From Chaos to Clarity: A Lifetime Battle with Addiction and the Road to Recovery

Filmmaker Shares Story of Grief, Survival and the Power of Storytelling

Award-winning filmmaker Paula opened up about a lifetime of hardship, resilience and devastating loss, offering listeners a candid insight into the realities of grief and recovery. Growing up in Hastings during the 1970s and 1980s, Paula described a childhood marked by freedom, responsibility and family challenges. Leaving school at 15, becoming a mother at 17, and later returning to education as an adult, she eventually found her calling in filmmaking after attending film school in her mid-twenties. Paula shared that storytelling became a turning point in her life following a period of alcohol and drug misuse that followed a traumatic event in her early adulthood. “I realised the power of storytelling,” she said. “I could tell the stories of people who weren’t often heard.” Her work has focused on marginalised communities, including women in gangs and those affected by social inequality. Through documentary filmmaking, she found a way to process her own experiences while amplifying the voices of others. The conversation centred on the profound impact of losing her son 12 years ago. Paula spoke openly about the guilt, grief and unanswered questions that followed his death, describing how work became both a refuge and a distraction. “Grief is the same as eating and sleeping,” she said. “You have to feel it.” Kyle MacDonald noted that the loss of a child is one of the most difficult forms of grief a parent can experience and emphasised that grief has no fixed timeline. Listeners responded with messages of support, praising Paula’s honesty and courage in sharing her story. The discussion also explored intergenerational trauma, family relationships and the challenges many people face in expressing emotions. Paula reflected on how her own upbringing influenced her parenting and acknowledged the ongoing work required to rebuild connections with her daughters. Now working on several new projects, including a television comedy series and feature films tackling difficult social issues, Paula remains committed to telling stories that challenge audiences and encourage conversations many families struggle to have. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

From Survival to Service: Lyndal Midgley’s Journey Through Trauma, Foster Care and Mental Health Advocacy

Guest Lyndal Midgley spoke about growing up first on a remote Northland farm before moving to Auckland’s North Shore as a child. While her early years were idyllic, she described her teenage years as deeply turbulent, shaped by family conflict, emotional isolation and a growing mental health struggle. At just 15 years old, she overdosed at a Blue Light disco, an event she says became a turning point in her life. “I remember the feeling of shame,” she recalled, describing how the incident became widely known at school and church, yet little emotional support followed. Despite the trauma, Midgley completed high school and later studied business and tourism, persevering through academic setbacks to earn two diplomas. The conversation explored how those early experiences eventually led Midgley toward helping others. After years working in accounting and IT, she unexpectedly became a foster parent after a teenage neighbour asked to live with her and her then-husband. That experience introduced her to the realities of neurodiversity, youth trauma and the complexities of New Zealand’s mental health and care systems. Over time, Midgley became heavily involved in mental health advocacy and education, eventually teaching Mental Health First Aid courses across New Zealand. She explained the training focuses on helping everyday people recognise distress, respond empathetically and safely support someone experiencing a mental health crisis. “A lot of it is learning how to listen to understand, rather than listening to respond,” she said during the programme. Midgley also discussed the importance of directly asking someone if they are suicidal when warning signs are present, a conversation many people fear having. She stressed that empathy, calmness and genuine presence can make an enormous difference during moments of crisis. Alongside her mental health work, Midgley now volunteers as a first responder with ambulance services, motivated in part by gratitude toward the paramedics who saved her life after her teenage overdose. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Facing Fear: Can Virtual Reality Cure Phobias?

A new virtual reality treatment developed in New Zealand is offering hope to people living with debilitating phobias and anxiety, using immersive technology to recreate the situations they fear most. Speaking on Newstalk ZB’s “Nutters Club”, host Hamish Williams and psychotherapist Kyle MacDonald explored how exposure therapy is evolving through personalized VR exposure therapy powered by generative AI. Kiwi tech company oVRcome are leading the charge. Founder Adam Hutchinson said the idea for the company emerged during the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020, when he recognised the untapped therapeutic potential of VR headsets. Hutchinson, who struggled with severe social anxiety as a teenager, said traditional exposure therapy could take years and was difficult for many people to access. “Seventy-two percent of people who need exposure therapy never actually get it, because it’s too hard and takes too long,” Hutchinson said. The company which is a finalist at the 2026 NZ Hi-Tech Awards, has conducted clinical trials with the University of Otago, achieving promising results. Hutchinson said participants using the platform experienced an average 75 percent reduction in symptoms across five specific phobias after six weeks. A second trial focused on social anxiety reported a 50 percent reduction in severity after 18 weeks. oVRcome  has now delivered more than 115,000 exposure sessions across 64 countries and is working with almost 1,900 clinicians worldwide. During the programme, Williams tested the technology himself using a VR recreation of the crown of the Statue of Liberty, the site of a previous panic attack triggered by his fear of heights. Guided  by MacDonald, Williams practised breathing exercises and relaxation techniques while immersed in the virtual environment. MacDonald explained that exposure therapy works by gradually helping people confront feared situations without becoming overwhelmed. “The aim is to get ourselves into that situation that provokes fear, not escaping, but also not flooding ourselves to the point of panic,” he said. Listeners also shared their own experiences with phobias on air. One caller described overcoming a lifelong fear of snakes after handling one at an Australian zoo, while another spoke about vivid imagery linked to anxiety and recurring fears. The discussion highlighted how phobias can range from mild discomfort to life-limiting conditions, and how new technologies may help make treatment more accessible for people reluctant or unable to seek traditional therapy. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Glen Green: Finding Light After Childhood Trauma

