#2 - The Stranger On The Bridge: Jonny Benjamin MBE

Jonny Benjamin MBE is an award-winning mental health campaigner, film producer, public speaker, and writer.At the age of 20 he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a combination of schizophrenia and bipolar, which lead to a now infamous moment on Waterloo Bridge in 2008.In 2014 his social media campaign to FindMike, the stranger that saved him from committing suicide went viral and got the whole world talking about mental health. Since then Jonny has become a figurehead in the mental health space, producing and presenting documentaries, writing books, establishing programmes and more recently a charity called Beyond who are committed to making a difference for the mental health of young people up and down the UK.I was really keen to chat to Jonny not just about his amazing journey but about the ever increasing challenges that modern day living poses on our mental health, not to mention what’s been happening the last year with Corona virus. I’m sure we have all felt the stresses and strains in one way or another and I certainly know people who have struggled quite badly. Jonny helps explain the reasons behind that and what we can all do to help ourselves and others.Not only that it was fascinating speaking to someone with schizophrenia and bipolar, conditions which still have a lot of stigma around them. Even though Jonny still suffers with them you will tell he’s a completely normal bloke and he’s doing a huge amount in dispelling the stigma just by who he is, and of course helping educate people.We talk about:The difference small acts of kindness can makeSuicideThe magnifying affect of big citiesThe power of showing vulnerabilityHope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did, and If you are effected by any of the topics covered in this episode you can find some useful resources below. ✌️Jonnys handles:https://jonnybenjamin.co.uk/Insta: @mrjonnybenjaminTwitter: @MrJonnyBenjaminhttps://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-stranger-on-the-bridgeSupport resources:https://www.wearehumen.org/https://www.samaritans.org/https://giveusashout.org/----------------------------------------Thank you to our sponsor the Coaching AcademyThe Coaching Academy are the world's largest life coach training provider and do an absolutely amazing job, teaching everyday people to make a difference to the lives of others - every day.So if you've ever thought about helping people achieve their goals, gain greater clarity in their life or help them build confidence and resilience, a full or part time career working from home as a Life Coach may well be for you.Check out The Coaching Academy’s free webinars, they run every week and can help you find out if Life-Coaching is for youFind out more at tcacoach.com