In My Mind: Dr Tom
Doctor Tom’s mission is to be the ambulance at the top of the cliff. By sharing his personal journey...
In My Mind: Trailer
Living with mental health conditions
In My Mind: Teen Anxiety
What exactly is anxiety, and why is it more prevalent in teenagers now than in previous generations?...
In My Mind: Midlife Crisis
Middle-aged males often top mental health statistics. Here, Gen Xers and former comedians Willy de W...
In My Mind: Breaking Point
To endure a breakdown at the pinnacle of your sporting career is tough. Former NRL star Paul Whatuir...
In My Mind: Mana and Mateship
Lifelong best mates Matetu and Whare have both experienced depression, addiction and attempted suici...
In My Mind: Starting the Conversation
Getting men to talk about their feelings is easier said than done, but one man is. Sam don Barber, a...
In My Mind: The Early Years
NZ have the highest youth suicide rate in the world and men outnumber women four to one. There is no...
In My Mind: Burnout
Burnout is referred to as the overachiever's syndrome and is becoming increasingly common. Doctors a...
In My Mind: Body
The pressure on women to be thin is everywhere. While environmental and genetic factors cause obesit...
In My Mind: Mums
Motherhood is meant to be one of life's fulfilling experiences, so why are so many mums a mess? Prol...
In My Mind: Social Obsession
We're more connected than ever... always at the beck and call of our smart phones. But despite being...
In My Mind: Huntington's
Rachel (41) and KJ (33) are two friends living with Huntington's, a fatal neurodegenerative disease....
In My Mind: Dominique
Dominique has survived for almost 12 years with severe anorexia and is determined to find a way to h...
In My Mind: Rodney
Wheelchair dancer Rodney Bell was homeless on the streets of San Francisco for three years. Back hom...
In My Mind: Psychosis
When reality blends with your imagination, life can be a living hell. Young people bravely share exp...
In My Mind: James
James is going back to work for the first time in ten years. After battling voices in his head and d...
In My Mind: Kiwi Farmers
Kiwi farmers are resilient men and women. But with tough economic times, isolation and stress, depre...
Former rugby league star, Paul Whatuira admits the sport he loves was also the trigger of his downfall. Having been a formidable player in the National Rugby League with the Warriors, Storm, Panthers and Tigers, Paul’s life took a turn while playing in the UK Super League.
He entered a vicious downward spiral fuelled by the pressures of the game and providing for a family; such intense pressure that he tried to take his own life.
In the depths of his depression, Paul attempted to return to the NRL, controversially signing with the Eels; but after managing one game game back in Sydney, he accepted his rugby league career was over.
Now, he is working to give back to youth climbing the ranks of rugby league, spreading the message "it is okay to ask for help."
Only the few who’ve been in his elite position fully understand the pressures young athletes are under today, ”Social media, people expecting them to be heroes, but in reality they are just young men” he says.
Having hit rock bottom himself, he’s trying to educate young athletes in looking after themselves and using their support networks, “I don’t have a degree in psychology but I do have a degree in pain.”
“For me, what started the downward spiral, “he continues, “was the responsibilities of being a father and the pressure to provide for my family.”
“I was in England finishing up my career, putting pressure on myself, not sleeping, drowning my sorrows. Seven days of self-harm, I was looking for ways to escape this life. The voices were telling me to cause harm to my partner, I was a raging lunatic. That’s when I spent four weeks in the psychiatric hospital heavily medicated.”
Paul finished up his time in England and returned to New Zealand to play, but he was trapped in a negative mindset, which led him to attempt to take his life. “What stopped me was seeing this picture of my daughter, I knew I couldn’t leave that legacy for my daughter of her father taking his own life."
From there he spent six months locked away in his apartment as his marriage crumbled and he worked on himself, re-inventing who he was without rugby league.
Paul learned to be happy again, “I re-connected back to my culture, I started challenging my own internal dialogue and by challenging myself, I realised my teammates still loved me and re-educated myself about what made me feel good, which was training.”
