"You become what you give your attention to" - Epictetus

Young Blood (Men’s Health Matters)

Young Blood Philosophy - What You Give Your Attention To

Weekly Wisdom  "The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." - Confucius

Young Blood Philosophy - The Gem

Happy World Mental Health Day! This is a story for anyone who’s ever felt like a fish out of water with nowhere to go and no one to talk to...   Jahin Tanvir is just starting his twenties and he’s already a multi award winning youth advocate, policy advisor and keynote speaker - a man living out his passion, giving a voice to those who deserve to be heard.   A first generation migrant who came to Australia from Bangladesh in the early 2000s, Jahin was in his younger days, one of the only children of colour in his school and his neighbourhood… facing racism and alienation that caused him severe anxiety.   As far back as he can remember, Jahin felt like an outcast who didn’t fit in, in Australia. He was never comfortable in his own skin and for a long time, wanted desperately to be someone other than himself. The worst part was, he was convinced no one could ever know how he really felt inside for fear or being rejected by his own family. Jahin says the culture he hails from has been critical of mental health issues, quick to judge those who’re struggling and prone to labelling people crazy - so he buried his distress with everything he had.

What To Do When You Don‘t Belong with Jahin Tanvir

Jordan Hackett is a Sexologist and Men's Sex Coach who specialises in helping men build intimacy and connection with themselves and their partners. Like many of us growing up; Jordan didn't know the first thing about how to communicate with girls and felt like he was missing out on a part of life he had a deep need to experience.  After discovering porn as an outlet for his frustrations before his teenage years began, Jordan soon developed a reliance and found himself further away from the kind of real intimacy he was actually chasing.  Jordan's fascinated by everything to do with sex and all the ways humans navigate it.  So much so that he's made a career out of it as a somatic sex educator, a trauma-informed, body based form of sex therapy.  Blokes joke about sex all the time, but how often do we really talk about it? and reflect on what it is about who we are and how we feel about ourselves that significantly impacts our sex lives?  Yeah, not often...

Sex, Porn and the Quest for Intimacy with Sexologist, Jordan Hackett

Today is World CML (chronic myeloid leukaemia) Day. CML is a rare form of blood cancer that just over 300 Australians are diagnosed with each year. In 2019, Michael Bowen was one of them...   He was on his way to work one day when he got an urgent call to come into the emergency department. Minutes later his life changed in an instant when he was suddenly hit with the diagnosis. The man of the house, supporting a young family, Michael's first thoughts were of his baby daughter, confronted with the question of if he was going to live to be there for her.   No one could be prepared for the hardship in the years that followed. The immense mental and physical difficulty of living with cancer and the self applied pressure to get back to being the man he thought he was, sent Michael spiraling into a deep depression. But step by step and with great support from friends and family Michael slowly dragged himself out of the pit of despair that'd all but swallowed him.   Now Michael's in remission and sharing his story as an ambassador for the Leukaemia Foundation.   September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month so if someone you love is diagnosed with blood cancer, please reach out to the Leukaemia Foundation on 1800 620 420 or visit leukaemia.org.au for help.   You can also join the tens of thousands of Australians impacted by blood cancer by participating in this year’s Leukaemia Foundation Light the Night event on Saturday 16 October. Visit lightthenight.org.au for more info.    

Beating Blood Cancer with Survivor, Michael Bowen

Jack Nagle was a nice, middle class kid from a supportive, loving family. Not the background befitting the stereotype of the kind of people who destroy their lives on drugs…but that didn’t matter.   Jack ended his teens and started his twenties as the most hardcore drug addict imaginable and the fact he’s lived to tell the tale defies all probability.   Shooting up ice and heroin and swallowing fists full of prescription pills, he was brought back to life by paramedics after dealers left him to die of an overdose, only to go straight back to those same people for more drugs after checking out of hospital.   He was as hopeless as hopeless gets… but there’s always hope. Not in a fantastical, too good to be true way, but the kind of hope that manifests into a rich rewarding that most in the grip of addiction would think impossible. But it’s not impossible…   Now Jack’s 10 years clean and running drug education and media business Realdrugtalk being the person he really needed when he thought he was beyond help.

Ice, Heroin, Hell and Back with Jack Nagle

Dan Pronk served 4 tours of Afghanistan as a Special Operations doctor, spending many days saving and losing fellow soldiers through more than 100 combat missions. Dan, his brother Ben and veteran, Tim Curtis, have just released their book, ‘The Resilience Shield’ - A mix of enthralling stories and practical instructions breaking down methods we can all use to build genuine resilience. Dan thrived in the most extreme high stress environments and found the rampant intensity of battle so enticing that he felt he had to keep going back for more.  When he was in the thick of it, witnessing all the death and destruction destruction seemed like water off a ducks back, but Dan’s trauma was building all along till it finally caught up with him.  Dan is a prime example of post traumatic growth, the positive flip side of post traumatic stress we don’t often hear about.  Very few of us have survived the worst of the worst like Dan has, but we all faces challenges in our lives with the potential to break us and we all need a Resilience Shield. 

