Episode 88 – Schizoaffective Disorder with The Secret Psychiatrist

Find out more at www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

Trigger warning: this podcast discusses delusions, hallucinations suicide, sexual libido, impulsivity and mood disturbances.

Find Jonny Benjamin online at:

Twitter

Website

Get the book here

If you feel suicidal call 999/911 immediately.

If you need to talk you can contact:

Samaritans on:

Mental Health Resources:

Rethink Mental Illness

Mind The Mental Health Charity

  • Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (Our lines are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays)
  • Text: 86463
  • http://bit.ly/2p6rntK

Social Media

Twitter:

Becky: @BLawrence85

Sydney: @sydney_timmins

The Secret Psychiatrist: @thesecretpsych

Podcast: @MHBC_Podcast

Facebook

Podcast: https://www.facebook.com/MHBCpodcast/

Sydney: https://www.facebook.com/Sydney-Timmins-1695774814065575/

Mental Health Book Review: The Stranger on the Bridge by Jonny Benjamin MBE

Overall rating:

The Mental Health Book Club LOVED this book, both Sydney and Becky gave it 5*. Not only is it well written and edited, it is also honest and insightful. Jonny is open about his journey from being on the bridge and his encounter with Neil Langbourn, who talked him down on that fateful day, to the amazing mental health campaigner he is today.

Learning about Jonny’s campaigning in schools and in the private sector as well as him accepting his MBE is inspiring. Jonny not only addresses how far society has come in accepting mental health as equal to physical health but he also speaks about how far we still have to go, especially when it comes to men’s mental health.

Jonny also speaks of the impact of his Jewish culture and sexuality had on his mental health. A topic that is not always addressed. He discussed his relationship with his parents and his worry about worrying them, and the difficulties that brings to his asking for help and support from the people he loves.

Jonny gives advice on self-care through his own experiences with mindfulness and positivity. It is heart-breaking to read at times but also leaves you in awe of Jonny’s endless kindness and compassion.

This book is a fantastic read, especially for anyone who ever wondered what dealing with mental health illnesses is like. Jonny has schizoaffective disorder and is very open about his experiences with this long-term illness.

Episode 86 – The Stranger on the Bridge by Jonny Benjamin MBE

Trigger warning: this podcast discusses suicide, hospitilisation, young people’s mental health and Westminster Bridge attack.

Find Jonny Benjamin online at:

Twitter

Website

Get the book here

Jonny’s shout outs and new charity:

Beyond shame beyond stigma website

Beyond Shame and Stigma on Twitter

Hub of Hope

If you feel suicidal call 999 immediately.

If you need to talk you can contact:

Samaritans on:

Mental Health Resources:

Rethink Mental Illness

Mind The Mental Health Charity

  • Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (Our lines are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays)
  • Text: 86463
  • http://bit.ly/2p6rntK

Social Media

Twitter:

Becky: @BLawrence85

Sydney: @sydney_timmins

The Secret Psychiatrist: @thesecretpsych

Podcast: @MHBC_Podcast

Facebook

Podcast: https://www.facebook.com/MHBCpodcast/

Sydney: https://www.facebook.com/Sydney-Timmins-1695774814065575/

Book 34 – The Stranger on the Bridge by Jonny Benjamin


In 2008, twenty year-old Jonny Benjamin stood on Waterloo Bridge, about to jump. A stranger saw his distress and stopped to talk with him – a decision that saved Jonny’s life. Fast forward to 2014 and Jonny, together with Rethink Mental Illness launch a campaign with a short video clip so that Jonny could finally thank that stranger who put him on the path to recovery. More than 319 million people around the world followed the search. ITV’s breakfast shows picked up the story until the stranger, whose name is Neil Laybourn, was found and – in an emotional and touching moment – the pair re-united and have remained firm friends ever since. The Stranger on the Bridge is a memoir of the journey Jonny made both personally, and publicly to not only find the person who saved his life, but also to explore how he got to the bridge in the first place and how he continues to manage his diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder. Using extracts from diaries Jonny has been writing from the age of thirteen, this book is a deeply personal memoir with a unique insight on mental health. Jonny was recognised for his work as an influential activist changing the culture around mental health, when he was awarded an MBE in 2017. He and Neil now work full-time together visiting schools, hospitals, prisons and workplaces to help end the stigma by talking about mental health and suicide prevention. The pair ran the London Marathon together in 2017 in aid of HeadsTogether. Following the global campaign to find the stranger, in 2015 Channel 4 made a documentary of Jonny’s search which has now been shown in 14 territories.