David migrated from Scotland to Australia as a teenager, worked his way into local government, and by his late thirties, had become South Australia’s youngest ever Opposition Leader. But the pressure of holding that position took a toll he eventually couldn’t hide...

In 2024, a video surfaced showing him using cocaine, sparking front page headlines, intense scrutiny, and the collapse of his career. Initially in denial out of shame and embarrassment, David then admitted the truth, pleading guilty to cocaine supply and telling the court he turned to drugs as a form of escapism. He was fined, ordered to complete community service, and has since apologised for his mistakes.

He’s recently returned from walking the Kokoda Trail for men’s mental health, symbolically turning the page on that difficult chapter in his life and beginning anew.

This is David Speirs...

There’s positive signs male suicide is finally trending down.For the first time since the Suicide Prevention Australia Community Tracker began quarterly reporting on suicide related behaviour in 2022, the stats have swung in the right direction...Suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts have all reduced.According to the latest national report for September:Serious thoughts of suicide: 19% → 13%Making a suicide plan: 6% → 3%Attempting suicide: 2% → 1%Overall suicidal behaviour: 27% → 17%Help-seeking is up...Almost a third of all Australians reached out to a support provider in the past 12 months, an increase of 10 percentage points since this time last year.Barriers remain:31% of men in high distress didn’t seek support because they thought it wasn’t serious enough (vs 25% of women)28% of men tried to manage it on their own (vs 37% of women)4% of men said they didn’t know what support was available (vs 13% of women)We’re taking action to look after ourselves.Seven out of ten Aussies report taking at least one action in the past year to support their health and wellbeing.40% worked out and ate better36% reached out to a friend28% practiced mindfulness When will suicide deaths start to drop?The decline in suicidality is yet to translate into a reduction of overall deaths. The latest available National ABS Provisional Mortality Statistics show there were 3,214 suicides in Australia in 2023 - 75% were male.

Updated statistics for 2024 are expected this October.Whether overall suicide deaths are going down yet or not, these latest figures show progress worth being optimistic about.

You can find the full report here: https://www.suicidepreventionaust.org/community-tracker

 Tom's worn a lot of different hats in his life. Tradie, AFL footballer, musician and model. On the surface, it looks like the dream run, but it doesn't tell the whole story.

Through it all, he's grappled with bouts of anxiety and depression, experiencing his most intense symptoms in a Richmond guernsey. Not understanding what he was dealing do with, he hid it for years, until telling the truth eventually started to set him free.

Now his footy days are behind him, Tom's on the tools, juggling work with his passion for making music and sharing his story as an R U Ok ambassador, showing true strength comes from being honest, not from pretending to be invincible.

This is Tom Derickx...

When JK was studying radiation therapy, he never imagined he’d one day become a cancer patient himself. At 33, he was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma, one of the most aggressive blood cancers, after a lump suddenly appeared on his neck.

He went through months of gruelling chemo while raising two young kids, relying on his wife Pam and their support network to hold the family together. From his hospital bed, JK launched How Bloody Good, a campaign urging people to donate blood that he calls the "red liquid gold".

Blood cancers are the second most prevalent form of cancer in Australia, and with September being Blood Cancer Awareness Month, it’s the perfect time to talk about it.

This is Jaraad Kader...

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September marks Blood Cancer Month, the most significant month of the year for the Leukaemia Foundation and Australian blood cancer community in terms of raising awareness and educating people on the impacts, what it is, the signs and symptoms, and who to turn to for support if you or a loved one are diagnosed.

The theme for this year’s Blood Cancer Month is ‘Care Belongs Where You Do’ – which is at the heart of the Leukaemia Foundation’s ethos in that blood cancer care should meet people where they are. Reaching beyond hospitals and treatment, into our homes, communities and cultures. Care that’s personal, human, and built around life - not the other way around.

Blood cancer is on the rise. Latest data shows a shocking one in twelve Australians (or 8% of the population) are at risk of being diagnosed with blood cancer in their lifetime. It’s also the second most common cause of cancer related deaths in the country.

Sadly you only need to mention the words leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma and most people know someone impacted.

As the Leukaemia Foundation marks its 50th anniversary this Blood Cancer Month, we continue to bring care to where it belongs to those Australians impacted by blood cancer. To help us in our plight, visit donate.leukaemia.org.au

In a famous study, people were asked to sit quietly in a room for 15 minutes. They’d previously tested a mild electric shock and said they’d pay to avoid it. Yet when left alone, they were given access to a shock button.

Despite there being no reward, 67% of men and 25% of women chose to zap themselves during the experiment (Wilson et al, 2014).

