The Path to Mental Health Diagnosis

The Path to Mental Health Diagnosis

What happens when you first say “I got diagnosed?”  Jess and I talk candidly about the subtle ways people dismiss mental health and neurodiversity with phrases that sound harmless, like “Everyone’s a bit like that,” and why those lines can make a friend feel exposed, misunderstood, and less likely to ever share again. We break down why a mental health diagnosis or neurodivergent diagnosis often shows up late, not early. Before anyone reaches a GP, a psychologist, or a psychiatrist, they’ve usually spent a long time trying to cope, doubting themselves, and wondering if their struggles are just personal failure.  We also get practical about what the path can look like: making the appointment, getting referrals, untangling overlapping symptoms, and the slow reality of medication trials and ongoing tweaks. Along the way, we explain masking in plain language and why it can leave people wiped out the moment they get home. After talking about identity after diagnosis, when to share, and how a label can be a framework without becoming a prison. For us, faith shapes the tone: compassion like Jesus, truth without shame, and the belief that being “different” can carry real strengths, creativity, and purpose. If you’ve ever responded the wrong way, there’s grace and there’s a next step. Listen, then share this with someone you want to love well, and if it helps, subscribe, leave a review, and send us your thoughts. What’s the most supportive response you’ve ever heard after a diagnosis? If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health. 🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate [https://www.sunburntsouls.com/donate] to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. 🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health A 28-day, FREE journey to help you: * Embrace your identity in Jesus * Build life-giving spiritual rhythms * Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace 👉 Start your 28-day journey today [https://www.sunburntsouls.com/28-day-online-course] 📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter [https://www.sunburntsouls.com/subscribe-to-newsletter] ⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey. * Listen and Rate on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/sunburnt-souls-a-christian-mental-health-podcast/id1728936182] * Listen & Rate on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5LkhiGyLpXqagsEkzz6PMz] Sunburnt Souls is produced by Pretty Podcasts — a Christian mental health production where faith meets real life through stories ...

Stop Shouting And Start Connecting: Dr Justin Coulson

Parenting can feel like a daily drain you never clock out from. We sit down with Justin Coulson to name what so many families are quietly carrying: parental burnout, constant pressure, and the way screens can steal the best parts of home life without anyone noticing until the connection is already thin. We get practical about the moments that blow up, especially yelling. Justin breaks down why shouting becomes a default habit under stress and how to interrupt it with a surprisingly simple shift: get your child’s attention first, move toward them, and speak softer instead of louder. From there we talk about kids having “L plates” on emotionally, why trying to “fix” people often creates resistance, and how love, limits, and laughter create the kind of stability kids actually grow from. The conversation goes deeper into purpose and faith as anchors for mental health, including a way to pray that invites action and course correction instead of paralysis. We also explore the pressure we put on kids to “fulfill their potential,” the real value of gap years and alternative pathways, and what Justin’s new work on raising boys is trying to solve. His definition of healthy masculinity is simple and challenging: a healthy man helps the people around him feel safer and stronger. If you want more peace at home and better connection with your kids, press play, then share this with a parent who needs it. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what boundary or habit you’re working on next. If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health. 🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate [https://www.sunburntsouls.com/donate] to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. 🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health A 28-day, FREE journey to help you: * Embrace your identity in Jesus * Build life-giving spiritual rhythms * Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace 👉 Start your 28-day journey today [https://www.sunburntsouls.com/28-day-online-course] 📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter [https://www.sunburntsouls.com/subscribe-to-newsletter] ⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey. * Listen and Rate on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/sunburnt-souls-a-christian-mental-health-podcast/id1728936182] * Listen & Rate on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5LkhiGyLpXqagsEkzz6PMz] Sunburnt Souls is produced by Pretty Podcasts — a Christian mental health production where faith meets real life through stories ...

Widowed Too Soon: When the Support Disappears but the Grief Remains | Michelle Bader Ebersole

I’m joined by Michelle Bader Ebersole, the voice behind Widow Too Soon, a Christian podcast built to help widows and widowers stop feeling isolated and start finding real community, practical tools, and faith-grounded hope. Michelle shares her story of losing her husband Luke after a long cancer fight, and how early widowhood while raising kids exposed a gap many churches don’t see: support shows up fast after a death, then disappears when the casseroles are gone.  We talk about why widows are often overlooked despite being mentioned repeatedly in Scripture, and what meaningful church support for widows can look like months down the road, including service projects, consistent check-ins, and programs that actually fit this kind of bereavement. We also tackle grief myths that quietly harm people, from “the five stages of grief” to “time heals all wounds.” Michelle explains why grief is more like unpredictable waves, why feeling your pain matters, and what to say instead of “let me know if you need anything” or “at least…”  She gives simple actions anyone can take: make specific offers, acknowledge the loss out loud, and put the hard dates in your calendar like the death anniversary, wedding anniversary, and birthday. We even discuss enshrinement, identity after loss, and why remarriage doesn’t erase grief, especially for kids navigating milestones. If you want a grounded conversation on grief support, Christian faith and grief, widow resources, and how to care well for someone after a loss, press play. Subscribe, share this with someone who wants to help, and leave a review so more hurting people can find it. Widow Goals [https://widowgoals.org/] is a nonprofit organisation Michelle created to support widows—especially in the first year after losing their spouse, when everything feels unfamiliar, overwhelming, and uncertain Widowed Too Soon [https://open.spotify.com/show/3MrcdnU91PuVDV8FepNXhJ?si=af8052ab3ffe4761] is Michelles powerful podcast. Through raw stories and practical wisdom, widow Michelle helps others find healing and connection in the widow journey while raising teens. If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health. 🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate [https://www.sunburntsouls.com/donate] to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. 🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health A 28-day, FREE journey to help you: * Embrace your identity in Jesus * Build life-giving spiritual rhythms * Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace 👉 Start your 28-day journey today [https://www.sunburntsouls.com/28-day-online-course] 📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter [https://www.sunburntsouls.com/subscribe-to-newsletter] ⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey. * Listen and Rate on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/sunburnt-souls-a-christian-mental-health-podcast/id1728936182] * Listen & Rate on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5LkhiGyLpXqagsEkzz6PMz] Sunburnt Souls is produced by Pretty Podcasts — a Christian mental health production where faith meets real life through stories ...

