John Birkill joins Dan to share his mental health story, from the impact Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) had on him at a very young age, through to being diagnosed more than four decades later with autism and Chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) in his 50s.

John also talks about his experience of anti-depressants and therapy, spending time in prison, and the passion he has for normalising men's conversations about mental health.

Here are the timestamps for when each of our core questions is discussed, so you can fast-track to John's answers:

0:00 Introduction to GoodEnoughChats and John

2:34 Why are you sharing your mental health experiences with us today?

4:25 How has your last week been?

5:52 How has your relationship with your mental health evolved?

18:41 What have been the lightbulb moments for you?

34:36 If someone facing a similar problem came to you today, what's the most important thing they can do?

If you'd like to chat with John about his experiences, reach out to him via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-birkill-627653109/

If you'd like to come onto the show yourself, don't hesitate to get in touch with Dan Bowshe via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danbowsher/

Find the show on your favourite podcast platform and follow us on all our socials via this link: ⁠https://linktr.ee/goodenoughchats⁠

Why is GoodEnoughChats a thing?

There is a mental health crisis for men aged between their mid-thirties and early fifties, and one of the things we know can make a positive difference is encouraging men to open up about what's on their minds.

Each episode of GoodEnoughChats features a new guest who has volunteered to share their experiences to help destigmatise mental health amongst men.

The discussions are all centred on the same five questions, but each one tells a unique story that might be useful for someone else to hear. We want to build a bank of these chats so they are there for people when they need them.

If you have been affected by some of the issues addressed in this conversation, please know that you are not alone and there are some fantastic places you can turn to for help, including (but by no means limited to):

NHS, https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/

he Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), https://www.thecalmzone.net/

Samaritans, https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

Mind, https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/where-to-start/