GoodEnoughChats

Jordan Japal talks about his struggles with anxiety and the impact that panic attacks have had on his life. He talks about the stigma around mental health, especially for men in the male-dominated world of sales, and how therapy and medication are helping him to manage his mental fitness. We cover the role of childhood in shaping his experience, the pressure of work and masculinity, and the trial-...

Paul Lenihan talks about living with bipolar 2 disorder, and how long-term burnout, sleep deprivation, and unresolved childhood experiences shaped his mental health.  He explains how those patterns showed up later in adulthood, fatherhood, and relationships, and how the diagnosis finally gave him clarity.  We talk about how he’s managing bipolar now, what changed once he started the right treatmen...

Shaun McGrory talks about how burnout and unresolved childhood experiences shaped his mental health, and how those patterns later showed up in adulthood, parenthood, and relationships. Despite starting and leading a grassroots mental health support initiative at work, he explains how he still struggles with the feeling that he needs to carry the weight for others, and what changed once he began th...

In this episode, Howard Martin talks about how burnout crept up on him and took him into a state of crisis with his mental health, following the death of his Mum. He explains how he hid the extent of his difficulties from loved ones, looked for ways to make himself busier to distract himself from the thoughts going through his head, and how it felt when he hit rock bottom. He shares the recovery j...

Ryan Higgins struggled with his mental health after serving in the army, spending time in prison, and suffering an injury that led to him losing his left leg. In this episode, he talks candidly about the impact these things have had on his life, the dark places it’s taken him, and the things he does today to help keep his mental and physical fitness on track. You can follow Ryan here: https://www....

This chat features Sam Chessell, who shares his journey with mental health, resilience, and personal growth. The conversation covers a lot of ground, including: How his lifelong struggle with a speech stammer has shaped his understanding of vulnerability and self-acceptance. The trauma of baby loss and the influence of martial arts in empowering his mental resilience. The importance of community a...

This chat features Ben Akers, co-founder and co-CEO of Talk Club, a UK men’s mental health charity focused on creating spaces for men to talk about what’s on their mind.   The conversation covers a lot of ground, including:   - How losing his friend, Steve, to suicide led to the foundation of Talk Club - The approach that the charity takes, and how you can use it to support people you care about –...

In this episode, James Lambert talks about how he’s struggled with his sense of identity since his traumatic childhood, and the weight he has carried throughout his career and personal life as a result.   He talks about keeping a lid on things publicly, while in his head the pressure continued to mount, and how close he came to taking his own life before starting his recovery.   You can connect wi...

This chat features Matt Adamson, a former corporate executive turned career coach, discussing his journey through burnout. Matt discusses the significance of recognizing early signals—like irritability or exhaustion—and the power of small, intentional steps such as walking, re-evaluating alcohol habits, and grounding in purpose to foster resilience. Throughout the conversation, Matt and Dan (also...

In this episode, James Kindred shares his lived experience of being diagnosed with autism and ADHD later in life, revealing how these conditions impacted his perception of social cues, learning, and daily functioning. From the struggles of fitting in during childhood to the nuanced effects of medication and coping strategies, his story highlights the importance of diagnosis as both an enlightenmen...

Ben Howard shares his personal journey through mental health, identity crises, and fertility struggles. From childhood dreams of football stardom to grappling with the emotional aftermath of injury, career shifts, and infertility, his story reveals how pivotal moments can reshape our self-image and mental well-being. Ben discusses how he’s learned to accept his past, the importance of vulnerabilit...

This conversation covers John Stacey's journey of self-discovery and mental health awareness, from his initial scepticism to his acceptance and understanding of his own struggles.   It explores the impact of family dynamics on his emotional wellbeing, the behaviours that influenced him during his 20s, anxiety over becoming a dad himself, and much more besides.   You can find John here on LinkedIn:...

