SA Drink Of The Week

Leesa Scanlan

Musical Pilgrimage

Adelaide podcaster, Leesa Scanlan, is shining the spotlight on mental health

Anxiety and depression get talked about a lot but it's taking a South Australian podcaster, Leesa Scanlan, to bring a dose of gentle, frank reality to the high tide and low tide of mental health.

We start our discussion about mental health in the SA Drink Of The Week segment, which features a beer from Shapeshifter Brewing Company.

And we bring our discussion home in the Musical Pilgrimage, with a new song by Rhys Howlett.

You can navigate episodes using chapter markers in your podcast app. Not a fan of wine? You can click next to jump to the next chapter in the show. We're here to serve!

The Adelaide Show Podcast: Awarded Silver for Best Interview Podcast at the 2021 Australian Podcast Awards and named as Finalist for News and Current Affairs in the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards.

And please consider becoming part of our podcast by joining our Inner Circle. It's an email list. Join it and you might get an email on a Sunday or Monday seeking question ideas, guest ideas and requests for other bits of feedback about YOUR podcast, The Adelaide Show. Email us directly and we'll add you to the list: podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au

If you enjoy the show, please leave us a 5-star review in iTunes or other podcast sites, or buy some great merch from our Red Bubble store - The Adelaide Show Shop. We'd greatly appreciate it.

And please talk about us and share our episodes on social media, it really helps build our community. Oh, and here's our index of all episode in one concise page

Please note that in this episode we will discuss mental health and all that it entails. Some time we will talk about suicide and self harm, if this is triggering for you please take a moment to decide if you should continue to listen.

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help now, call triple zero (000). You can also call  Lifeline  on 13 11 14 — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Other helplines available in Australia include

Mens help line (24/7)- 1300 78 99 78

BeyondBlue (24/7)- 1300 22 46 36

Sane Australia (10am-10pm)- 1800 18 72 63

Suicide Call Back Service (24/7)- 1300 659 467

Running Sheet: The High Tide And Low Tide Of Mental Health

00:00:00 Intro

Introduction to the show.

00:03:00 SA Drink Of The Week

This week's SA Drink Of The Week is Fading Light by Shapeshifter Brewing Company.

In preparing for our chat, I've been thinking about your comments about diving on a recent episode. You said diving was the great escape from issues and worry because it's just you and your breathing and the ocean. It made me wonder if drinking has become my "diving". I've always prided myself on drinking for the flavour, not for the buzz, but during the time of Covid I think I've started using alcohol as a pressure relief valve.

I'm not saying diving and drinking are similar - beyond their relief they bring to stress and worry. Ultimately, diving leaves you fitter and healthier, drinking just leaves your body with a little extra work to do in processing alcohol.

So I am dropping the SA Drink Of The Week as a permanent segment on this podcast. It will still appear when I have an amazing drink to share, but I want to model a lifestyle in which drinking is something done as a pleasureable and mindful activity, not as a medicinal "necessity" or a fait accompli when people get together.

I'm not throwing the bottle out with the bath water, I'm simply severing the ties of habit.

00:13:43 Leesa Scanlan

The host of fellow South Australian Podcast, High Tide Low Tide, is Leesa Scanlan. Leesa and her guests talk about all things mental health because in Australia, one in five people have a diagnosed mental health condition and nine Australians die from suicide every single day. Having been diagnosed with depression and anxiety more than 16 years ago Leesa truly understands the power there is in being able to share your story, not only for the person themselves but for every single person listening and relating to parts of it. And her storytelling is disarmingly frank and insightful, which is why she's joining us today.

Leesa, the blurb for your podcast says: This podcast is for the one person who needs to hear it today. What do you mean by that?

How do you define Mental Health?

Do you think it's possible to have "perfect" mental health?

RUOK Day happened recently and for the first time I saw some cynical push back on social media - things like, if one more person asks me if I'm okay, I'm gonna punch them. Can you understand that?

I've read parts of your diaries, Leesa, starting when you were age 7. Well, to be clear, I've watch you read them on your Instagram feed. Have you always been reflective?

Socrates is believed to have said, "the unexamined life is not worth living" and it makes me wonder, is there a fine line between healthily reflecting on our lives and obsessively being consumed by mulling things over and over again and getting stuck?

Leesa, the reason I wanted to get you on The Adelaide Show was episode 10 of your podcast in which you talk us through your lived experience of dealing with mental health, especially the way it manifested itself as cutting. I had known that cutting is a thing but your explanation was so clear, this action which I had never been able to process, became understandable. Can you define cutting and why it worked as a solution for you at various times in your life?

You lived in Indonesia for six years, during which time your work with tourist ventures and diving gave you enough money to survive on, I think you say you basically you were poor while living in Indonesia. This gives us a chance to ask the $64 question, literally: were you able to be poor and happy? Was any happiness due to being poor or due to working in an enjoyable industry?

I want to return to diving, mentioned during the SA Drink Of The Week segment, would you say diving just brings symptomatic relief to mental health issues, or does it actually help change things in an ongoing way?

