Mad Mel’s Mic

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, Episode 19 I share the real reason I started talking publicly about PTSD and how recording has become a surprising kind of therapy for me. I connect a song lyric to the hardest parts of recovery, then bring it back to everyday life with pain, setbacks, and the small social choices that keep me from isolating.  • my PTSD turning point at 37 and the end of my police career...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, Episode 18 I talk through a cold, hard week and why showing up online with raw honesty helps me feel less alone and helps others feel seen. A Toy Story song opens up a bigger truth about PTSD, identity loss, and why tiny actions and real connection keep me from sliding into isolation. • posting TikTok and social videos despite perfectionism  • creating a podcast to reach...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, Episode 17 My knee injury has me sidelined from the sports that keep me grounded, and I can feel my brain racing ahead to the worst outcomes. I talk through how pain, poor sleep, and uncertainty flare my PTSD, and how I’m trying to use my tools before I slide too far down the snake.  • skipping song of the week because nothing resonates  • asking listeners for song sugge...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, Episode 16 I’m riding a wave of optimism while also dealing with knee pain that’s starting to tug at my mental health. I talk through how I keep myself from sliding into isolation by leaning on practical tools, supportive people, and a more hopeful inner voice.  • song of the week and why bad days can still be “worth gold”  • knee injury update, physio appointment, and b...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, Episode 15 I talk about why friendship and connection can feel like the missing piece when life gets heavy, from Toy Story nostalgia to what real support looks like in practice. We also unpack recovery lessons from a course in Newcastle, a powerful cancer resilience story, and my ongoing work to reframe PTSD as a significant life event with hard parts and real positives....

Send us Fan Mail Season 2 Episode 14 I’m recording from Newcastle while I’m deep in learning and thinking about what real change looks like when you live with PTSD. I use Green Day’s “Still Breathing” to remind you that if you’re still here, you can start again and you can move forward, even if it’s slow.  • correcting last week’s song credit mix-up  • taking The Change Room course and why I recom...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, Episode 13 I talk about what it feels like to swing through a whole stack of emotions in one day and how living with PTSD can make that feel like different versions of me. I share a tough reminder that PTSD still shows up sometimes, plus a few bright spots like better sleep, creative projects, and small wins that keep me moving forward.  • feeling emotions again after co...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, Episode 12 **** trigger warning - talk of mental health and suicide**** We follow the thread of “Follow Your Arrow” into the messy reality of PTSD, stigma, and why other people’s opinions can quietly steer our choices. I share how a sore knee and a jarred finger triggered a sudden mental health crash, then work through practical ways to reframe setbacks and speak to ours...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, Episode 11 ***TRIGGER WARNING: TALK OF SUICIDE, DEATH AND OTHER TRAUMA RELATED INCIDENTS**** Please listen with caution and seek help where needed. We sit down with Jeff, a medically retired police officer, to talk honestly about PTSD, alcohol dependence, and the moment his body and mind forced him to stop running. He shares how AA, inpatient treatment, and real connecti...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2 Episode 10: We catch up on what’s been happening in my life with PTSD and why “I’m good” can be the easiest answer even when it’s not true. I share how the Never Late Female Posty Ride pushed me straight through fear and still ended with pride, friendship, and big funds raised for Wings For Kids.  • Song of the week and why it hits  • Why we default to “I’m good” and what...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, Episode 9 We talk about the parts of my PTSD recovery I rarely say out loud, including how faith helps me keep moving when life feels too heavy. I also share a moment with Rory that reframes body image and self-worth, plus a story that proves how words can shape what we believe about ourselves.  • thanking my brother and reflecting on why family chats feel cathartic  • f...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, Episode 8 We talk with my brother Matthew about our messy, funny sibling history and how my policing career changed the way we both saw the world. He shares what it felt like watching my PTSD unfold, what he got wrong at first, and what helped him learn how to support me with patience and faith.  • where “Fez” comes from and what it says about our childhood  • the age ga...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, Episode 7 I share what’s been on my mind lately, from a reel that reminded me I’m not a burden to the small routines that keep me steady when I start to feel flat. I also tell the full story of our Canberra pickleball weekend, a compliment that meant more than weight loss, and the progress I can finally see in my PTSD recovery. • A reel that reframes depression and shame...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, Episode 6: Watching PTSD up close is one thing. Watching it happen to your child is another. For this conversation, I bring on my mum and dad to tell the story people rarely hear: what it’s like to raise a strong-willed kid, cheer her on into the police force, and then sit in the shockwave when trauma finally shows up years later. We talk about the proud moments and the...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, Episode 5 I catch up on a huge week and use a “song of the week” to remind us that everything we are is enough, even on the worst days. I also reflect on how my PTSD recovery shows up in real moments like family parties, anxiety spikes, and the small routines that keep me steady. • song of the week as a self-worth reminder and a way to stay open • Rory’s 18th birthday pa...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, Episode 4 We break a two-week silence with a real check-in on PTSD, sleep, and why progress shows up as longer stretches between low days. From pickleball highs to a Bali trip without meds and a surprising psychedelic light session, we map tools that kept us steady. • owning the social media gap and why showing up matters • using “brighter days” as a practical frame for...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, Episode 3 We explore how fast life feels and why music, small joys, and steady people help us face PTSD and depression. A workshop comparing mental and physical disability weights reframes invisible pain, while a weekend of concerts, volunteering and rep basketball becomes a field test for coping skills. • time racing and naming the squeeze • song of the week as an ancho...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, episode 2 We share a tough week shaped by poor sleep, a medication gap, and that uneasy fear of feeling okay, then map out how the five pillars of PTSD recovery help us build longer stretches between storms. Along the way we own a slip into judgment, reset with compassion, and plan real-world steps that keep us grounded. • new season update and mood check • sleep disrupt...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, episode 1 Season two opens with a clear-eyed check-in on PTSD, family milestones, and the simple habits that shape recovery. We talk sleep, anxiety, honest wins, and a new outpatient program, ending with a gentle nudge to be kind to yourself. • song of the week and why Unwell resonates with PTSD recovery • family updates across graduation, school, and apprenticeship • ch...