He also focused on the reason he was alive and why he wanted to work hard, his ‘why,’ “my pounamu, my daughter, Gabrielle.”
Now he is the director of ‘Internal Strength’ a life coach business which he uses to educate up-and-coming young men in rugby league.
Paul re-connects with past coaches and team-mates checking to see that they're looking after themselves and the young people around them.
Through these processes he is building a network of support to educate young players to ensure they get both the physical and mental training and tools to last.
After one of these many check-ins he is positive about the future of rugby league, “It is awesome to see the support they are getting, but they still need to be able to speak up and ask for help.”
The ultimate goal; Paul is looking to make a positive impact on other people’s lives, “I want to empower and inspire as many people as possible. I have the support from my family, my friends, all you have to do is ask for help.”
Being Me: Jack
At 18, Jack Brown made a decision that would put him in a wheelchair for life. Facing his new realit...
Being Me: Joshua
Joshua Sade-Inia is a burns survivor. The scars, which cover almost half his body represent his ins...
In My Mind: Breaking Point
To endure a breakdown at the pinnacle of your sporting career is tough. Former NRL star Paul Whatuir...
In My Mind: Teen Anxiety
What exactly is anxiety, and why is it more prevalent in teenagers now than in previous generations?...
Mike Chunn & The Long Black Cloud
Musical legend Mike Chunn brings together threads of the disability community in a campaign to use I...
In My Mind: Adam
As a young man, Adam Bryce suffered from anorexia. It's been a tough road that's lead to depression....
In My Mind: Mums
Motherhood is meant to be one of life's fulfilling experiences, so why are so many mums a mess? Prol...
Being Us: Liam and Shane
Liam has Down Syndrome, and while technically Shane is teaching him life skills, Liam's the one who'...
An Anxious World: Children Part 2
Despite being only weeks old when the Christchurch earthquake forced her family from their home, eig...
In My Mind: Starting the Conversation
Getting men to talk about their feelings is easier said than done, but one man is. Sam don Barber, a...
In My Mind: Dominique
Dominique has survived for almost 12 years with severe anorexia and is determined to find a way to h...
In My Mind: Psychosis
When reality blends with your imagination, life can be a living hell. Young people bravely share exp...
In My Mind: Mana and Mateship
Lifelong best mates Matetu and Whare have both experienced depression, addiction and attempted suici...
In My Mind: Burnout
Burnout is referred to as the overachiever's syndrome and is becoming increasingly common. Doctors a...
In My Mind: Body
The pressure on women to be thin is everywhere. While environmental and genetic factors cause obesit...
Glimpse
One in five young people will experience some kind of serious mood disorder before the age of 24. Gl...
In My Mind: Arley
Teenager Arley Gower was diagnosed with anorexia three-years ago. It's a long road to recovery, but ...
In My Mind: Social Obsession
We're more connected than ever... always at the beck and call of our smart phones. But despite being...
Being Me: Claire
Claire Freeman's achieved a lot since a spinal injury that put her in a wheelchair at 17, a design d...
Model in Milan
Quadrapligic model, Claire Freeman makes her debut on the international catwalk at Milan Fashion Wee...
In My Mind: The Early Years
NZ have the highest youth suicide rate in the world and men outnumber women four to one. There is no...
In My Mind: Kiwi Farmers
Kiwi farmers are resilient men and women. But with tough economic times, isolation and stress, depre...
An Anxious World: Children Part 1
Anxiety rates in NZ children are skyrocketing with the number of diagnosed cases more than doubling ...
Childhood Anxiety - Livestream with Nathan Wallis
Neuroscientist Nathan Wallis was on the couch with our panel of parents - Jason, Amanda and Sophia -...
In My Mind: Dr Tom
Doctor Tom’s mission is to be the ambulance at the top of the cliff. By sharing his personal journey...
My Perfect Family: Jo & Leon
Young doctor Jo Scott’s career was on the rise when a brain haemorrhage changed her life. Seven year...
