Holding on to Hope

Andrew's life has been marked by immense challenges. As a forced adoptee, he endured a difficult start, followed by psychological and physical abuse at school, leaving him deeply affected by complex trauma. At 15, Andrew turned to alcohol, and by 20, he reached a point of despair, owing a significant debt and resorting to robbing his own family's house, even attempting suicide. This trigge...

Said grew up with a mum battling schizophrenia and parents who didn’t know how to speak into mental health. He has done a lot of work healing childhood trauma and openly talks about falling into the wounded caregiver role. Said held on to hope through his own struggles with substance abuse and suicide, now he teaches other empaths how to manage boundaries and turn their sensitivities into superpow...

Having found out in the most awful fashion at 6 years old she was adopted, Lea struggled with challenges throughout high school. Faced with crippling depression and societal stigma, she grappled with finding her place in the world. As a mother of two boys, she wore a mask and struggled alone. She is a passionate about an individualised approach to treatment, finding your own coping strategies and...

Despite having a loving mother and maternal family, Ian’s early years saw him experience serious Domestic and Family abuse. As a young teenager, Ian says he was convinced his future contained a repetition of his difficult childhood and adolescence. This was a fate he was determined to avoid. Later in life, Ian faced more challenges and he felt he had no control left except for one thing, his own l...

On today’s episode we are joined by Anwyn. Anwyn has struggled with depression and anxiety since early childhood - growing up in a dysfunctional and unsafe environment. As she entered early adulthood, all at the same time she moved from a small town to a big city, began unravelling her sexuality, lost a parent and found herself in a building fire. Feeling loneliness and isolation crowding in aroun...

In 2013, at the age of 18, Tom Boyd was undeniably the best junior footballer in Australia and was first pick in the AFL National Draft. After the beginning of an illustrious career in the game, however, things began to become unstitched. Tom ultimately made the tough decision mid-way through the 2019 season to walk away from his career with 2 years and over $2 million remaining on his contract, w...

Matt is a suicide survivor, mental fitness facilitator, and humanitarian. After suffering with depression and anxiety from the age of 12, Matt attempted suicide in 2016 - which in turn, left him wheelchair bound. After sustaining his injury - Matt managed to shift his frame of mind completely and is now on a mission to instruct, inspire, influence and positively impact millions of people’s lives a...

These days, Lizzie describes herself as feeling completely free and like she’s thriving. But she didn’t always feel that way. In this episode, Lizzie opens up to Ruben Mackellar about her childhood, her journey to finding hope, and the turning point that completely changed the course of her life. Holding on to Hope shares the stories of everyday Australians that have experienced moments in crisis...

This is the story of Ian ‘Eno’ Taylor. After battles with suicidal ideation, he learned the value of reaching out for help. When two friends didn’t do the same, he found himself asking why. That simple act might have saved their lives. Eno decided to take action - in a, literally, traffic stopping way!

Some of us wonder why your schooldays are said to be the happiest days of your life. Many find them a struggle – including Isabella who experienced all the usual teenage angsts along with family issues and mental health concerns. But although she was so down on herself, others recognised what a remarkable young woman Isabella is and came to her aid – including a very special Lifeline support group

Lachie Samuel is a former FIFO mining worker, flying in and out of some of the most remote, desolate places in Australia, places where male suicide and mental health issues are a major concern. In his Holding on to hope podcast, Lachie explains how he also became one of its victims and how he went on to turn pain into purpose.

Wes Herring reckoned he had life all mapped out. He would take over the family farm, continue the tradition of raising merino sheep and, with wife Kate, bring up a family who would continue the succession. But nothing went to plan. Wes was hit by one blow after another until the physical and emotional pain finally became too much and took him to a very dark place.. This is his story about how, by...

Welcome to lifelines, holding onto hope. A podcast series in which people who've reached a dark place in their lives share their stories. As part of the Out of the Shadows program we talk with Ingrid Ozols about how she has battled with suicide ideation since childhood. Now she helps others by sharing what she has learned on her journey of recovery.

Welcome to lifelines, holding onto hope. A podcast series in which people who've reached a dark place in their lives share their stories. As part of the Out of the Shadows program we’re talking with international Rugby League icon Ian Roberts. In a stellar career, Ian was renowned for being a hard and ferocious competitor. But for a number of Australians he is regarded as a champion for being the...

Welcome to Lifeline’s Holding onto Hope, a podcast in which people who’ve attempted suicide explain how they found joy in life again. Australians are the biggest gamblers – and the biggest losers in the world and nowhere do we lose more than on the pokies. Every year, it is estimated 400 people commit suicide due to distress over their gambling issues and a further 12,000 contemplate or attempt su...

Parental alienation is said to affect at least 10 per cent of children affected by divorce and it happens when one parent seeks to undermine their children’s relationship with the other. Victimised mums, dads and children can suffer terribly as a result. Here Matt and Amanda share their stories and explain how they’ve supported each other, rebuilt their lives… and continued to hold onto hope.

Anthony Hart's slide into depression snuck up on him, taking him and everyone who knew him by surprise. It’s actually a miracle Anthony’s still alive and what he’s achieved since is no less astonishing – a system to help everyone spot their own warning signs and get help.

Many of us who’ve had dealings with a vet probably think it’s a pretty nice life – dealing with animals, charging big bills. As equestrian dental specialist Oliver Liyou explains, they forget there’s no Medicare for pets and that vets are struggling under the weight of stress, financial pressure, long hours and massive emotional dilemmas. Oliver built his practise from scratch sharing his expertis...

Oliver Heywood is 23, popular, funny, smart and caring - the last person anyone ever imagined would suffer depression. But at 14, he began a slide into darkness that gradually got worseHere Oliver and his friends, Liam and Connor Holliday, Melissa Baker and Ashleigh McBride share their journey of understanding and the importance of staying connected.

Life says athlete Eric Horrie is full of if onlys, if only his mum had chosen a different partner. If only he'd driven through that intersection two seconds later. If only the hospital hadn't confused him with another patient. But along with the bad decisions that have shaped his life, there have been good ones from the moment he fell in love with partner Michelle, to the night of Lifeline volunte...

Chris Bogusis has survived three major bushfires including Victoria’s Black Saturday. The accumulated stress, however, left him with PTSD causing him to lose his home and marriage. If it hadn’t been for the extraordinary action of his dog Grizzly, he would also have lost his life. Chris’ story explains how to reduce “mental injury” by seeking help early, why it’s important to find the support that...

Gracie Gribble is 19, funny, very smart, bubbly and bursting with ideas and dreams. But her life hasn’t always been like that. From the age of eight, Gracie was dealing with the early stages of bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, when you live in an outback mining town, finding help can be tough. On top of that, Gracie had three siblings suffering with health issues of their own. Perhaps it wasn’t su...

As a former fire fighter Ross Beckley had to deal with some horrific situations – anything from car accidents to house fires – and it took its toll on his mental health. Today he and his partner Ronnie, a social welfare worker, use his experience to help others. And he’s realised he doesn’t need to wear a badge to save lives.

The diagnosis of a chronic mental health condition can be devastating - not just because you're scared of how it will affect you but because you're not sure how others will react. No-one knows that better than Kieran a doctor at an Australian hospital's psychiatric unit. That's because as well as caring for patients who are suffering, he's had his own struggles with mental illness. Here, with the...

Donna Thistlethwaite had a great career, a loving partner Greg, a gorgeous toddler Matthew and a bubbly extrovert personality which meant she also had lots of friends. But after taking maternity leave, she returned to a new leadership role and suddenly life began to unravel. Even so, she was the last person in the world anyone expected to attempt suicide