow the impact of her life trauma to be contained. By accepting her situation and circumstances and not continually seeking all the answers, Maike has found her way to peace.Be aware, this conversation on Speaking of Suicide discusses sexual abuse.To find out more about Maike and her journey to acceptance visit her website: https://www.maikemullenders.com/Find you local Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide GroupIf you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Or come and visit at 4 Strothers Lane, Inverness IV1 1LR, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Follow Mikeysline on socials XFacebookInstagramSpeaking of Suicide hosting is supported by D and D Paving Ltd. Speaking of Suicide is produced and presented by Adventurous Audio

18 Aug 47min

Meet Alex and Cammy, probably two of the last guys you'd ever look at and think they had mental health struggles but like loads of us, they do, but they've found a way to cope through the support of Andy's Man Club. In the 2nd of our episodes from the remarkable Wilderness Wellbeing Retreat in the remote Scottish Highlands, Alex and Cammy from share their recovery journeys. For Alex it’s a story which led him from alcohol abuse to a point of crisis and a failed suicide attempt to then discovering Andy’s Man Club which he went on to champion in Scotland. Andy’s Man Club now has 56 weekly clubs across Scotland and one of the people to benefit is Cammy. Cammy’s journey led him to contemplating ending his life one desperate new year but he shares how that turned around and the joy he now gets from being a dad and his weekly connection to other men through Andy’s Man Club. Heartbreaking, inspiring, honest and ultimately uplifting, Alex and Cammy demonstrate first hand just how powerful story sharing really is.https://www.wildernesswellbeing.scot/https://andysmanclub.co.uk/If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Or come and visit at 4 Strothers Lane, Inverness IV1 1LR, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Follow Mikeysline on socials XFacebookInstagramSpeaking of Suicide hosting is supported by D and D Paving Ltd. Speaking of Suicide is produced and presented by Adventurous Audio

4 Aug 33min

"Its been fantastic, I've done so many firsts, challenged so many fears ... I'm leaving feeling wonderful both physically and mentally"How did Daz manage to go from extreme social anxiety to the above statement in a single weekend? Listen up to this week's ep!After years of battling her mental health due to a chronic skin condition, Yazzie Basan turned her own mental ill health into a mission to help others and develop a unique wellbeing retreat in the Scottish Highlands. This isn't about formal therapy, its about a gang of strangers gathering in the wilderness and sharing a weekend of activities and stories. In this episode Pennie drops in on a recent retreat, where participants have gathered from near and far and from all walks of life, to discover why Yazzie is so passionate about making mental wellness something we all should be able to access and what drives her to use her own home to create a space for anyone and everyone to share their stories and learn from each other. As well as hearing Yazzie’s story, Daz and Emma share some of what brought them to the retreat and how they’ve managed to find a way to stay mentally and physically well in the face of challenging episodes in their life. https://www.wildernesswellbeing.scot/https://andysmanclub.co.uk/https://www.emmatoms.com/If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Or come and visit at 4 Strothers Lane, Inverness IV1 1LR, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Follow Mikeysline on socials XFacebookInstagramSpeaking of Suicide hosting is supported by D and D Paving Ltd. Speaking of Suicide is produced and presented by Adventurous Audio

21 Juli 38min

"Because I've seen suicide so persistent in my family, its felt like that's what I would have to do, or the only way that I would die"Key takeaways from this podcastGenerational trauma as a result of suicide is real and shows trauma can be passed on from one generation to the nextsilence around suicide can breed shameunderstanding the pain of loss to suicide is hard but showing yourself love and compassion can fuel hopeAfter losing her dad to suicide when she was 12 and he was 38, it took Saski Smith over 20 years to be able to say the word ‘dad’ again. In this breathtakingly honest exploration of the impact of losing a parent to suicide, Saski talks openly about the challenges and pain of living with the stigma of suicide, the impact losing her dad has had on her relationships and the pressures that come from a generational legacy of suicide. Now 36 Saski is finding she can talk about his death for the first time, sharing insights and thoughts she has never expressed openly before. If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Or come and visit at 4 Strothers Lane, Inverness IV1 1LR, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Follow Mikeysline on socials XFacebookInstagramSpeaking of Suicide hosting is supported by D and D Paving Ltd. Speaking of Suicide is produced and presented by Adventurous Audio

7 Juli 42min

"I wrote on a piece of paper 'you're self-harming' then ripped it up...looking back I'm really proud that I wrote it down and put it there. If you're going to tell yourself something, say it loud!"Key takeaways from this podcastSelf-harm can take many forms and happen for many different reasonsAccepting the truth of self-harm for yourself can be really importantMeeting self-harm with empathy and kindness, not judgement, is essentialSelf-harm is a symptom of underlying emotional pain It took a long time before Cha Harris realised she was self-harming because her self-harm didn’t take the more conventional form of cutting or burning. When someone first pointed out that her abuse of prescription medication was self-harm she was shocked but then slowly it began to make sense of how she’d been dealing with years of pain and depression. In this moving, thought provoking and profoundly honest episode Cha provides a window into her world and how she finally managed to come to terms with her behaviour and make changes for the better, so much so, Cha now works supporting others through Self-Harm Network Scotland. Self-Harm Network Scotland’s website has useful information to help people who self-harm, for people who are worried about someone who self-harms, and for people working with someone who self-harms: https://selfharmnetworkscotland.org.uk/Keep up to date with all the latest from Self-Harm Network Scotland on Facebook, LinkedIn,Bluesky and X:https://www.facebook.com/selfharmnetworkscotland/https://www.linkedin.com/company/self-harm-network-scotland/https://bsky.app/profile/shnscotland.bsky.socialhttps://x.com/SHNScotlandIf you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Or come and visit at 4 Strothers Lane, Inverness IV1 1LR, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Follow Mikeysline on socials XFacebookInstagramSpeaking of Suicide hosting is supported by D and D Paving Ltd. Speaking of Suicide is produced and presented by Adventurous Audio

23 Juni 46min