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Mental As Anyone

A podcast to promote and raise awareness of mental health issues in comedians and entertainers by exploring views on mental health (from personal experience, or observations of peers and loved ones, or society in general).
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Now displaying: March, 2016
Mar 27, 2016

Interview with Comedian Tessa Ryan, who has been on the Melbourne scene for about a year, and has been performing in a sketch comedy show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival called DotComedy (the last show is TONIGHT – Sunday, 3 April).  Tessa does stand up as well, and has been known to frequent the Imperial, The Wild, Club Voltaire, Attik and other open mic rooms.

We discuss: Tessa’s panic attacks as a child and fear from not knowing what they were, the self-fulfilling prophecy of anxiety, the helpfulness of Progressive Muscle Relaxation, awareness of self-medication, preparation for change, exercising and other helpful coping techniques, gradual return to exercise after not doing it for a while, incidental exercise, how people are not very open about mental health issues, people going to counselling for help about their loved ones, comfort eating, short-term vs long-term goals, friends keeping mental health secrets, watching for extremes in behaviour, the power of hindsight, the importance of making time for yourself and getting enough sleep, Tessa’s super powers, the sage advice to Pat A Cat If You’re Sad, and Tessa’s message to encourage everyone to be more open about mental health issues, put yourself first and be kind to yourself, always.

Mar 26, 2016

Interview with Melbourne Comedian Hamish Paterson, who has been doing comedy for six months (with a pause in the middle due to a bad gig experience).  Hamish is a fun and likeable guy who tells personal stories on stage, and also works at The Comic’s Lounge to immerse himself in the comedy environment even when he’s not performing.

We discuss: Building his comedy confidence and being himself, comedy goals both local and abroad, meeting one of his comedy heroes, starting and stopping psychology studies, experiences of living abroad with his family, depression, how Hamish almost got his family deported from Dubai, the perils of taking Roaccutane, a “toxic” relationship and “life crisis” after high school, anxiety issues, views on being realistic with kids, The Bad Gig, reading the comedy audience, learning from mistakes, triggers for anxiety, lying & losing friends vs the relief of being himself, Hamish’s super power and ones he’d like to have, and the message of perseverance being the key to everything, along with staying healthy, self-belief and not being a lazy b!tch!

If you’d like to catch Hamish doing comedy, keep an eye out on Facebook to see if he’s at a roast battle or an open mic room or around Melbourne.

Mar 19, 2016

Interview with Melbourne Comedian Caili Christian, who is a self-professed late-starter, but is already kicking comedy goals.  Caili is involved in a couple of MICF shows (including support for Angela Green’s show Perfectly Reasonable, and the 100% Nuts showcase) and does regular open mic gigs around Melbourne.

We discuss: Caili’s sudden start in comedy after walking out of a frustrating job, the welcome from the comedy community, Caili’s “meltdown” three years ago, Tropical Island Therapy, Caili’s view on medication, the challenges and rewards of working on Nauru, Caili’s pivotal role in helping the other workers cope AND reach their personal goals, Caili’s view of government corruption, challenging social norms about women and gender stereotypes, the move to Melbourne, shift work and managing anxiety, work/life balance, comedy goals, coping strategies, owning her excuses, Caili’s super power, and her message of going easy on yourself and finding support and where you want to be. 

Mar 8, 2016

Interview with Lainie Chait who is new to the Melbourne comedy scene, but has always been hysterical to her loved ones!  Lainie undertook a series of comedy workshops six years ago in Byron Bay with comedy mentor Mandy Nolan, and since then has been regularly writing comedy (and also a book!).  In and around Melbourne, Lainie is doing open mics at the Imperial, Yes All Women in Richmond, and also has an upcoming gig in Daylesford. 

We discuss: The comedy scene in Byron, Lainie’s diagnosis of epilepsy at age 19 and the difficult road to accepting it, the big role of mental health in relation to epilepsy, different types and onsets, Lainie’s view of the triggers for her own onset, hiding the symptoms for four years, knowing intuitively that it’s not “just chemical” but emotional too, the fear and anxiety related to revealing her vulnerability, the self-fulfilling prophecy of anxiety, the conscious decision to not have children, the importance of trusting her intuition, the semantic difference between “you are epileptic” and “having epilepsy”, bringing epilepsy to the comedy stage, strategies for managing anxiety, never knowing how people might react to seizures, how her holistic approach has led to being 18 months seizure free, the “safety net” of seizure warnings, duty of care to self AND loved ones, Lainie’s book Electro Girl and the catharsis of writing it, Lainie’s super power of empowering people to feel comfortable about their flaws and finding the funny side of your human self, working on acceptance and finding a way to make it funny.

As mentioned in this podcast, check out the Electro Girl page on Facebook, and Lainie’s book (also titled Electro Girl) when it comes out later this year.

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