This week on Under The Skin Podcast, I sit down with Alex Sikiniotis (@fitnessmamauk) and I am in awe of this woman.

By the age of 17, Alex had already endured childhood sexual abuse, silence, and a teenage pregnancy. In her early twenties, she entered a marriage shaped by trauma, religious pressure, and deep vulnerability. What followed was a relationship marked by abuse, and ultimately, a divorce that became one of the most painful, complex battles of her life.

Her husband did the unthinkable. The breakdown of that relationship wasn’t just a heartbreak, it was a war she had to survive.

And yet… here she is. Speaking with grace, power, and clarity, not for attention, but to help others feel less alone. That kind of strength is rare. That kind of healing is hard-won. Alex has done the work, risen from her trauma, and now uses her voice and her platform to uplift women through movement, community, and truth.

She is a powerhouse. A mother. A business owner. A survivor. And this conversation is one you will not forget.

💛 Trigger warning: This episode includes discussions of childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence, and trauma. Please take care while listening.

If you're craving connection, healing, and time just for you — Alex’s next YogaFit Retreat in Greece (Sept 2025) might be exactly what you need.

👉 Join her in Greece for a week of movement, rest, sisterhood, and transformation.

[https://yogafitretreats.com/products/yogafit-greece-21-28-september-2025](https://yogafitretreats.com/products/yogafit-greece-21-28-september-2025)

📘 If you or someone you know has experienced childhood abuse and needs support:

**NSPCC (UK)** – [https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/](https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/)

Free, confidential helpline: 0808 800 5000

✨ If this episode moved you, please take a moment to comment, subscribe, and share. It truly helps these brave stories reach the people who need them, and that’s exactly why we do this podcast. To open up conversations, to support healing, and to remind each other we’re not alone.

"No one would miss me if I just disappeared"

In this raw and emotional episode, Nurse Orlagh Stevenson shares her deeply personal battle with postnatal depression, a condition that affects 1 in 5 women in the UK, yet often goes unseen and unheard.

Through tears, honesty, and courage, Orlagh opens up about the darkest moments of new motherhood, the overwhelming feelings, the isolation, and the heartbreaking thoughts that nearly made her walk away. What followed was a journey through pain, healing, and ultimately, strength found in vulnerability, support, and family.

💛 This conversation is not just about one mother, it’s about so many women suffering in silence 💬 If you’re a mother, know a mother, or have ever felt alone in your mental health journey, this episode is for you.

👉 Please like, comment, share your feelings or story, and subscribe to support more conversations like this, and to help others find stories that matter 🫶

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📲 Share this with someone who needs to hear they’re not alone ❤️

📘 Helpful UK Resources & Support

NHS – Postnatal Depression: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/post-natal-depression/overview/

PANDAS Foundation (WhatsApp + helpline): https://pandasfoundation.org.uk/

Mental Health Foundation: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/postnatal-depression

#postnataldepression
#mentalhealth #motherhood
#newmum #struggles
#maternalmentalhealth
#postpartumanxiety
#motherhoodreality
#mentalhealthpodcast
#Undertheskinpodcast

This week’s episode is a very personal one. Join me and my son as we dive into a heartfelt conversation about young men’s mental health. He opens up about his own struggles and how he found ways to cope with the challenges he faced.

If you have a son, brother, friend, or partner, this episode is one you won’t want to miss. It’s an honest, raw, and important conversation that we hope will resonate with many and help others feel less alone in their mental health journey.

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more real, unfiltered discussions.

#UnderTheSkinPodcast #MentalHealth #YoungMensMentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #Podcast

She was only 36 with no family history. It wasn’t even on her radar.

In this powerful episode, my guest bravely shares her story of being diagnosed with breast cancer at just 36 years old. From the shock of the diagnosis to the emotional and physical toll of treatment, she opens up about what it really means to face cancer when life is just getting started.

We talk about the symptoms, the tests, the strength she found, and the lessons she’s carrying forward - a woman forever changed.

This is more than a story of survival, it’s a wake-up call to trust our bodies, to push for answers, and to never assume we’re too young.

If you’ve ever felt dismissed, scared, or unsure of your next step, this one’s for you.

Let’s keep having these conversations. Let’s normalise them. And let’s remind each other that being proactive about our health could truly save a life, maybe even yours 💗

Perimenopause Almost Broke Me - HRT Gave Me My Life Back.

In this honest and heartfelt episode, our guest opens up about the real struggles of perimenopause - from the emotional toll to the physical symptoms that turned her world upside down. She shares how hormone replacement therapy (HRT) helped her reclaim her health, her happiness, and even her marriage.

This is not just her story, it’s a message to every woman:
You are not going crazy. You deserve to feel well. You deserve to be heard.

While she was fortunate to find support and the treatment she needed, many women are still dismissed, misdiagnosed, or left to suffer in silence. That must change.

This episode is a call to talk more, share more, and stand up for ourselves and each other. Because no woman should suffer alone or feel ashamed of what is a natural and powerful phase of life.

Let’s break the silence around perimenopause and menopause. Let’s demand better.

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