From Addiction To Freedom

Addiction rarely starts as a plan. It starts as relief. Sean Bradley tells the truth about what alcohol and weed gave him at first: a quiet stomach, less anxiety, fewer social masks, and a break from the constant pressure of performing. Then he tells the other truth: the relief doesn’t stay relief. It becomes a pattern, and the pattern becomes a shrinking life. We talk about what pushed him toward Transformations, a hardcore therapeutic community rehab on the Gold Coast that is openly Christian and intentionally challenging. From there we get into the stuff that doesn’t magically disappear when you get sober. Sean shares how an addictive personality can shift into workaholism, burnout, scrolling, and obsessive thoughts, especially with ADHD and autism in the mix. We swap practical mental health strategies that actually fit real life: building routines that survive stress, using exercise as a stabilizer, avoiding dopamine-draining mornings, and staying connected to community through church and AA. We also talk candidly about medication and why some options can feel risky for people with an addiction history. Sean’s faith journey is just as intense. Catholic trauma made Jesus complicated for him, even while he felt sure God was real, so he went searching hard: reading, questioning the Trinity, exploring Islam, and even doing a 10-day Vipassana silent meditation retreat. That search leads to a deeper conversation about shame, guilt, and why so many people in addiction believe they’re too far gone for God.  If you want more conversations about faith and mental health that stay honest, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review. What part of Sean’s story felt most familiar to you? Check out www.lionzen.com.au [http://www.lionzen.com.au/] to see Sean's Business  If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health. 🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate [https://www.sunburntsouls.com/donate] to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. 🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health A 28-day, FREE journey to help you: * Embrace your identity in Jesus * Build life-giving spiritual rhythms * Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace 👉 Start your 28-day journey today [https://www.sunburntsouls.com/28-day-online-course] 📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter [https://www.sunburntsouls.com/subscribe-to-newsletter] ⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey. * Listen and Rate on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/sunburnt-souls-a-christian-mental-health-podcast/id1728936182] * Listen & Rate on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5LkhiGyLpXqagsEkzz6PMz] Sunburnt Souls is produced by Pretty Podcasts — a Christian mental health production where faith meets real life through stories ...

Faith and Mental Health: A Christian GP Explains What Actually Works

Dr Afiniki Akanet sits down with us and names the thing many people feel but rarely say out loud: you can treat the body and still feel empty. From the first minutes, we dig into a whole-person view of mental health, where spirit, soul, and body interact, and where medication and therapy can be lifesaving without answering the deeper questions of meaning, hope, and purpose. If you have ever wondered how faith fits alongside a mental health diagnosis, this conversation brings clarity without shame or shortcuts. We talk about the difference between mental illness and mental well-being, and why that distinction gives people room to breathe. Dr Afiniki Akanet shares how spirituality can support mental well-being through community, practices that steady us, and a source of strength when life feels unbearable. She also describes what it looks like to bring faith into a real UK medical consultation with sensitivity, asking the right questions at the right time, and honouring patients who believe differently. Then the story widens. Dr Afiniki Akanet opens up about moving from Nigeria to the UK at 16, the reality of persecution in northern Nigeria, and the long path to becoming a doctor through financial setbacks, extra degrees, and starting over. We connect those experiences to resilience, to her “Happiness Over Stress” message rooted in boundaries and intentional living, and to her new book on Joseph, family dynamics, and perseverance. We close with a practical, faith-filled encouragement for anyone struggling: God is sovereign, healing is possible, and your hard season can still hold purpose. If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review with the one line that stayed with you. What part of the conversation did you need most right now? If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health. 🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate [https://www.sunburntsouls.com/donate] to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. 🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health A 28-day, FREE journey to help you: * Embrace your identity in Jesus * Build life-giving spiritual rhythms * Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace 👉 Start your 28-day journey today [https://www.sunburntsouls.com/28-day-online-course] 📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter [https://www.sunburntsouls.com/subscribe-to-newsletter] ⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey. * Listen and Rate on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/sunburnt-souls-a-christian-mental-health-podcast/id1728936182] * Listen & Rate on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5LkhiGyLpXqagsEkzz6PMz] Sunburnt Souls is produced by Pretty Podcasts — a Christian mental health production where faith meets real life through stories ...