The Resilience Shield with Ex Special Forces Medic Dan Pronk

Nick Bracks just published his first book 'Move Your Mind' - it's both his personal story of struggling with mental health throughout his life and a guide on how we can better equip ourselves to handle the challenges inevitably coming our way, all based on countless conversations with experts, advocates and every day people he's had over the past decade.   The son of the former Premier of Victoria, Nick always put a lot of pressure on himself to be exceptional but unfortunately that went hand in hand with a constant stream of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours that drove him to self destruction.   Through sheer repetition and desire, he's built himself up from being a guy who was terrified to speak in front of anyone, to presenting more than a thousands talks on mental health to audiences around the world.   He's an actor, an entrepreneur, a business owner and now an author, but perhaps most impressively, he's managed to still not be up himself.... that's because he hasn't forgotten why he does what he does in the first place.   Nick's a genuine operator and his book is well worth reading, but don't take my word for it, You can hear for yourself!   ***TRIGGER WARNING*** This video discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is suicidal, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the suicide prevention hotline in your country.

Move Your Mind with Nick Bracks

Shane Mitchell is one of Australia's most dangerous men in the octagon with a 12 and 4 professional Mixed Martial Arts record.   In the cage he's known for his savage knockout power...not what anyone expected from a shy kid growing up without much confidence in Adelaide's northern suburbs...   Shane's been a pro fighter since 2013 and now touching 30, he's still grinding to realise his dream of making it to the UFC. He's had to overcome more than his fair share of adversity on the hard road to becoming a champion; it's taught him what matters and what he needs to stay focused.   From the outside looking in, we only see the glory or failure in the end result; when years of work boils down to a moment that can be over in minutes and sometimes even seconds... But rarely do we get to see inside the heads of those who have what it takes to put themselves in the arena.

Whatever It Takes with MMA Pro Shane Mitchell

Matt Morris is the chair of the South Australian Rainbow Advocacy Alliance, working for the rights of the LGBTIQ community.   Matt realised he was bisexual/pansexual in his teens, but it took him years to work up the courage to come out. Fortunately his sexuality was accepted by his friends and family but that hasn’t been the case for others he knows.   Matt’s always felt called to help those who really need it, he’s worked the phones for Lifeline in suicide prevention, advocated for the homeless and was fired up to step into his current role after witnessing the damaging impact of homophobia and transphobia during the marriage equality debate.

Standing Proud for LGBTIQ with Matt Morris

When it comes to Aussie culture, punting has traditionally been right up there with having a cutla cold ones, watching the footy and chucking snags on the barby... In fact, 39% of Aussies gamble on a regular basis and Australia leads the world in gambling losses per capita, totaling around $25 billion per year. The pokies do the most damage overall, but in recent years the percentage of young men betting on sports and horse racing has also been increasing at an exponential rate. One of them was Luke McLean, who was controlled by a gambling addiction he couldn't escape for over a decade. Luke got hooked after his first big win at the TAB as a 17 year old and went on to spend just every cent he ever earned on sports betting. The habit made him hate himself and very nearly claimed his life, before he found the therapy that allowed him to finally break free. Now a Men's Coach, Luke is dedicated to helping give other men the tools to beat their own demons.

Gamble (Ir)responsibly with Luke McLean

Nathan Bolton is a former soldier who served two tours of Afghanistan as a Special Operations Engineer in the Australian Special Forces. His primary objective was to find and clear improvised explosive devices planted across the battlefield by the enemy and it led to him to coming within literally an inch of death. Surviving such horror caused Nathan significant trauma, but he didn't know it at the time. Having never learned to process his emotions, he'd instead been conditioned to bottle it all up and get on with the job. After getting home from his second tour, Nathan wasn't the same... Suddenly he was experiencing fits of rage and being overwhelmed by a whirlwind of feelings and deep pain he couldn't understand. He was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depression. Another battle that almost claimed his life... But he held on - and through years of intense self-work, eventually rebuilt himself as a new man, capable of more than he ever imagined. Now the co-owner of Bolton Brothers psychology practice for men and a champion of positive mental health, Nathan shares the story of who he was, what he went through and who he's become - A stunning example of personal transformation.

The War Inside with Nathan Bolton

Mitch McPherson lost his younger brother to suicide in 2013 and living through that tragedy was a major turning point that would come to define his future career. Mitch was a glazier by trade, but for the past 7 years he's been touring the country, sharing his lived experience story with thousands of people at hundreds of events, teaching everyone how to spot the warning signs when someone's at risk of suicide and inspiring organisations to change the way they think about mental health. Mitch founded his business, SPEAK UP Stay ChatTY to spread this crucial message as far and wide as possible and now leads a team of people delivering mental health programs at schools and sporting clubs. He was the 2017 Tasmanian Young Australian of the Year and his passion for saving lives is only burning brighter as the impact of his much needed work continues to grow.

To Lose A Brother with Mitch McPherson

Dylan Buckley is a former AFL player who's life has gone down a path he never imagined... Since his school days, Dyl believed he was destined to play professional footy and that belief turned into a reality when he was swept into the league as a teenager. With his self worth totally wrapped up in his on-field performance, he found himself struggling to keep it together when he wasn't playing up to his standards and didn't know who he was beyond the game. Eventually he was de-listed by Carlton after 4 years with the club and having put all his eggs in one basket, there was no back-up plan to turn to. Dyl was soon picked up by another club only to be de-listed again, but by that time he'd discovered an unlikely passion that would lead him on to bigger and better things - becoming the host of what is now one of the top podcasts in Australia, 'Dyl & Friends'. His twenties have been a rollercoaster of self discovery and it turns out he's not who he thought he always had to be...He's better.

Beyond The Game with Dyl Buckley

This is a series focused on starting conversations about young men's health. Young Blood has been inspired by wanting to do something about the extremely high rates of suicide among men aged 15 to 45 and the need to create an environment for men to talk openly and honestly about the topics that impact all aspects of our health.

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Young Blood (Men’s Health Matters)

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