Over the ten years I have been on LBC I have hosted many programmes on a whole range of mental health issues, such as loneliness, anxiety, suicide, bereavement etc. Each time I do so I am humbled by the calls I get, many from people who have never discussed their mental health with even their close family and friends, yet are happy to come on my show and tell me everything. I take is a tremendous compliment. I have no training in psychotherapy, yet I know I am capable of dealing with some very traumatic issues.
At the beginning of the Coronavirus crisis we started doing a weekly Thursday night mental health phone in and Emma Kenny has been joining us on each occasion. She really has built up a great bond with the listeners.
When I found out that it was mental health awareness week this week I suggested to my producers we do a mental health phone-in each evening for an hour. It turned out to be an inspired decision and we covered Anxiety on Monday, loneliness on Tuesday, bereavement on Wednesday and on Thursday Emma Kenny joined me again to cover the issue more generally, with an emphasis on suicide.
Over the course of the week we took some amazing calls from some very troubled, but brave people.
My producer Cat has put the four hours together into one podcast, which lasts three hours ten minutes. Shes taken all the news bulletins and adverts out.
If you suffer from mental health issues yourself or are just interested in learning more about the subject please do download the podcast on the Iain Dale Whole Show podcast feed from wherever you normally get your podcasts. Or listen HERE.
