Show Notes
[Content warning: This episode mentions mental health, suicide and suicide ideation.] Join us for season 3 of It Can't Hurt To Ask to take a deep dive into your men's health questions and concerns. This episode, we're tackling the big topic of men's mental health. We're working out our brains with experts, Mental Health Acute Inpatient Service (MHAIS) Clinical Nurse, Sam, and MHAIS Senior Exercise Physiologist, Matt, who'll take us through what mental fitness looks like for men, how your body reacts to mental stress, and how to build resilience and regulate your nervous system. You'll also hear from Queensland men, Glenn and Kai, who share their experiences and struggles with managing their mental wellbeing. We'll be diving into how your body responds when your fight or flight response is constantly activated, and how you can stop that cycle in its tracks. This episode also explores what factors influence your mental health, in both positive and negative ways, such as lifestyle choices and social influence (hello, social media). What does good mental health look like? What are the signs of poor mental health in men? How does the 'Aussie bloke' stereotype influence male mental health? Why do so many men go undiagnosed? When is it time to get help? Where can you get help? Listen to find out. If you'd like to learn more about men's health, we have a whole season lined up. Make sure you listen to our next episode, where we explore optimising male sexual function and health. Please leave us a review—we'd love to hear your thoughts. If you are listening to this podcast and need help, this is your sign to seek it. Explore the episode resources provided below for more support. Episode Resources: TIPP The TIPP method is a stress and emotional regulation technique, discussed in this episode. It works by hacking your body's physiological responses through four components: temperature (creating sudden temperature change), intensity (doing short but intense bursts of physical activity), paced breathing (slowing the breath), and paired muscle relaxation (focused tensing and relaxing of your muscles to regulate the nervous system). Meditation and breathing exercises - Mind/Land When your nervous system is overwhelmed, paced breathing can be a helpful activity to calm it. This can be in the form of breathing exercises, meditation or simply listening to relaxing sounds. Take a break to connect with your mind with Mind/Land by Queensland Health. This podcast series is an icebreaker into the world of meditation, featuring the soothing sounds of the Noosa Everglades, Maleny Rainforest and more iconic South East Queensland locations. Choose from 1-minute guided meditations to hour long recordings of pure nature to try your hand at meditation. Mental health first aid First aid isn't only for physical injuries; it includes mental health too. Mental health first aid training provides participants with the skills to recognise and respond to someone experiencing mental health challenges, until they can seek professional help. Learn more about how to become certified through Mental Health First Aid. Emergency mental health care In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) and ask for an ambulance. If you feel that you may be in need of mental health support and have never accessed a mental health service before, our mental health access line 1300 MH CALL (1300 642 255) is available 24/7. This is a confidential mental health telephone triage service and is the first point of contact to Queensland public mental health services. Organisations like Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) and the Men's Shed Association are also available to provide mental wellbeing support. Find your local Men's shed location to connect with your community face-to-face, or speak to a Beyond Blue counsellor online or by phone.
More from It Can't Hurt To Ask
What's involved in caring for someone at the end of their life? What kind of support is available for people wanting to die at home? How can people provide care for loved ones while they are in hospital?
While it may feel uncomfortable, we can't talk about Death and Dying, without answering this one—what actually happens when someone is dying? Lauren tackles this question head on to find out more—what are the different stages of dying, how long does it take and what do the movies get right (if anything)? We also learn more about the importance of advance care planning as we age and how voluntary assisted dying works from Karen, a clinical nurse consultant from Toowoomba. In this episode, we'll hear from clinical nurse consultant Jacinta and palliative care specialist Dr Sheryl from Caboolture Hospital's palliative care service, who explain what to expect as people come to the end of their lives. Remember, death may feel scary, but talking about it shouldn't. After all, it can't hurt to ask! Resources: Talking about death and dying can bring up challenging emotions. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental wellbeing, support is available: Lifeline: call 13 11 14 (24 hours a day) if you are experiencing a personal crisis or chat to a counsellor online. Beyond Blue: call 1300 22 463 for broad mental wellbeing support or speak to a counsellor online. Griefline: call 1300 845 745 (9am–6pm, Monday - Friday, 12 noon–6pm weekends). PalAssist has general information and advice about palliative care services in Queensland. Call 1800 772 273 (free for Queensland residents) or chat online (from 7am to 7pm, 7 days). In an emergency, always call Triple Zero (000).