Send us Fan Mail Season 1 Finale; Episode 35 We close the season with a candid look at PTSD, support that actually helps, and the messy balance between ambition, health, and holidays. Music memories, first speaking gigs, and hard-won lessons shape a toolkit for getting through Christmas without losing yourself. • deciding to pause for the year and return with interviews • why Desperado still hits...

Send us Fan Mail Season 1, Episode 34: We share a preview of Melissa’s resilience talk, moving from a psychiatric ward bed to a microphone and a new sense of purpose. The story reframes PTSD as a quiet, masked struggle and offers hard-won ways to practice kindness, celebrate small wins, and keep going. • setting a clear content warning and care invitation  • hospital bed to finding a voice through...

Send us Fan Mail We share what a second run through the STAIR program revealed about PTSD, emotion regulation, and the quiet signs of progress. A poem, a song, and a freezer‑door trick anchor simple tools you can use when the threat system takes over. • outpatient stay at St John of God and why it helps  • STAIR explained as skills for emotion, communication, and boundaries  • feeling again after...

Send us Fan Mail Season 1, Episode 32 We unpack a song-fueled habit challenge, explore how Emerge N See supports PTSD recovery with real community, and share honest moments from a week of anxiety spikes, parenting teens, and hard-won coping tools. Hope shows up through small steps, skilled support, and a thought that reframes struggle. • song of the week and a one-habit challenge • why Emerge N Se...

Send us Fan Mail Season 1, Episode 31 We trace a month of real life with PTSD: finding hope in a new Taylor Swift track, fighting a stubborn eye stye, stepping back onto the basketball court, buying a bigger bike, and learning from sleep shifts, med changes, and a comical dosing mistake. The theme running through it all is “choose your hard,” backed by kindness, small wins, and steady practice. •...

Send us Fan Mail Season 1 Episode 30: What happens when the person who knows your childhood best sits down to tell the truth about your hardest years? We invited my older sister, Emma, to unpack what PTSD looked like from her side of the glass—how she noticed the shift from high-energy extrovert to survival mode, why asking direct questions saved us from guesswork, and the moment she knew the fog...