DeepSummary
Danny Brown shares his personal experience of being diagnosed with depression and anxiety in 2019 after a breakdown. He highlights the supportive role his wife played in getting him the right treatment. Danny discusses the loneliness and mental health challenges faced by podcasters, who often work solo on all aspects of their shows.
He explains how the self-doubt, impostor syndrome, and scrutiny over one's work that comes with mental health issues can be exacerbated by the podcasting process, from editing to analyzing metrics. Danny notes the lack of open discussion around mental health in the podcasting industry despite its potential toll on creators.
He stresses the importance of destigmatizing mental health and fostering a supportive environment within the podcasting community. By encouraging open conversations, the industry can help podcasters feel safe to ask for help and get the support they need.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Danny Brown shares his personal journey with depression and anxiety to provide context for the mental health challenges faced by podcasters.
- Podcasting can be an isolating endeavor, with creators often working solo on all aspects of their shows, exacerbating mental health issues.
- Self-doubt, impostor syndrome, and hyper-scrutiny of one's work are common experiences for podcasters with mental health struggles.
- There is a lack of open dialogue about mental health within the podcasting industry, despite the potential emotional toll on creators.
- Destigmatizing mental health and fostering a supportive community are crucial for helping podcasters feel safe to seek help when needed.
- Encouraging vulnerability and creating a welcoming space for mental health discussions can empower podcasters to take the first step in addressing their struggles.
- By celebrating podcasters' achievements while also recognizing their challenges, the industry can build a more compassionate and inclusive environment.
- Open conversations about mental health within the podcasting space are an important step towards ensuring creators have access to the support they need.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Transfer this to the editing process and you can see the parallels. Is the audio good enough? Do people like your podcast? Is your content worthy of being consumed? This all comes out in the editing process because you start to second guess yourself, your voice that you don't already like the sound of, and ask any podcaster what they think about their voice.“ by Danny Brown
- “Even though it's 2023, mental health still carries a stigma around it. According to the American Psychiatric Association, more than half of people with mental illness don't receive help.“ by Danny Brown
- “We need to recognize that and encourage celebration around that while also recognising people maybe reaching out for help but don't know how to ask.“ by Danny Brown
- “If we can open up the conversation and help podcasters and those in the podcasting space see the industry as a safe, welcoming place we know it can be to talk about their mental health. It will help remove that fear of saying the first word and that can be the most important word a podcaster will ever say.“ by Danny Brown
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Episode Information
Pod Chat
Danny Brown
3/17/23
There are a lot of studies on how podcasting can benefit listeners when it comes to their mental health, but this isn’t the case when it comes to the creators behind the podcasts. And that’s more than a little disconcerting. Because podcasting can be such a lonely endeavour, this only exacerbates the issues someone might be going through that are multiplied when their anxieties about their podcast start to take over.
For those that are suffering, it’s often in silence. Even though it’s 2023, mental health still carries a stigma around it - according to the American Psychiatric Association, more than half of people with mental illness don’t receive help. A lot of this can come down to the fact that people are so unwilling to talk about it - going back to that belief they're weak, or there must be something wrong with them and only them. Or, worse of all, they believe it's "all in their head" because they've been told that often enough.
This is where talking about mental health, and encouraging open conversations around the topic industry-wide, can be an important step forward in recognizing the loneliness and fear that can come with podcasting.
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Contact me: danny@dannybrown.me
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