Finally, you have an episode in which you list 10 tactics for helping to cope with mental health issues. Could you share a few of them to finish off our chat?

01:04:11 Musical Pilgrimage

In the musical pilgrimage, we have  Dutch Cream Potatoes, by Rhys Howlett.

Rescue Dogs is a collection of songs that Rhys has written over the past 10 years.  And Dutch Cream Potatoes is a perfect song for this episode because it touches on the weight and endurance of sad memories, and the healing power of walks on the beach. In the lyrics, Rhys writes:

Sometimes the best of intentions can lead to the saddest outcomes
And I don't work hard but I laugh a lot and the thing about walks on the beach that I love
Is how storms will pass, when you're out in the open you can see the blue sky
If it's off in the distance at least you can see it
And wait just a minute you'll be walking right in it
So maybe when people feel isolated it's a matter of getting out into the open
To breathe in the sky, to stop asking why and start asking how, to make things better

And another lyric that seems poignant:

I think a lot about patterns of behaviour
How factory settings restore when we're troubled and stressed

You can buy and stream Rescue Dogs and other albums on Rhys Howlett's Bandcamp page.

Adelaide podcaster, Leesa Scanlan, is shining the spotlight on mental health
Anxiety and depression get talked about a lot but it's taking a South Australian podcaster, Leesa Scanlan, to bring a dose of gentle, frank reality to the high tide and low tide of mental health.
We start our discussion about mental health in the SA Drink Of The Week segment, which features a beer from Shapeshifter Brewing Company.
And we bring our discussion home in the Musical Pilgrimage, with a new song by Rhys Howlett.
You can navigate episodes using chapter markers in your podcast app. Not a fan of wine? You can click next to jump to the next chapter in the show. We're here to serve!
The Adelaide Show Podcast: Awarded Silver for Best Interview Podcast at the 2021 Australian Podcast Awards and named as Finalist for News and Current Affairs in the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards.
And please consider becoming part of our podcast by joining our Inner Circle. It's an email list. Join it and you might get an email on a Sunday or Monday seeking question ideas, guest ideas and requests for other bits of feedback about YOUR podcast, The Adelaide Show. Email us directly and we'll add you to the list: <a href="mailto:podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au">podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au</a>
If you enjoy the show, please <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/another-boring-thursday-night/id696302138">leave us a 5-star review </a>in iTunes or other podcast sites, or buy some great merch from our Red Bubble store - <a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/theadelaideshow/shop?asc=u">The Adelaide Show Shop</a>. We'd greatly appreciate it.
And please talk about us and share our episodes on social media, it really helps build our community. Oh, and here's <a href="https://theadelaideshow.com.au/complete-list-adelaide-show-episodes/">our index of all episode in one concise page</a>
Please note that in this episode we will discuss mental health and all that it entails. Some time we will talk about suicide and self harm, if this is triggering for you please take a moment to decide if you should continue to listen.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help now, call triple zero (000). You can also call  Lifeline  on 13 11 14 — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Other helplines available in Australia include
Mens help line (24/7)- 1300 78 99 78
BeyondBlue (24/7)- 1300 22 46 36
Sane Australia (10am-10pm)- 1800 18 72 63
Suicide Call Back Service (24/7)- 1300 659 467
Running Sheet: The High Tide And Low Tide Of Mental Health
00:00:00 Intro
Introduction to the show.
00:03:00 SA Drink Of The Week
This week's SA Drink Of The Week is Fading Light by <a href="https://www.shapeshifterbrewing.com.au/">Shapeshifter Brewing Company</a>.
In preparing for our chat, I've been thinking about your comments about diving on a recent episode. You said diving was the great escape from issues and worry because it's just you and your breathing and the ocean. It made me wonder if drinking has become my "diving". I've always prided myself on drinking for the flavour, not for the buzz, but during the time of Covid I think I've started using alcohol as a pressure relief valve.
I'm not saying diving and drinking are similar - beyond their relief they bring to stress and worry. Ultimately, diving leaves you fitter and healthier, drinking just leaves your body with a little extra work to do in processing alcohol.
So I am dropping the SA Drink Of The Week as a permanent segment on this podcast. It will still appear when I have an amazing drink to share, but I want to model a lifestyle in which drinking is something done as a pleasureable and mindful activity, not as a medicinal "necessity" or a fait accompli when people get together.
I'm not throwing the bottle out with the bath water, I'm simply severing the ties of habit.
00:13:43 Leesa Scanlan
The host of fellow South Australian Podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/dk/podcast/high-tide-low-tide/id1626259554">High Tide Low Tide</a>, is Leesa Scanlan. Leesa and her guests talk about all things mental health because in Australia, one in five people have a diagnosed mental health condition and nine Australians die from suicide every single day. Having been diagnosed with depression and anxiety more than 16 years ago Leesa truly understands the power there is in being able to share your story, not only for the person themselves but for every single person listening and relating to parts of it. And her storytelling is disarmingly frank and insightful, which is why she's joining us today.
Leesa, the blurb for your podcast says: This podcast is for the one person who needs to hear it today. What do you mean by that?
How do you define Mental Health?
Do you think it's possible to have "perfect" mental health?
RUOK Day happened recently and for the first time I saw some cynical push back on social media - things like, if one more person asks me if I'm okay, I'm gonna punch them. Can you understand that?
I've read parts of your diaries, Leesa, starting when you were age 7. Well, to be clear, I've watch you read them on your Instagram feed. Have you always been reflective?
Socrates is believed to have said, "the unexamined life is not worth living" and it makes me wonder, is there a fine line between healthily reflecting on our lives and obsessively being consumed by mulling things over and over again and getting stuck?
Leesa, the reason I wanted to get you on The Adelaide Show was episode 10 of your podcast in which you talk us through your lived experience of dealing with mental health, especially the way it manifested itself as cutting. I had known that cutting is a thing but your explanation was so clear, this action which I had never been able to process, became understandable. Can you define cutting and why it worked as a solution for you at various times in your life?
You lived in Indonesia for six years, during which time your work with tourist ventures and diving gave you enough money to survive on, I think you say you basically you were poor while living in Indonesia. This gives us a chance to ask the $64 question, literally: were you able to be poor and happy? Was any happiness due to being poor or due to working in an enjoyable industry?
I want to return to diving, mentioned during the SA Drink Of The Week segment, would you say diving just brings symptomatic relief to mental health issues, or does it actually help change things in an ongoing way?
Finally, you have an episode in which you list 10 tactics for helping to cope with mental health issues. Could you share a few of them to finish off our chat?
01:04:11 Musical Pilgrimage
In the musical pilgrimage, we have  Dutch Cream Potatoes, by Rhys Howlett.
Rescue Dogs is a collection of songs that Rhys has written over the past 10 years.  And Dutch Cream Potatoes is a perfect song for this episode because it touches on the weight and endurance of sad memories, and the healing power of walks on the beach. In the lyrics, Rhys writes:
Sometimes the best of intentions can lead to the saddest outcomes And I don't work hard but I laugh a lot and the thing about walks on the beach that I love Is how storms will pass, when you're out in the open you can see the blue sky If it's off in the distance at least you can see it And wait just a minute you'll be walking right in it So maybe when people feel isolated it's a matter of getting out into the open To breathe in the sky, to stop asking why and start asking how, to make things better
And another lyric that seems poignant:
I think a lot about patterns of behaviour How factory settings restore when we're troubled and stressed
You can buy and stream Rescue Dogs and other albums on <a href="https://rhyshowlett.bandcamp.com/">Rhys Howlett's Bandcamp page</a>.