☕ Support the show through Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/goodenoughchats After more than 35 conversations listening to other men’s stories, the tables turn – and it’s Dan’s turn in the chair. In this episode, guest host Ben Rogers interviews Dan Bowsher, founder and host of GoodEnoughChats, about his own experience of burnout, anxiety and clinical perfectionism. Dan talks about the ye...

☕ Support the show through Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/goodenoughchats When Ben Robins was suddenly made redundant after eight years in a job he’d built from the ground up, it shook both his confidence and his sense of identity. I triggered some deep reflection, confronting how much of his self-worth was tied to work, and how patterns of over-giving and self-criticism had left him b...

☕ Support the show through Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/GoodEnoughChats ☕ Peter Shearman’s story will resonate with anyone who’s ever pushed themselves too hard for too long. A lifelong introvert working in a world that rewards extroversion, Peter spent years trying to meet expectations that didn’t quite fit. Over time, the constant pressure to perform, please and stay “on” caught u...

☕ Support the show through Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/goodenoughchats Barry King has lived with clinical depression for much of his adult life. In 2016, feeling exhausted and believing that those around him would be better off without him, Barry attempted to take his own life. He was found unconscious, taken to hospital and spent three days in a coma. Doctors didn’t expect him to s...

☕ Support the show through Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/goodenoughchats Gary Lewis has spent much of his adult life battling anxiety, self-criticism and a constant sense of frustration – feelings that, for years, went unexplained. In this episode, Gary talks about the long road to understanding himself, from struggling through school and early jobs to finally being diagnosed with ADH...

☕ Support the show through Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/goodenoughchats This episode traces Rob Dawson’s journey from feeling lost as a kid growing up in Lincolnshire to building a life he never expected on the other side of the world. Rob talks openly about drifting through his early years, unsure of what he wanted, but increasingly clear on what he didn’t. After walking away from a...

☕ Support the show through Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/goodenoughchats In this episode, Simon Spencer reflects on his experiences of social anxiety, emotional fatigue, and the challenge of resisting constant self-comparison. He talks openly about how these issues first showed up in his teenage years, how they shaped his 20s, and how things have gradually improved as he’s learned to...

☕ Support the show through Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/goodenoughchats Matt Hocking opens up about what happens when years of pressure, emotional over-functioning, and unprocessed trauma finally catch up with you, and how a late diagnosis of ADHD has helped him to start making sense of it all. Matt talks about hitting a wall after trying to push through months of mental and physical...

☕ Support the show through Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/goodenoughchats Martin Lathbury is a social media professional and retro gaming fan who grew up feeling like he didn’t quite fit. In this episode, he talks openly about the long shadow of childhood bullying, the experience of being “othered” as a gay man, and how years of internalised shame left him emotionally detached, anxious...

In this episode of GoodEnoughChats, Mark Jennings talks candidly about the inner pressure to succeed, where it came from, and the devastating impact it eventually had on his health, relationships, and identity. Mark shares how a lifetime of striving to meet other people’s expectations led to burnout, the breakdown of his marriage, and a complete collapse of confidence during a job in London. That,...

In this episode of GoodEnoughChats, John Lyons opens up about the series of life events that brought him to the edge, and the path he took to find his way back. John shares how the sudden death of his younger brother, a cancer diagnosis, and the breakdown of his marriage just before the first UK lockdown created a perfect storm that left him isolated, depressed, and seriously contemplating taking...

We’ve just wrapped Season 3 of GoodEnoughChats, 10 new episodes featuring 10 incredibly generous, diverse, and honest stories. In this wrap-up, host Dan Bowsher reflects on the conversations shared this season and offers a quick look ahead to what’s coming next. From taking a short break over the summer, to planning new ways to expand the impact of the podcast, this is a brief pause to mark how fa...

In this episode of GoodEnoughChats, a men’s mental health podcast on a mission to destigmatise these issues, one chat at a time, Jason Hoss shares his story with rare honesty and resilience. He talks about what it was like to live for years with a partner struggling with high-functioning alcoholism, while raising two young children, battling financial hardship, and rebuilding his life after injury...