On The Mend

In this heartwarming conversation, former special forces soldier Jason Fox opens up about his experience with PTSD, depression, and chronic burnout after leaving the military. He shares the reality of hitting rock bottom, including a moment standing on the edge of a cliff, and the turning point that forced him to confront his mental health with honesty.The discussion explores how high-pressure environments can rewire the brain, why returning to “normal life” can feel so difficult, and how impulsive emotional moments can lead to dangerous decisions. Viewers will gain insight into concepts like operator syndrome, emotional control, and the hidden challenges many face after intense careers.This episode offers an honest look at mental health, recovery, and resilience, with practical takeaways around self-awareness, managing emotions, and the importance of speaking up before reaching breaking point.Need Support?Samaritans: Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.orgNarcotics Anonymous: na.orgAlcoholics Anonymous: alcoholics-anonymous.org.ukMental Health Mates: mentalhealthmates.co.ukShout: https: giveusashout.orgIAPT: england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adults/nhs-talking-therapies/Heights👉 Join Matt in getting your energy back with Vitals. 20% off here:https://highpfrmc.com/OTM20

This week’s guest is Kathleen Saxton, who dives deep into the complexities of narcissism, family dynamics, and the painful journey of healing from childhood wounds.Kathleen breaks down the three types of narcissists, ‘grandiose’, ‘covert’, and ‘malignant’, offering an eye-opening framework, particularly highlighting covert narcissists who use pity and victimhood for supply. She explores how children of narcissists often stop loving themselves, losing their sense of identity in the process, and how family roles like the golden child, scapegoat, and lost child perpetuate unhealthy patterns. Kathleen also explains why those raised by narcissistic parents tend to attract similar partners, as dysfunction feels like home.Through practical tools like the "empty chair technique" and her three-step recovery roadmap: accept, have compassion for yourself, and design your future, Kathleen offers actionable steps to begin healing. This episode covers the following themes: narcissism, family dynamics, identity, healing, boundaries, and self-compassion.Need Support?Samaritans: Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.orgNarcotics Anonymous: na.orgAlcoholics Anonymous: alcoholics-anonymous.org.ukMental Health Mates: mentalhealthmates.co.ukShout: https: giveusashout.orgIAPT: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adults/nhs-talking-therapies/Heights👉 Join Matt in getting your energy back with Vitals. 20% off here: https://highpfrmc.com/au3-OTM20 Randox Health 👉 Take care of your health today and into the future. Save 20% on all health checks now with the code OTM20 at: https://highpfrmc.com/OTM_Randox-au2

This week’s guest is Professor Green, who opens up about his journey of self-discovery, healing, and growth, and the ongoing process of learning from past mistakes.Professor Green shares his struggles with shame and addiction, discussing how he broke free from the cycle of destructive behavior by rejecting the people who kept him stuck. He talks about his late diagnosis of ADHD and autism, which helped him understand his challenges and stop masking his true self.He also discusses the power of taking ownership of his actions, the role of medication in his recovery, and his near-death experience with substance misuse. This episode covers the following themes: identity, shame, addiction, ADHD, autism, vulnerability, recovery, and transformation.Listen to Professor Green’s new single, “No Management”Need Support?Samaritans: Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.orgNarcotics Anonymous: na.orgAlcoholics Anonymous: alcoholics-anonymous.org.ukMental Health Mates: mentalhealthmates.co.ukShout: https: giveusashout.orgIAPT: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adults/nhs-talking-therapies/Saily 👉 Download SAILY in your app store and use our code mend at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to https://saily.com/mendHeights👉 Join Matt in getting your energy back with Vitals. 20% off here: https://highpfrmc.com/au3-OTM20 Randox Health 👉 Take care of your health today and into the future. Save 20% on all health checks now with the code OTM20 at: https://highpfrmc.com/OTM_Randox_au1

Have you ever realised that the biggest obstacle to your growth might be you?In this solo episode, Matt Willis answers your questions and shares powerful moments from his personal journey through addiction, recovery, and the ongoing work of self-awareness. Matt talks about the emotional realisation he had when he understood he was the common denominator in all his drinking situations, and how being "emotionally young" in recovery has challenged him to confront feelings he once numbed with alcohol. He also shares the pivotal moment when Jack Osborne planted the seed for his decision to seek help and how rock bottom doesn’t always look like you’d expect. With practical recovery tools, including the "Fact or Thought" technique for managing negative self-talk, and the importance of self-compassion, Matt offers a raw and honest look at his journey. This episode is about embracing vulnerability, facing tough truths, and continuing to move forward, no matter how imperfect the process.This episode covers the following themes: addiction, sobriety, self-awareness, and personal growth.Heights👉 Join Matt in getting your energy back with Vitals. 20% off here: https://highpfrmc.com/au3-OTM20