A weekly podcast recorded in Adelaide that puts South Australian passion on centre stage with a featured guest who joins us each week as a co-presenter to share how they're pursuing their passions. We venture across topics as diverse as history, wine, food, art, music, relationships, critical thinking, health, news, interviews, chat and quizzes. 

Every single interview, every single show, unlocks insights into what drives people to be doing what they're doing and what keeps them striving. 

The Adelaide Show is produced by Steve Davis and Nigel Dobson-Keeffe.

Please subscribe to our In Crowd list; you get an email each Friday (when we have published a new episode) with an overview of that week's show. Plus, consider joining our Inner Circle; a small group of passionate South Aussies who allow us to pick their brains and gain interviewee suggestions.

This podcast began life as Another Boring Thursday Night In Adelaide from episodes 1-79.

A podcast recorded in Adelaide that puts South Australian passion on centre stage with a featured guest who joins us each week as a co-presenter to share how they're pursuing their passions. We venture across topics as diverse as history, wine, ...

The Adelaide Show

A podcast recorded in Adelaide that puts South Australian passion on centre stage with a featured guest who joins us to share how they're pursuing their passions. We venture across topics as diverse as history, wine, food, art, music, relationships, critical thinking, health, and general news. Every single interview, every single show, unlocks insights into what drives people to be doing what they're doing and what keeps them striving. The Adelaide Show is produced by Steve Davis, and ends with an original song by a South Australian artist. Please subscribe to our In Crowd list; you get an email each Friday with an overview of that week's show. This podcast began life as Another Boring Thursday Night In Adelaide from episodes 1-79.

A podcast recorded in Adelaide that puts South Australian passion on centre stage with a featured guest who joins us to share how they're pursuing their passions. We venture across topics as diverse as history, wine, food, art, music, relationships, critical thinking, health, and general news. Every single interview, every single show, unlocks insights into what drives people to be doing what they're doing and what keeps them striving. The Adelaide Show is produced by Steve Davis, and ends with an original song by a South Australian artist. Please subscribe to our In Crowd list; you get an email each Friday with an overview of that week's show. This podcast began life as Another Boring Thursday Night In Adelaide from episodes 1-79.

Steve chats with a fellow podcaster, Lessa Scanlan, who produces the High Tide Low Tide podcast about mental health

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