This week’s episode of The Nutters Club explored the lifelong impact of childhood trauma, the burden of anger, and the transformative power of forgiveness through the story of Glen Green. Growing up in East Auckland, Glen described a childhood marked by domestic violence, fear, and instability. As a young boy, he and his younger sister would hide upstairs while their parents fought. One defining moment came when police arrived at the family home and forcibly removed his father while neighbours watched from across the street. Glen recalled how, at around ten years old, something inside him “shut down” emotionally after being torn between his parents in that moment. The trauma followed him into adolescence. Struggling at school, gravitating toward other angry young people, and frequently getting into fights, Glen said he often felt consumed by rage. He explained that lashing out became the only time he experienced relief from the turmoil he carried inside. But his life began to change through an unexpected act of kindness. A local youth worker named Peter started spending time with Glen and his friends, eventually inviting them back to his home for food and conversation. During a simple prayer one evening, Glen described experiencing a profound emotional release. For the first time, he let go of the anger and unforgiveness he had carried toward his father. That moment, Glen said, changed everything. The discussion focused heavily on the idea that forgiveness is often less about excusing harmful behaviour and more about freeing yourself from carrying its emotional weight. Kyle MacDonald noted that forgiveness does not mean saying what happened was acceptable, it means letting go of the anger that continues to harm you. Glen shared how he carried those lessons into his professional life while working at the Hilton London Metropole, then Europe’s largest hotel. Starting as a porter, he introduced a workplace initiative based around kindness, appreciation, and “random acts of kindness” between departments. The result was a dramatic transformation in morale and performance, eventually helping the hotel become the highest-rated Hilton in London. Throughout the episode, a clear theme emerged: hope, compassion, and genuine human connection can profoundly change lives, both our own and those around us. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

From Psych Ward to Prime Time: Actress Turns Trauma Into Powerful TV Drama

A New Zealand actress is using her personal story of addiction, mental illness and recovery to spark national conversations about stigma and healing, following the release of a new television series inspired by her life. Speaking onThe Nutters Club, actress and writer Holly Shervey detailed how her series Crackhead draws heavily on her own experiences, including being admitted to a psychiatric facility at just 20 years old after years of substance use, disordered eating and deteriorating mental health. Shervey, who grew up in Queenstown after being born in Australia, described a turbulent childhood marked by the death of her mother from cancer when she was six. The loss, she said, triggered early anxiety and shaped her identity as “the girl whose mum had died,” a label that followed her through school. As a teenager, she struggled with body image and turned to alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism. What began as social behaviour escalated into more harmful patterns after leaving school, culminating in an ecstasy binge, a suicide attempt, and a growing sense of losing control. Attempts to reset her life by moving cities and seeking therapy proved unsuccessful at the time. “I wasn’t in a space where I could do the work,” she said, reflecting on early treatment efforts. Her eventual admission into psychiatric care marked a turning point, though not an easy one. Shervey described the three-month stay as both traumatic and transformative, exposing her to a wide range of mental health conditions while equipping her with basic coping tools. However, reintegrating into everyday life proved challenging. She recalled feeling isolated and ashamed, struggling to rebuild a sense of normalcy while her peers moved forward with university and careers. Progress came slowly, often measured in small victories such as getting through a day without relapsing into harmful behaviours. A major shift occurred when Shervey discovered acting, which she described as providing purpose and structure. “Instead of living for the weekend, I was living for auditions and productions,” she said. Her recovery was further strengthened by her relationship with her husband, whom she credits with helping her confront long-held shame. His acceptance, even after learning about her psychiatric history, was a pivotal moment in her journey toward self-acceptance. Now, through Crackhead, Shervey is sharing her story publicly in the hope of reducing stigma and encouraging others to seek help. She says the response has been overwhelmingly relatable, highlighting how widespread mental health struggles are. Callers and texts to the show echoed that sentiment, reinforcing that recovery is often non-linear but possible, and that finding purpose, even in small steps, can be key to rebuilding a life. Click here to watch Crackhead for free on Three Now. [https://www.threenow.co.nz/shows/crackhead/1770578150021] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.