This week’s guest is Arron Crascall, who shares his raw journey from struggling with addiction and low self-esteem to finding hope and transformation through surrender and honesty.Arron talks about how he never felt comfortable in his own skin, always changing to fit in, and how his first drink at 17 gave him the feeling of being “alive” for the first time. He opens up about the long battle with alcohol, how he tried therapy, hypnotherapy, and changing environments, but nothing worked until he reached a breaking point, a family meal that made him realize he was about to lose everything. That moment became his turning point, and he found a higher power in a quiet voice telling him, “You ain’t gotta do this anymore, but you need help.”This episode dives into the transformative power of the 12-step program, how Arron’s practice of gratitude helped shift his mindset, and the struggles he still faces, including guilt for missing parts of his kids’ lives. This episode covers the following themes: addiction, identity, surrender, guilt, recovery, and helping others.Need Support?Samaritans: Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.orgNarcotics Anonymous: na.orgAlcoholics Anonymous: alcoholics-anonymous.org.ukMental Health Mates: mentalhealthmates.co.ukShout: https: giveusashout.orgIAPT: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adults/nhs-talking-therapies/Saily 👉 Download SAILY in your app store and use our code mend at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to https://saily.com/mendHeights👉 Join Matt in getting your energy back with Vitals. 20% off here: https://highpfrmc.com/au3-OTM20 Randox Health 👉 Take care of your health today and into the future. Save 20% on all health checks now with the code OTM20 at: https://highpfrmc.com/OTM_Randox_au1

This week’s guest is Davinia Taylor, who challenges the traditional narrative of addiction and opens up about her journey from shame and self-doubt to embracing recovery on her own terms.In this episode, Davinia talks candidly about her realisation that addiction isn’t always tied to trauma, and how understanding the biochemical and genetic basis of her struggle, low dopamine, ADHD, and even Viking ancestry, helped remove the shame she once carried. She reframes addiction from a moral failing to a biological reality, offering a powerful shift in perspective.Davinia also shares the truth about recovery: it’s messy, it’s imperfect, and it doesn’t always follow the rigid rules we’re told to follow. She opens up about the constant negotiation of active addiction and the exhaustion it creates, and the surprising discovery of true energy, not from alcohol, but through biohacking and ketones, which have become her source of fuel to live, not just survive.Honest, raw, and deeply human, Davinia’s story is about rebuilding beyond perfection and finding peace in being imperfectly present for the people who matter most.This episode covers the following themes: addiction, shame, self-acceptance, and vulnerability.Simba mattresses 👉Great recovery starts with great sleep. That’s why On The Mend is powered by Simba. Start your 200-night trial & experience the Simba difference:https://highpfrmc.com/OTM_Simba_AUHeights👉 Join Matt in getting your energy back with Vitals. 20% off here: https://highpfrmc.com/au3-OTM20 Randox Health 👉 Take care of your health today and into the future. Save 20% on all health checks now with the code OTM20 at: https://highpfrmc.com/OTM_Randoxhealth_au

This week’s guest is Sam Ryder, someone who knows the struggle of chasing a dream for years, only to face the crushing reality of near-misses and setbacks. For over 15 years, Sam toured the world in tiny vans, scraping by with borrowed hope, never knowing if success would come. But when the door finally cracked open, it did so with an unexpected, life-changing shift.In this episode, Sam talks candidly about the long grind and how he found peace with failure before success even arrived. He shares the moment he made peace with the idea of never “making it,” the power of redefining what success truly means, and how, after years of struggle, he embraced gratitude as his new driving force.This is a raw, honest conversation about the non-linear journey to success, the dangers of “okay jobs,” and why comfort can kill creativity. Sam reveals his decision to get sober and the importance of protecting his voice, his gift, while rejecting the toxic hustle culture that fuels so much of the music industry.Simba mattresses 👉Great recovery starts with great sleep. That’s why On The Mend is powered by Simba. Start your 200-night trial & experience the Simba difference: https://highpfrmc.com/OTM_Simba_AUHeights👉 Join Matt in getting your energy back with Vitals. 20% off here: https://highpfrmc.com/OTMRandox Health 👉 Take care of your health today and into the future. Save 20% on all health checks now with the code OTM20 at: https://highpfrmc.com/OTM_Randoxhealth_au

Recovery isn’t a straight line, and Matt Willis reflects openly on what that reality has meant for him.In this solo episode, Matt speaks candidly about addiction, recovery, and the long process of learning to live differently. He explores the moments that forced him to confront himself, the challenges of trying to change alone, and the ongoing work required to stay well.Rather than offering simple answers, Matt discusses the uncertainty, setbacks, and searching that shaped his recovery, alongside the role of responsibility, trust, and fatherhood in helping him find steadier ground.This is a thoughtful, honest conversation about resilience, accountability, and what it really means to commit to change, without shortcuts, and without pretending recovery is linear.Simba mattresses 👉Great recovery starts with great sleep. That’s why On The Mend is powered by Simba. Start your 200-night trial & experience the Simba difference:https://highpfrmc.com/OTM_Simba_AUHeights👉 Join Matt in getting your energy back with Vitals. 20% off here: https://highpfrmc.com/OTM