PRESS
There are two epidemics happening now – the spread of the novel Coronavirus, now known as COVID-19, and the even wider spread of anxiety about catching it. The latter epidemic is more contagious and more harmful because it can unintentionally feed itself. It’s OK to be anxious about catching COVID-19 because it’s new. We still don’t know everything about it and there is no vaccine yet, although it’s in development. Invariably, there is lots of uncertainty.
Aaron Stadlin-Robbie discusses his podcast Talking Mental that is dedicated to mental health.
Living in a compact and fast-paced city like Hong Kong, it’s important to understand why we need to address mental health in Hong Kong as well as how to talk about mental health. Whether you’re suffering from depression and constantly trying to run away from your suicidal thoughts, or struggling to deal with anxiety like influencer Coco Chan, there are people out there who understand. Recently, we sat down with Aaron Stadlin-Robbie, who started the podcast Talking Mental, to chat about why he felt it was time to help raise awareness of mental health and address stigmas surrounding it.
Through launching the Talking Mental podcast in early 2019, I started talking publicly about my own mental health. I’ve spoken with nutritionists, psychologists and sleep therapists. For me, Nadiya: Anxiety and Me highlighted a real-world issue: it’s the people you don’t think have any issues that normally do. Presenter Nadiya Hussain isn’t just talking about her own issues. She’s encouraging other people to come out as well. Your path to recovery will be different and I think people need to see that.
Talking Mental: A Hong Kong Podcast Smashing the Stigma of Mental Health.
Hongkonger Aaron Stadlin-Robbie experienced his first panic attack in 2012. It was a transformative experience, as he began the arduous process of figuring out just what had happened to him and how he was supposed to manage it. Now a 32-year-old father living in Hong Kong, Stadlin-Robbie is documenting his journey to recovery. He’s paired up with local mental health charity Mind HK to produce Talking Mental, a podcast that seeks to break the stigma we face when speaking about mental health issues.
你的人生中,有多少恐懼?驚恐症屬焦慮症的一種,是指腦內一些分泌失去平衡,導致無法管理自己的情緒,而在無法預料的情況之下,忽然出現強烈的焦慮反應,例如心悸、手震、呼吸困難,甚至感到快要死亡。
New 'Talking Mental' Podcast Boldly Breaks the Taboo Surrounding Mental Health.
It's no secret that mental health is a taboo in Hong Kong, but host and presenter Aaron Stadlin-Robbie hopes to break the silence with the launch of his bold new podcast, Talking Mental. Hosted by Aaron himself, each episode features a different mental health specialist who engages in a frank conversation about a specific issue, all the while offering him help and advice on how to feel better and overcome his own challenges. Interestingly, the pilot episode features a group discussion whereby Aaron’s rugby team mates try to gain an understanding of his struggle with anxiety and panic attacks by asking him hard-hitting questions. During the conversation, Aaron offers some advice and suggestions to others going through a similar struggle, and who best to turn to for help and support, while the group attempt to get to the bottom of society’s perception of mental illness and question why it remains stigmatised.
The inspiration for a young father’s mental health podcast series, and why it will be different.
A New Zealander raised in Hong Kong, Aaron Stadlin-Robbie sees series as a way to reach out to experts and break stigma of men talking about mental health. Having suffered anxiety attacks for years he knows what he’s talking about; he hopes podcasts’ frank discussions will leave Hongkongers better informed.
World Mental Health Day 2018: anxiety disorder sufferer launches podcast to find cure.
Aaron Stadlin-Robbie was walking through the streets of Hong Kong with his family when it happened. He felt a pressure in his chest so intense he thought he was dying of a heart attack, and a sense of fear so real that the now 31-year-old describes it as “the most terrifying thing that’s ever happened to me”. In his podcast Talking Mental, Hong Kong-raised New Zealander Aaron Stadlin-Robbie asks professionals for advice on how to manage his anxiety attacks.
Movember: how one man’s mental health issues and dedication to raising awareness saw him become ambassador for the male health movement.
A panic attack in 2013 led Hongkonger Aaron Stadlin-Robbie to re-examine his lifestyle and create a mental health podcast. He says Covid-19 has put mental health under the microscope and it is more important than ever for people to educate themselves to identify the red flags.
Read More →