Mate Helping Mate

This week's episode brings our bush-baked conversations tour to a close. For this ep we wrangled locals Pete Sinclair and Joe Briggs to kick off conversations with john. Our speakers come in with their hearts on their sleeve as they delve into struggles with addiction and how adopting good habits and the support of loved ones, helped foster a positive path forward. Pete encourages us to not ev...

Our second recording out in the Temora Shire saw John joined by “old farts” as he calls them, but also old pals Fiona Raleigh, Andrew Lockley and Ron Stimson. It was great to welcome other local voices who took a seat in the audience and contributed their thoughts too. The chats honed in on the differing perspectives of oldies (Old Farts) versus youngens (Young Pups) and what may be learned throug...

This episode of Mate Helping Mate found us in the village of Springdale, NSW. John was joined by “young pups”, agronomist Emma Robinson, and farmers Ben Kotzer and Michael Sinclair, along with a few locals who came along to listen in and be part of the chat. Folks took the mic to offer their personal perspectives about growing up, what wisdom we gain from our childhood and the positive changes we...

Recovery can be a lonely journey, so let's do it together. Round two of our panel-audience format of the Mate Helping Mate podcast! This time we hit the road to chat to the folks of the Tooma NSW community. Local folks, Sharon, Macca and Ian joined John on the couch up the front, along with an audience willing to share their lived experience. The stories and the emotions shared at Brigham Hous...

Here it is! Mate Helping Mate Podcast first live recording of a panel-audience format! We had over 70 people join us at the Whitton Malt House to be a part of important conversations between our panelists Kim Whitham, Lexi and Jody Heath, Rob Houghton and moderator John Harper.  This episode features the conversations that took place throughout the night, which were based on facing mental health s...

This episode of Mate Helping Mate features some solo wisdom from John about mental wellbeing resilience. Following on from ‘Preparedness’, we bring you the second episode of ‘Rough But Ready’ . Once we have laid the foundations for resilience, how do we keep it up in the long term? John looks at the ability to action what you have prepared, how to know when to use it and how to apply it. It is som...

This episode of Mate Helping Mate features some solo wisdom from John about preparedness to weather poor mental health. It’s one half of a two-episode special we’ve called ‘Rough But Ready’. Preparedness is being proactive with positive strategies for whatever life throws at us. Like preparing for a storm, it’s important to have some plans in place for when poor mental health strikes us.  Bei...

Having a strong family unit, living in a compassionate caring community from which there are individuals you can confide in, is a huge positive factor in preventing poor mental health. It could be team harmony at work and the chats at smoko you look forward to each day. It may be your neighbour across the road who comes over for a cuppa and a handful of laughs. Whatever your community or team look...

Life challenges knocking you down time and time again can drain your willingness, your resilience in getting back up and keep trudging on. Losing your optimism, having pessimism overrun your life, believing you can’t go on, is a bastard of a place to be, nobody wants to be there, believe me. The terrain may be rocky and treacherous at times, but a smoother path forward is never out of reach and is...

Our body is like a vehicle, it gets us from point A to B. The brain is an important part of that vehicle and requires maintenance, work and exercise. Like anything without maintenance our brain, and so our thinking, can become a bit worse for wear at times. In hindsight we may look back and wonder why the hell we didn’t take better care of our brain and maintain our mental wellbeing. Check in with...

Even though we know that a problem shared is a problem halved, the idea of opening up might scare us shitless. Once you’ve acknowledged you have a problem, the next step is addressing it, telling someone about it and opening up. Simple eh! But bloody hard to do. By finding a person or a place where you feel that you can open up a bit, we tend to find others who have walked the walk, had similar tr...

Anxiety, depression and other mental health buggers (issues) like them, can take a long time to really understand, but just recognising that they are there is the first step in the important process of learning how to cope and deal with them. To fix or address any problem, not just mental wellbeing problems, the first step is to acknowledge that there is a problem. This can be bloody difficult whe...

From a property outside of Broken Hill, Kars Station, we hear from Brendan Cullen, a farmer who realised that talking to himself as a coping mechanism, was not sustainable. Attributing the roots of it particularly to drought and losing his family property, depression was with Brendan for a long time before he was diagnosed. He shares what’s inside his mental health tool box to get him through the...

Ag teacher and young sportsman Ben Brookes chats with us about his role in the Rugby team after tragically losing a great mate and great player. He’s got some wisdom to share with us about the strategies he used in keeping the team on track. And also how he identifies when he's struggling and what he does about it!

Sam Bailey is a beef producer from Cropper Creek. He’s been through the wringer after a motor vehicle accident when he was 19 left him a quadriplegic. Sam shares some strategies which have prevented him from sliding into depression, keeping his head above water and maintaining a positive mindset. It's a ripper episode! Sam’s now got an ambitious goal to become the first quadriplegic in the world t...

A problem shared is a problem halved. How do you find the right people to help improve your mental wellbeing when you need it? John chats with Chris McGregor, whose brother died by suicide and has experienced his own struggles with the black dog, and counsellor David Post, who shares some handy tips about finding a great support team that works for you. *Note: This episode deals with themes of sui...

If you’re struggling, how can you ask for help? John chats to shearer Phil Moroney about his battles and the lessons he’s learned, and counsellor Dave Honeysett from the Royal Flying Doctors about some strategies for reaching out to a mate when you need some help.***The advice in this podcast is of a general nature, and not an excuse for not seeing your GP or medical professional. There’s some han...

When someone you love is having a tough time, what should you do? John sits down with wife and mum Fiona to talk about the impact of depression on her marriage, and psychologist Lisa Paterson-Kane, who shares some thoughts on looking after yourself so that you can support others, and some surprising pathways to help.***The advice in this podcast is of a general nature, and not an excuse for not se...

What are the clues to look for if you think a mate is struggling with their mental health? If you spot them, what should you do? John speaks with irrigation farmer Julie Andreazza about the incredible support she received from her husband and community when she went through a hard time, along with counsellor David Post, who has some top-notch advice for helping others.*Note: This episode touches o...

What should you do when you’re feeling rough? Who should you turn to? Chris Wilson thought he had everything he dreamed of when he took over his family farm. But the drought hit Chris hard, along with grief from losing his brother, and he slid into a dark depression. He shares his story of coming out the other side.*Note: This episode deals with themes of suicide and some listeners may find it har...

John Harper’s a wheat sheep farmer from Stockinbingal, NSW. He describes himself as an ‘ordinary joker’ but after being bitten by the black dog he has become an active mental health advocate in rural and remote Australia. Meet John and learn a bit more about his story.***The advice in this podcast is of a general nature, and not an excuse for not seeing your GP or medical professional. There’s som...

John Harper’s a wheat sheep farmer from Stockinbingal, NSW. He describes himself as an ‘ordinary joker’ but after being bitten by the black dog he has become an active mental health advocate in rural and remote Australia. Learn a bit more about our podcast and why it’s a must listen.