The Panic Years

This week I spoke to the children’s author, illustrator and writer Laura Dockrill. Her book, What Have I Done covers her experience of post-partum psychosis, feeling suicidal and, eventually, getting well. We discuss all of these things in the episode so it carriesa trigger warning: mentions of suicide, psychosis and mental illness.You can follow Laura on Twitterat @LauraDockrill https://twitter.com/LauraDockrillon Instagram at @lauraleedockrill https://www.instagram.com/lauraleedockrill/?hl=en.You can buy her book, What Have I Done here https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1117973/what-have-i-done-/9781529110210.html#:~:text=This%20heart%2Dbreaking%20and%20uplifting,and%20Laura%20started%20to%20struggle. I also interviewed NHS psychiatrist and mental health campaigner Dr Benjamin Janaway about how someone gets admitted to a psychiatric hospital and what treatment they may receive. You can follow him on Twitter at @drjanaway https://twitter.com/drjanaway.

This week I spoke to the comedian and actor, Tiffany Stevenson about work, love and being a stepmother. Youcan follow Tiffany on Twitter at @TiffanyStevenson https://twitter.com/tiffstevensonand on Instagram at @tiffstevensoncomic https://www.instagram.com/tiffstevensoncomic/?hl=en I also interviewed the psychologist and founder of Happy Steps, Lisa Doodson. You can find out more about Lisa’s work at the Happy Steps website https://happysteps.co.uk/and follow her on Instagram at @happysteps_drlisa https://www.instagram.com/happysteps_drlisa/?hl=en.You can also buy her book How To Be A Happy Stepmum https://happysteps.co.uk/stepfamily-books-1

This week I spoke to the writer and events doyenne, Rose Stokes about love, lockdown, self-esteem and bad break ups.You can follow Rose on Twitterat @RoseStokes https://twitter.com/RoseStokes and on Instagram at @rosestokes https://www.instagram.com/rosestokes/?hl=en I also interviewed the relationship counsellor Simone Bose. You can follow Simone on Twitter at @simoneboseuk https://twitter.com/simoneboseukand visit her website at https://www.simonebose.com/ Youcan also find out more about Relate at https://www.relate.org.uk/

This week Nell spoke to Journalist, Film Critic and writer, Caspar Salmon. Caspar spoke to Nell about changing careers, self belief, coming out and representation in the media. Caspar's website is: https://casparsalmon.com/Twitter:https://twitter.com/CasparSalmon Nell also spoke to Clinical Psychologist Dr Sophie Mort, who unpicked some of the difficulties we have with change and the jigsaw puzzle of our identity. Dr Soph's website is: https://drsoph.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_drsoph/Details of Dr Soph's book : https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/A-Manual-for-Being-Human/Dr-Sophie-Mort/9781471197468

This week I spoke to the comedian, actor, writer and star of Ghosts and Stath Lets Flats, Katy Wix. Katy has just published a phenomenal memoir called Delicacy which, as she puts it, is all about cake and death. It’s funny and wry and brutal and sad. In the book, Katy covers quite a bit of her panic years, from the crap jobs to the unhappy sex, moving to London, ambition and friendship so it was a pleasure to speak to her in more depth.You can follow Katy on Twitter at @WixKaty https://twitter.com/WixKaty and on Instagram at really_katywix https://www.instagram.com/really_katywix/?hl=en I also interviewed the Tom Quinn from the UK eating disorder charity Beat about disordered eating, body dysmorphia and what help is available in the UK today.You can follow Beat on Twitter at @beatED https://twitter.com/beatED or visit their website at https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/ They have a helpline at 0808 801 0677

This week I spoke to the writer, Miranda Ward. Miranda's book Adrift: Field Notes From Early Motherhood covers the five years Miranda spent trying to get, and stay, pregnant. It's a funny, poignant, clever and thoughtful book, which tackles the seldom discussed topic of "almost motherhood." Find Miranda on Twitter at @MirandaWardC https://twitter.com/MirandaWardCand on Instagram at @mirandawardc https://www.instagram.com/mirandawardc/?hl=en-gb.You can buy her book at Bookshog.org https://uk.bookshop.org/books/adrift-fieldnotes-from-almost-motherhood/9781474614153and in shops now.I also spoke to the brilliant midwife Sophie from Tommy’s - a charity that researches into miscarriage, premature birth & stillbirth and provide free pregnancy health information to parents-to-be.Follow Tommy’s on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tommys.Visit their website at Tommys.org https://www.tommys.org/ and you might find this page on supporting someone who’s had a miscarriage particularly useful:https://www.tommys.org/baby-loss-support/miscarriage-information-and-support/support-after-miscarriage/supporting-someone-who-has-had-miscarriage

