Trigger warning: this episode discusses mental illness and suicidal ideation. If you need support and you’re in Australia, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14. If you’re outside Australia please look up the relevant free-call health services in your country. There is also a minor language warning on this episode. Today’s conversation is deeply personal. I share my own journey with mental health and particularly my diagnosis with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder at age 12, which so dramatically shaped the course of my life and set me on the path of spiritual seeking. This is an on-ramp to discussing the limitations of our healthcare system and the biopsychosocial model of health. We also look at the nuances of victimhood mentality and the choices we can sometimes face: whether to identify as broken, weak and constricted - or whether to choose the path of power and personal responsibility. We explore the concept of yin and yang, and the ways in which the darkest aspects of the self are usually twinned with the brightest - you can’t remove one without the other. This is a clarion call for self-intimacy, self-acceptance, and for standing fully in your truth. We also look at the concept of post-traumatic growth and the upsides of experiencing adversity. If this episode resonates, please rate and review wherever you get your podcasts, and/or share with a friend who you think might enjoy it. Thank you for listening!