MTSB #13 - Jonny Benjamin MBE

Jonny is an MBE-holding mental health advocate, author, and filmmaker. He talks about living with schizoaffective disorder, and his social media campaign to find the man who saved his life, six years after they met on a bridge. They subsequently started a mental health charity together, We Are Beyond. He also talks about the consistency of music in the maelstrom of mental health, and the ups and downs of 2020, and the ways in which this year has both helped and hindered our mental health. Blair and Jonny discuss different medications and their effects, and the alternative to FOMO: JOMO!

Listen along to Jonny’s songs at this Spotify playlist. Discussions begin:

Amy Winehouse - Rehab (05:38)

Taylor Dayne - Tell It To My Heart (10:28)

Janet Jackson - Together Again (11:45)

Gabrielle - Rise (21:00)

Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody (35:22)

Madonna - You’ll See (36:46)

Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over (41:20)

Nina Simone - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to be Free (46:46)

ABBA - Dancing Queen (55:30)

Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come (58:22)

Nina Simone - Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood (1:03:04)

You can find Jonny:

On Twitter and Instagram @mrjonnybenjamin

Resources/Links:

For emergency support over the phone, you can call The Samaritans free on 116 123.For men who want to talk to others in a private and safe space, visit Talk Club - founded by two Music To Survive By guests Ben Akers and Gavin Thorpe. Check out their episodes for more info about the initiative for male mental fitness.