Conclusion: Many participants found it so uncomfortable to be alone with their thoughts, that they preferred a painful distraction.

Bored much? You’re not alone.70% of people report feeling bored at least once a day (ZipDo, 2025).

Boredom is linked to higher risks of depression and anxiety (APA, 2023), it reduces motivation and productivity (ZipDo, 2025), and is associated with greater impulsivity and risk-taking (Mercer & Eastwood, 2010).

How can you be bored in 2025?!We live in an era of endless entertainment. Every notification and piece of content delivers a dopamine hit that trains the brain to crave novelty.

The more stimulation we get, the less satisfied we feel. Slow, quiet activities are often uncomfortable, and the idea of sitting alone with your thoughts becomes unbearable. This cycle increases boredom, while making us feel more restless and anxious (Tam & Inzlicht, 2024; Lumende, 2025).

We don’t even last 1 minute!New research from Ohio State University (2025) monitored participants using computers at home and in the office, tracking how long they stayed focused on a screen-based task before switching to another.

The average was 47 seconds, down from 2.5 minutes in 2004.

📌 Important to note: This doesn’t mean people can’t focus for longer periods. It shows how our digital habits and susceptibility to distraction continually breaks our focus.

Can you handle doing nothing?Boredom tolerance is the ability to sit with stillness without rushing to distract yourself.

People with low boredom tolerance reach for their phone, snack or some other stimulus right away.

Those with higher tolerance can handle silence, use downtime to reflect, and stay more in control of their focus. It builds patience, strengthens focus, and creates space for creativity and reflection.

Build up your boredom tolerance.

Practice waiting in line or sitting quietly for a few minutes without reaching for your phone.

Focus on doing one thing at a time instead of multitasking.

Use quiet moments to notice your thoughts rather than escape them.

Keep practicing. Like a muscle, boredom tolerance strengthens with training (Robinson, 2019; Wilson et al., 2014).

40% of Australians feel lonely at any given time and loneliness is linked to higher risks of depression, cognitive decline, a weakened immune system, and even premature death.

If you’ve ever felt lonely, this episode will help you make sense of it. We break down what loneliness really is and practical ways to address it.

My guest, Nigel Polak, President of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, talks through the differences between counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists and psychiatrists, how they compare, and how to choose the right fit for you.

We also cover things to be wary when looking into online coaching.

This is Nigel Polak...

Connor was 16 when his life was turned upside down.

After his first relationship ended, he felt off, but didn’t know why. It came as a shock when a GP visit revealed he was living with severe depression.

It got worse before it got better, culminating in a suicide attempt that almost robbed him of an awesome future.

Like flicking a switch, waking up in hospital to a second chance fundamentally shifted his approach to life — but the road to becoming the man he is today hasn’t been a straight line.

Now a personal trainer, Connor lives to help people build themselves up, finding purpose in community.

This is Connor Tarrant...

A Stanford study recently found AI chatbots only responded safely to 50% of serious prompts, such as those related to suicidal ideation and psychosis.

About 1 in 5 replies were harmful, validating dangerous thoughts. (Stanford, 2024 via NY Post)

How many of us are using it?

A nationally representative sample survey of U.S adults found 60% have used AI for emotional support.

Nearly 50% believe it can be beneficial. (Zhou et al., 2024 & Benda et al., 2024 — JMIR Mental Health)

A 2024 Australian study found:

• 28% of people have used tools like ChatGPT for mental health support.

• 47% described it as ‘like a personal therapist’. (Orygen & JMIR Mental Health, 2024)

What’s the appeal?

✅AI is available 24/7

✅Doesn’t judge

✅Never interrupts

✅Feels private

✅No waitlists

✅Little or no cost

It feels like support.

But...

AI tells you what you want to hear.

Chatbots reflect your views, because we like it when we’re agreed with.

The more they validate you > the more you trust them > the more you use the program.

(Zhou et al., 2024 – JMIR Mental Health)

OpenAI admitted a recent update made ChatGPT:

More sycophantic

More agreeable

More likely to fuel anger & impulsivity

There’s potential — but protection must be a priority.AI tools can help:

Fill service gaps

Support underserved communities

Offer scalable, low-cost support

Reach people who might not seek help otherwise

But without...

⚠️ Clinical safeguards

⚠️ Human oversight

⚠️ Crisis protocols

⚠️ Ethical boundaries

…it can do more harm than good.

OpenAI’s CEO has stated confidentiality is a significant concern.

"Right now, if you talk to a therapist or a lawyer or a doctor about those problems, there's legal privilege for it. There's doctor-patient confidentiality, there's legal confidentiality, whatever. And we haven't figured that out yet for when you talk to ChatGPT.” - Sam Altman