Hello and welcome to my podcast, The Wellness Project with Des. On today’s episode I speak with Mike Martin about his lifelong battle with anxiety, depression, and self-harm.
I’m Desiree, a Mental Health Therapist that is passionate about helping people improve their mental health and live a healthy and fulfilled life. One way I do this is by interviewing experts in the field of mental health and wellness as well as those that have struggled with their mental health but have gained control over it and now live fulfilling lives. In this episode, we will hear from Mike about his struggles with mental health from a young age.
Mike had been struggling with anxiety and depression as young as 8 years old, but he wasn’t aware that it was anxiety and depression until he was in his 20’s. Mike was very good at masking his struggles and because of that, not many people knew he was struggling. Mike also self-harmed from a young age. He explains that the self-harm started out as hitting himself and escalated to cutting. Self-harm was an unhealthy yet effective coping tool to help him deal with and externalize his inner pain.
After a suicide attempt, Mike began online therapy. He learned about mindfulness and put together that he was already meditating when he was out in nature fishing and hunting. This revelation shifted Mike’s way of thinking and ultimately his life.
Listen to Mike’s story and learn about how the outdoors positively impacted his mental health and his life. He also shares his journey from being an absent father to building a relationship with his 12-year-old daughter.
Listen here:
Mentions:
- The Hunting Collective
- The Obstacle is the Way– Ryan Holiday
- Meditations– Marcus Aurelius
- Letters from a Stoic– Seneca
- American Buffalo– Steven Rinella
Where to find Mike:
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