Episode 48 - Comedy for Coping

In this episode, co-hosts Marianne and Jay explore what men's mental health looks like for male service users and clinicians. They are joined by Jawad, Zawad, Tyrone and Shibs to discuss the barriers to men's mental health and how they have been individually working to break these down in their lives. They are all open and candid about their own experiences and share insights into their role models, as well as working in the field of mental health as a man. Resources: Get it off your chest: report on men's mental health | Mind - Mindhttps://bedsrcc.org.uk/2023/01/meet-men-exercise-engage-talk-project-launches-in-bedford/https://toughenoughtocare.help/https://www.jamesplace.org.uk/https://www.thecalmzone.net/https://www.mensmindsmatter.org/Get help for your symptoms - NHS 111

In this podcast our host Sassie is joined by young person Ash, to talk to the incredible comedians Dave Chawnerand Juliette Burton, about how comedy has changed their mental health journey and the how the topic of mental health fits into comedy. 

In this episode, young people Suzie & Madie join host Marianne to explore how losing structure and routine during the summer break can impact well-being. Both Suzie and Madie use their personal experience with this to share useful advice that helped them create structure while making sure they were still rested and relaxed during the break. If you are looking for local offers in your community to get engaged with, please search on your local council's website, we've added a few links for those in the Bedfordshire area below: Bedford Local OfferBedford Borough Summer of SEND 2024 | Bedford Local OfferSchool holiday activities (luton.gov.uk)Links and videos | Central Bedfordshire CouncilChildren & Young People | BeActive (beactivebeds.co.uk)Gratitude Journal: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S6iJz8LEEedJ1jJpuSBbO8bbAoX4BMtMwHzVz_IpVx4/copy

Co-hosts Marianne and Molly are joined by young people and a dance movement psychotherapist to discuss this year’s mental health awareness theme: movement. They share the impact it has on their mental health and well-being, what barriers there are to accessing movement and how to overcome these, plus some tips on how to get movement into your everyday life.Resources:https://www.rainbowbedfordshire.co.uk/https://www.parkrun.org.uk/https://www.lta.org.uk/https://www.beactivebeds.co.uk/https://www.totalwellbeingluton.org/exercise-on-referral.html

Co-hosts Aisling and Leah are joined by Talia and Paola who use their lived experience and clinical knowledge to share what it's like to have ARFID. They discuss the symptoms, diagnosis process and what support is out there for people with ARFID. it is so important to highlight this discussion which is so informative, up to date and relatable as ARFID is a lesser known condition. This is why it was the theme for this year's Eating Disorders Awareness Week.This podcast contains the words anorexia, gagging and vomiting.Please visit https://bebodypositive.org.uk/  for information and resources around ARFIDTahlia's Twitter/ X can be found:  https://twitter.com/tahliapaiged

In this episode, young people Madie, Zoe & Zawad join trainee clinical psychologist Leighton and host Marianne, to deep dive into the topic of Dyspraxia. They share their unique experiences with discovering their diagnosis and take us on a personal journey of understanding how Dyspraxia affects their daily lives. Some of them had their diagnoses quite recently and talk about advocating for their health when they saw the signs, it’s inspirational to hear how their diagnosis finally helped them make sense of their world and understanding themselves.

In this podcast, our host Molly talks to young people Az and Ash, who are joined by CAMHS staff Sassie, Mack and Jay to reflect post-Pride month about what pride means to them. Listen in on the conversation as each person explores from their personal experience, their journey to PRIDE. Gender dysphoria: a sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity. (NHS) Gender euphoria: comfort/joy that happens when gender expression is aligned with identity. Rainbow capitalism: when companies commercialise and claim to support the rights of the LGBTQ+ community (especially during Pride) mainly for profit and improved brand image. Resources: Rainbow Bedfordshire: #RainbowBedfordshire | East London NHS Foundation Trust (elft.nhs.uk) Contact Rainbow Bedfordshire: [email protected] Better Days for BLMK: @betterdaysblmk across all social media Pride in Luton: https://prideinluton.org/

In this Podcast Marianne and Molly are joined by Young People Alex and Maiya, to discuss self harm, the misconceptions and how to take care of yourself. They are also joined by Bongi, a CAMHS nurse who offers their unique perspective. The podcast looks at defining self-harm in a subjective way and dispelling harmful rhetoric surrounding misconceptions. The young people offer their advice and resources they’ve found helpful. Below are some of the resources mentioned in the podcast:  *TW*: This podcast may contain sensitive content, while we intend for our podcasts to be educational and insightful, our priority is your well being. If you feel overwhelmed by the content, please do take a break from listening in order to care for your well being. Resources: Text “Reflect” to 85258 – if you’re feeling anxious, lonely, overwhelmed or not quite yourself – FREE and anonymous The Butterfly Project – https://www.elysiumhealthcare.co.uk/butterflyproject/

In this Podcast Molly and Marianne are joined by Young People Leah and Sharmin, to discuss exam stress and surrounding issues. Looking at their own experiences with exam seasons and their coping strategies, the CAMHS team and Young People explore available support, the importance of boundaries and mental health, as well as give advice to teachers and parents on how best to support Young People during these stressful times.

In this episode, we introduce Molly as a new host, joined by Ash, Mack, Jay and Sassie to discuss LGBTQ+ community safety. We highlight the importance of safe spaces and how to create an accessible and comfortable environment for LGBTQ+ people. We also share experiences of feeling supported, genuine allyship and gestures of validation. Gender dysphoria: a sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity. (NHS) Gender euphoria: comfort/ joy that happens when gender expression is aligned with identity. Rainbow capitalism: when companies commercialise and claim to support the rights of the LGBTQ+ community (especially during Pride) mainly for profit and improved brand image. Contact Rainbow Bedfordshire: [email protected] Better Days for BLMK: @betterdaysblmk across all social media Pride in Luton https://prideinluton.org/ Luton Sexual Health https://www.lutonsexualhealth.org.uk/info-advice/lgbtq/ Q Youth https://www.qalliance.org.uk/youth-services/ [00:00] Introductions [01:40] What are Safe Spaces? [05:15] Allyship and Activism, actual vs toxic [12:47] Validation and Acceptance [27:00] Fear of going out/ Non-Safe Spaces [37:45] Local Safe Spaces [42:40] Outro