The past few years have been a tumultuous time for masculinity… 

We’ve witnessed the furore whipped up by the manosphere, and the fear that we’re raising a generation of Andrew Tate clones…

We’ve had Primary prevention programs brought in to schools, spurred by the will to reduce Australia’s appalling rates of domestic violence. 

Men under 30 just played a major role voting Donald Trump back into power, influenced by his appearances on the world’s most popular male-led podcasts.

And swirling around all of this social discourse is one pervasive word that’s stuck to young men like a curse - toxic

With me to talk through this and more is psychologist and Movember Director, Dr Zac Seidler, a preeminent researcher and thought leader working to evolve men’s mental health in Australia. 

This is Dr Zac Seidler...

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We’re grateful to be producing our latest series in partnership with Credit Union SA – a proudly local team who love supporting the community and helping South Australians thrive through banking. Their support is critical in helping us shed light on men’s mental health.

Sometimes going through the worst pain you’ve ever experienced sets you on a path to becoming something greater than you ever imagined. 

A decade ago, Jed’s leg was crushed in a brutal workplace accident; and now he’s a 2024 Paralympic gold medalist… 

Now 38, Jed’s life experience extends far beyond being an elite athlete, he’s a family man, a leader and a dude who just keeps on learning.

This is Jed Altschwager…

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We’re grateful to be producing our latest series in partnership with Credit Union SA – a proudly local team who love supporting the community and helping South Australians thrive through banking. Their support is critical in helping us shed light on men’s mental health.

Imagine if your world suddenly went dark and you had to learn to live without the ability to see; That’s what happened to Ian when he was shot at the age of 21… 

Having lived half his life without his eyesight, Ian’s had to adapt in every way and has dedicated himself to becoming a mentor to young men through his youth work role at Top Blokes Foundation. 

This is Ian Clements…

----- We’re grateful to have produced this episode in partnership with Credit Union SA – a proudly local team who love supporting the community and helping South Australians thrive through banking. Their support is critical in helping us shed light on men's mental health.

Grief can take you to a dark place you never imagined, especially when it's wrapped in guilt. Drew spent a long time believing if he'd done more, his brother Mat might still be alive...As a teenager and an adult, Mat was often teetering on the edge, dealing with his inner turmoil by shutting down and keeping everyone out.

For more than a decade Drew knew something wasn't right with his brother, but couldn't penetrate the walls he put up. 

Drew self-destructed after Mat's death, using drinking and drugs to numb himself into oblivion, with ugly consequences. 

Finding purpose, deepening his connection with his mum and meeting his wife has made space for much brighter chapters in his story; all written down in his book, Until The End. 

This is Drew Westfield...

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----- We’re grateful to have produced this episode in partnership with Credit Union SA – a proudly local team who love supporting the community and helping South Australians thrive through banking. Their support is critical in helping us shed light on men's mental health.

No matter how hard he tried, Nik never felt good enough in any area of his life. Always craving respect and approval from his father that wasn’t forthcoming, he grew up believing any love he was to receive was conditional on what he could deliver.

Nik manufactured a version of himself based on his idea of what the people around him wanted him to be; and spent years in the cycle of escaping reality on the weekends.

The journey from self-hatred to self-love has been a painful and challenging one, but so much better than staying stuck.

This is Niko Diamond...

The quality of our mental health is intertwined with our sense of connection to each other and the world around us.
Humans are social creatures; we need community wherever we can find it, and being lonely makes us more likely to be mentally ill.
Ben is a musician on a mission to create connection his own way. Since April, he's been taking his guitar down every single street in the Adelaide CBD singing and striking up conversations while raising money for charity.
Ben's got his own mental health story, and is so passionate about that he's taken the Concrete Connection Project on as a full time job, without the pay
This is Benjamin Roberts...

You might be shocked to hear a third of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by another child...

It's not the stereotype that comes to mind when this topic gets brought up, but it's what happened to Shannon Molloy from the age of five...

An accomplished journalist and author, Shannon investigated male child sexual abuse for his book 'You Made Me This Way', interviewing experts and other survivors in an attempt to better understand his own trauma. 

Viciously tormented by bullies over his sexuality during his school days, Shannon's younger years were coloured by shame, secrecy and self-loathing. Despite always having felt broken in some way, he's gone on to create happy life for himself and his family, while building a successful career and bringing crucial light to ugly issues that've been in the dark for too long. 

This is Shannon Molloy...

Grinding out a successful career as a young lawyer, Brian thought he knew the path laid out before him, until one particularly confronting case changed everything…

Back then Brian had no idea embarking on his mental health journey would ultimately lead him to create a unique mental health support service called BCognitive.

Brian’s got a great story, he’s doing phenomenal work and listening to him talk will put a smile on your face.

This is Brian Njuguna...

Most of us have had times in our lives when we’ve felt like we don’t fit in, but what if you always felt out of place no matter where you are? That’s the reality for many people on the Autism Spectrum, who are known as 'neurodivergent' a name given to those whose brain processes information in a way that’s different to the majority.

At 28, Callum Reid is only now accepting the reality of living life as someone who’s not neurotypical. It’s taken a lifetime of self-torment, trying to force a square peg in a round hole, for him to realise everything that’s great about being just the way he is.

He works a 9 to 5, but his true passion is producing electronic music under the name ‘Lezen’.

This is Callum Reid…

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is often misunderstood. We commonly think of OCD as a need to keep things in order or being a germaphobe, but the reality can be far more life altering.  

Matt’s experience of OCD was coloured by a constant barrage of intrusive thoughts so intense that it drove him to make an attempt on his life. It was the peak of the crescendo in his story, but thankfully not the climax.

It's been a hard road for Matt since that dark day in 2020, but he's come a long way thanks to therapy, his fiancé and the coping strategies he’s put into practice.

Now he’s earned himself a psychology degree and he’s on a mission to help people.

This is Matt Forrester...

Countless young Aussies grow up playing sport, dreaming of life as a professional athlete.

Making a career out of playing the game you love sounds perfect; but as Tom Jonas will tell you, there’s more to it than meets the eye.

The former Port Adelaide captain's 13 season AFL career came to an end in 2023 after a rollercoaster year of inner turmoil. Tom's had to come to terms with hanging up the boots, and figure out how to evolve after footy. 

We chat about the AFL's ongoing shift in mental health culture and the broader impact of players showing vulnerability. Plus, Tom gives his insight on managing the mental and emotional side of professional sport.  

This is Tom Jonas...