In this episode, we talk a lot about wanting to talk about triggers, then mention a few of them as we get carried away in other conversation. We consider how a Kieth Floyd drinking game could have been a game show precursor to Gogglebox, and why it’s stupid for the Government to try and ban crumpets.

Wil highlights some issues about supermarkets (again), especially when it comes to store layouts and tracking your journey around them. Andy shows his age by remembering when there was a time when there was some form of nightlife in Dudley, and we ask why delivery style apps can’t have the same filtering and blocking systems used by gambling sites. We also briefly talked about what happened when BBC News West Midlands came to say hello to us.

Oh, and also: Chicken.com is a real chain of fried chicken shops in the UK. We highly recommend you NOT go there, for your own safety.

In this episode, we look at what happens in times when you feel that you’re not getting the help you need in the mental health ‘system’, and how there is potentially a postcode lottery in the NHS when it comes to mental health support in England. We look back at what happened with Wil when he last felt ‘hopeless’, and how a simple phone call potentially saved him from the brink.

Not only does Andy manage to talk for more than a minute at a time, he actually holds a pretty substantial part of the conversation! Andy reflects on how not every piece of outpatient support is ‘useful’, especially when it comes to CPNs and their own personal ‘miracles’. Wil reminisces about managing to stumble across an entire hospital to get Andy a can of Pepsi, whilst barely being able to make it to the toilet un-aided, all whilst wearing jeans about 4 sizes too big.

In this episode, we pick off where we left off last time out, when Wil and Andy met for the first time.

We have a look at what life is like on an acute mental health ward, and some of the challenges that this leads to for patients, both in an immediate and post-discharge sense. We look at some of the basic steps that could be taken to improve re-integration into ‘community’ for those with long term inpatient stays, and just how some basic changes to inpatient activity can potentially start addressing this.

Miraculously, Andy talks for a full 30 seconds in one go, setting a new personal best, and Wil only had to remove about 30 ‘Um’s from the recording, down from approximately 45 in the last episode. Progress!

Taking substantially less time than it took Ted to explain how he met his kids’ mother, this episode takes a look at how Wil came to get to know Andy, whilst both were inpatients at Bushey Fields Hospital, and acute Mental Health Hospital in Dudley, United Kingdom.

Together, we take a look at possibly the second most painful induction process after being sent to prison, how what’s on TV at 6AM dictates what patients have to watch for the rest of the day on a certain ward, and how 12PM and 5PM became affectionately known as ‘Slopp-O-Clock’. Wil rants briefly about how important it is to have cash and cigarettes on you when you get ‘committed’, Andy says ‘Yes, definitely’ a few to many times, and we reminisce on just a few of the memories of our first weeks inside the one, the only Clent ward in 2024.

Note: We’re just getting started on inpatient life: Plenty more to come in the next couple of episodes!

Note: Our Introduction Episode is being re-recorded due to some technical issues. We decided to release this one as it’s over an hour long, though some of the audio issues still exist. We’re sorry!

This episode takes a look at Christmas, or if you’re American ‘The Holiday Season’. It highlights some of the basic issues around seeking mental health support during this period in the UK, and also some of the difficulties people face around Christmas when it comes to ‘spending time with your loved ones’. Andy eventually says more than one sentence at a time, and occasionally, Wil is able to finish a point in less than 20 minutes of rambling. Good times.

As ever, please do reach out to 24/7 support services if you need them. Whilst most professional services do slow down or close down during Christmas, there are still some fantastic services to help carry you through. In an emergency, if you / someone you know is at risk, do call emergency services. And remember to be a non-judgemental, listening ear if you can.