There can be a lot of people involved in end-of-life care, so in this episode, we're finding out who's who and what they do. In this episode, Lauren meets with staff from across the state who help care for people who are dying, to find out what their jobs are and what they love about their work. From the role of doctors and nurses in palliative care settings, to allied health professionals and a geriatrician, we're finding out how many different disciplines can come together to support a person's quality of life in their final months, weeks and days. What's the most common request a palliative care music therapist gets? Why might an occupational therapist talk to a patient's neighbours? How does a geriatrician explain ageing? Come along for the journey to find out! Resources: Talking about death and dying can bring up challenging emotions. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental wellbeing, support is available: Lifeline: call 13 11 14 (24 hours a day) if you are experiencing a personal crisis or chat to a counsellor online. Beyond Blue: call 1300 22 463 for broad mental wellbeing support or speak to a counsellor online. Griefline: call 1300 845 745 (9am–6pm, Monday - Friday, 12 noon–6pm weekends). PalAssist has general information and advice about palliative care services in Queensland. Call 1800 772 273 (free for Queensland residents) or chat online (from 7am to 7pm, 7 days). In an emergency, always call Triple Zero (000).
What if we told you that palliative care is less about death and dying, and more about living? In Episode 2 about Death and Dying, Lauren heads to different services across the state to find out what palliative care is, how it works and the many different ways you can access care. We start with a history lesson from Dr Graham, the director of the Specialist Rural Telehealth Service, who explains what palliative care is and who it's for. We will also hear from clinical nurse consultant Jacinta about how a hospital palliative care ward works, meet community palliative care specialist Dr Erin who explains what in-community care looks like, and find out how the Specialist Rural Telehealth Service delivers care to people in rural and remote areas from Dr Graham. Hit play to find out how palliative care services are evolving to meet the needs of people right across the state. Resources: Talking about death and dying can bring up challenging emotions. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental wellbeing, support is available: Lifeline: call 13 11 14 (24 hours a day) if you are experiencing a personal crisis or chat to a counsellor online. Beyond Blue: call 1300 22 463 for broad mental wellbeing support or speak to a counsellor online. Griefline: call 1300 845 745 (9am–6pm, Monday - Friday, 12 noon–6pm weekends). PalAssist has general information and advice about palliative care services in Queensland. Call 1800 772 273 (free for Queensland residents) or chat online (from 7am to 7pm, 7 days). In an emergency, always call Triple Zero (000).
Death is one of life's few guarantees. It's natural and will happen to all of us—so why are we so afraid to talk about it? In Episode 1 of It Can’t Hurt to Ask ... about Death and Dying, our host Lauren kicks off the season by asking what seems like an obvious question: what are death and dying? The answer, however, is a little more complex. We're joined by Dr Christian, a palliative care specialist from Rockhampton Base Hospital and Laurelle, a social worker from our statewide Specialist Palliative Rural Telehealth Service based out of Gold Coast University Hospital. They help us explore the clinical definitions of death and dying (and how they differ from what we understand as death), share what we do and don't know about death, and help us understand what a "good death" really means. It may seem scary, but this episode is just the start of tackling the silence and stigma that surrounds death. Because talking about it can help us feel more prepared, more informed and help us live our lives to their fullest. Resources: Talking about death and dying can bring up challenging emotions. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental wellbeing, support is available: Lifeline: call 13 11 14 (24 hours a day) if you are experiencing a personal crisis or chat to a counsellor online. Beyond Blue: call 1300 22 463 for broad mental wellbeing support or speak to a counsellor online. Griefline: call 1300 845 745 (9am–6pm, Monday - Friday, 12 noon–6pm weekends). PalAssist has general information and advice about palliative care services in Queensland. Call 1800 772 273 (free for Queensland residents) or chat online (from 7am to 7pm, 7 days). In an emergency, always call Triple Zero (000).