Do we ever fully recover from a breakdown?

The Ten Thousand Things

Possible triggers. A confronting episode but one we are proud of. Sam, Joe, and Ali explore the impacts, recovery and residues of mental breakdowns.

• The recent Robbie Williams documentary has kicked off many discussions about mental health
• Robbie's demeanour on screen reminded Ali of herself. He was had extraordinary energy before his collapse, as did Ali, with full time work, a small child, a backyard farm and making sourdough from scratch
• In the present, Ali can see that something inside Williams is 'still broken' or 'empty' even though he remains functional in most areas of life
• This led Ali to consider her life and self now, and compare it with her perception of self before her breakdown
• We collectively navigate Ali's personal journey through mental health challenges, including a severe breakdown that led her into a state of psychotic mania and hospitalization.
• Joe brings up Donald Winnicott and his concept of the 'good enough parent' which relates to the 'good enough self', which is the best self, because it is the True Self, as opposed to the ideal self, which is a False Self, and is not sustainable (leading to many problems including breakdowns). Winnicott also gave us the idea that 'the catastrophe we fear has already happened'- which also relates to Ali's experience clo
• We delve into the changes in energy levels, personal expectations, ambitions, and the perceived self after such an experience.
• We look for therapeutic and analytic angles to discuss the theme of death and mortality in Ali's breakdown
• Ali's story strongly reminds Sam of Joseph Campbell's idea of the Hero's Journey*. Sam proposes that Ali followed most of the stages of the Journey in her breakdown, but may have remaining analysis to complete on the Road Back to the Ordinary World.
• We touch on diagnostic perspectives, struggles with unmet expectations, and the thirst for normalcy
• Joe advocates for spiritual exploration as an intrinsic part of the journey of healing and understanding, and as the best way to meet that higher calling, to live a full life.

*Campbell's book The Hero With A Thousand Faces is an analysis of myth, through ideas from psycho therapy, . The journey is a model of psychological struggle and change in the self. In various stages the self must deal with a Call to Adventure which disrupts their world, they cross into an unknown world, they face dangers, and approach the innermost cave, with an increasing and impending feeling of life and death, they face an ordeal, a struggle and rebirth, an atonement and resurrection. The Road Back is also full of dangers, before we can re-enter the Ordinary World, but find ourselves changed, and our experience of the world forever altered.

Keywords: Mental Breakdowns, Recoveries, Energy Levels, Psychosis, Psychotherapy, Psycho-analysis, Mania, Winnicott, The Good Enough Parent, Spirituality, Higher Calling

Creators & Guests

• Ali Catramados - Host
• Joe Loh - Host
• Sam Ellis - Host

• (00:00) - Theme and host intro
• (00:48) - Robbie Williams: another Ali Sam crossover
• (01:36) - The Attraction to Robbie Williams
• (02:39) - Mental Breakdowns: do we ever put the pieces back together again?
• (03:31) - Ali's Personal Experience with Mental Breakdown
• (05:08) - The Aftermath of a Mental Breakdown
• (05:32) - The Healing Process
• (08:09) - Ali's breakdown and afterwards
• (11:19) - The Struggle of Recovery
• (12:44) - Reflections on the Healing Journey
• (26:36) - Living in the Future: A Discussion on Expectations
• (26:40) - The Psych Ward Experience: Future Focus vs Present Moment
• (27:08) - Facing Mortality: A Personal Perspective
• (27:22) - The Illusion of Imminent Death and Its Impact
• (27:27) - The Struggle with Physical Health and Self-Perception
• (28:28) - The Power of Therapy: Understanding Psychosis
• (28:57) - The Reality of Perception: A Psychedelic Experience
• (29:49) - The Fear of Failure and the Pressure of Expectations
• (31:50) - The Fear of Disappointing Family and the Pressure of Social Scripts
• (37:55) - The Struggle with Energy Levels and the Desire for a Higher Calling

00:00 Theme and host intro
00:48 Robbie Williams: another Ali Sam crossover
01:36 The Attraction to Robbie Williams
02:39 Mental Breakdowns: do we ever put the pieces back together again?
03:31 Ali's Personal Experience with Mental Breakdown
05:08 The Aftermath of a Mental Breakdown
05:32 The Healing Process
08:09 Ali's breakdown and afterwards
11:19 The Struggle of Recovery
12:44 Reflections on the Healing Journey
26:36 Living in the Future: A Discussion on Expectations
26:40 The Psych Ward Experience: Future Focus vs Present Moment
27:08 Facing Mortality: A Personal Perspective
27:22 The Illusion of Imminent Death and Its Impact
27:27 The Struggle with Physical Health and Self-Perception
28:28 The Power of Therapy: Understanding Psychosis
28:57 The Reality of Perception: A Psychedelic Experience
29:49 The Fear of Failure and the Pressure of Expectations
31:50 The Fear of Disappointing Family and the Pressure of Social Scripts
37:55 The Struggle with Energy Levels and the Desire for a Higher Calling