This week I had the huge pleasure of speaking to the comedy writer, performer, broadcaster and Welsh speaker, Sian Harries. You may know her work from Man Down, The Froth, The Tourist Trap, she’s written for Never Mind the Buzzcocks and The News Quiz, she co-hosted the Rhod Gilbert show on Radio Wales. She’s done it all. Sian and I spoke about marrying the same person repeatedly, proposals and keeping to and rejecting traditions.You can follow Sian on Twitterat @sianharries_https://twitter.com/sianharries_ and on Instagram at @thesianharries_ https://www.instagram.com/thesianharries_/?hl=enI also spoke to Las Vegas' Mobile Minister, Roland August. Roland is a multi award winning minister who has presided over just about every kind of wedding that can be imagined, Elvis weddings, Rollercoasters, Race tracks and naked weddings in the desert.  Roland told us about some of the most notable weddings he's been involved with, just why weddings are important and what it is that most people forget on their big day.Roland's website is here: https://themobileminister.com/and he's also on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.mobileminister/and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=The%20Mobile%20Minister%20Las%20Vegas

This week I was lucky enough to speak to the comedian, actor, screenwriter, activist and mother, Josie Long. I was desperate to get Josie on the podcast because, from Love and Adventure to Cara Josephine, to Something Better to Tender, Josie’s shows have been the very mirror to my Panic Years. We spoke about work, love, break ups, bringing chaos into your life and the decision to have a baby. Oh and nationalising childcare. Imagine.You can follow Josie on Twitter at @JosieLong https://twitter.com/JosieLong and on Instagram at @josielong https://www.instagram.com/josielong/?hl=enI also interviewed the brilliant Dr Anita Mitra about menstrual health, polycystic ovarian syndrome and, put simply, how our bodies work.You can follow Dr Anita Mitra on Twitter at @Gynaegeek https://twitter.com/GynaeGeek on Instragram at @gynaegeek https://www.instagram.com/gynaegeek/?hl=en and visit her website at https://www.gynaegeek.com/

This week I spoke to the journalist, film maker and dad who gave birth, Freddy McConnell. While we both carried our children, both gave birth in pools and both write about the experience, as a queer parent, Freddy has taught me loads about the panic years that I may never have understood on my own. I loved talking to him about being a single dad, gender and how many of us have been misinformed about fertility.You can follow Freddy on Twitter at @FreddyMcConnell https://twitter.com/freddymcconnell and on Instagram at @freddy.mcconnell https://www.instagram.com/freddy.mcconnell/?hl=enI also interviewed the CEO of Gendered Intelligence, Jay Stewart to find out more about gender, trans parenting and LGBT families.You can follow Gendered Intelligence on Twitter at @GenderedIntell https://twitter.com/Genderintell and on Instagram at @GenderedIntelligence https://www.instagram.com/genderedintelligence/?hl=enOr visit their website at http://genderedintelligence.co.uk

This week I spoke to journalist, writer, social media editor and South London amazonian, Kat Brown. During our chat, we talked about grieving for children that never were, timelines that didn't happen and what it’s like when IVF proves unsuccessful. You can follow Kat on Twitter at @KatBrown https://twitter.com/katbrown and on Instagram at @katbrownwrites https://www.instagram.com/katbrownwrites/?hl=enI also interviewed the fertility counsellor Tracey Sainsbury, author of Making Friends With Your Fertility to get her expert opinion. I asked Tracey all about why thinking about our fertility can be so sensitive and how we can best manage those feelings.You can follow Tracey Sainsbury on Twitter at @IVFcounsellor https://twitter.com/IVFcounsellorHer book Making Friends with your Fertility is available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Friends-your-Fertility-reproductive/dp/0995794855/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=making+friends+with+your+fertility&qid=1616407639&sr=8-3