9th September 2018
I listen to a lot of podcasts during the week as a way to help me focus and they also help to reduce my anxiety level. Therefore I am always on the lookout for new, interesting and entertaining shows about a variety of subjects. As an Autistic person who is prone to suffer from poor mental health due to stress and anxiety – I was pleased to discover a new podcast called “Mrs Brightside”. Well, I say new it was out in July but then I have always been late to a lot of things!
The podcast is presented by the excellent Susan Calman, a comedian who has direct experience of mental illness. The premise of the programme is her talking every week to another comedian, who has also had experience of mental health problems. Anxiety, depression, suicide, therapy and grief are all discussed. In the show they simply chat about mental health in a bid to share and reduce the stigma often associated with these conditions. A simple format that works really well.
One of the biggest problems with mental health is that the symptoms the person is experiencing are often invisible to the outside world. A person could be in real pain internally, but would look fine to anyone talking to them. I had never thought about it before, but listening to Calman, it is clear the persona of a comedian has to be positive and funny, no matter what they may be feeling inside.
I believe she even mentions that when a comic does a show, they have a duty to give their paying audience a good show, which as she says they are correctly entitled to. The amount of positivity they have to show is incredible. As an Autistic I mask my feelings and thoughts too in life, but I think the comedian has to be an expert at this. Next time I see a comic I am going to spend a few minutes thinking about this, quietly thanking them, hoping that they are ok, wishing them well and as they take their finally bow, remembering that they might not be.
The guests on the show are excellent. My favourite episode is the one where she talks to Felicity Ward about anxiety and related toilet troubles. When you read about anxiety symptoms, toilet issues are often just described as “needing to go to the loo” and “upset stomach”, which is fine, but it does not really get to the crux of what it feels like to need the loo due to anxiety.
I struggle with this a lot. Whenever, I have to go out, I instantly feel like I need to urinate and so can end up visiting the loo four or five times. None of these times I actually pee though. It is just anxiety, and I can’t really control it. Anxiety also causes IBS which is another taboo symptom to discuss. Felicity talks about this with Calman in her episode and it is really liberating to hear it being discussed freely. She also discuses this famously in her stand up shows, which are also great.
I think this is the great strength of the show, that if you suffer from poor mental health, you can really relate to the discussions. Another great example of this for me is the episode with Jack Rooke, a comedian who has a show called “Good Grief” which deals with bereavements, suicide and the mental health issues arising from loss.
In this episode he talks about the loss of his father, who was a Black Cab taxi driver and the fact that for many years he found the sound of a taxi exhaust too painful for him, as it was a reminder of the loss of his dad. However, after a period of time, this sound changed to one that he loves as it takes him home and positively reminds him of his dad.
This really struck a chord with me. I lost my grandmother on my birthday and for many years I felt like I couldn’t celebrate anything on this day. It was just a painful reminder of what I had lost. However, as the years went on I began to feel the opposite and my birthday became a reason to celebrate the fact that my gran had existed and I could happily remember the good times we had together.
In fact it is now a day where I remember everyone who I have lost close to me and to be thankful for the time I did have to spend with them. It shows that we all go through the same processes, in this example grief, but also that there is something comforting in talking about these topics, listening and sharing these experiences.
In my opinion the reason the show works so well is that it is honest. Pure and simple. Two people discussing mental health with warmth, dignity and in a way that is engaging, thought provoking and comforting. Normally when I review anything I like to try and say something constructive about improving any poorer elements.
However, I have racked my brains about “Mrs Brightside” for days now and I can honestly say I really can’t think of anything. It is pretty much a perfect podcast, true to its subject matter. Maybe more episodes? I really hope Calman does another series and also expands the conversations to include disabled comics too. Individuals who can be more prone to mental health issues due to negative aspects of a condition, such as Autism. I would love to hear these stories told in the same format.
So to conclude with I want to personally thank Susan Calman and all her guests for producing such a good show on a topic that really needs this coverage to end the stigma behind mental health and to encourage an understanding that we all have problems, but its ok. Great work, so I will happily give it 10/10.