How Long Can You Keep Escaping Yourself? with Tom Jenkins

How Long Can You Keep Escaping Yourself? with Tom Jenkins

Author: Philip Briscoe May 25, 2026 Duration: 39:52
Tom Jenkins looked functional from the outside. He held down jobs, travelled the world and kept life moving forward. But underneath, he was trapped in a cycle of binge drinking, gambling, shame, self-destruction and trying to outrun himself. In this brutally honest conversation, Tom talks openly about: blackouts, cocaine and waking up in places he couldn’t remember the loneliness and low self-worth driving his behaviour erectile dysfunction, porn and wh...

For men navigating the complexities of middle age, conversations about inner life can feel foreign or forbidden. Mid-life Men: the mental health podcast is a space where that silence is broken. Host Philip Briscoe engages in frank, thoughtful dialogues with men from various walks of life, exploring the unspoken challenges of mental wellbeing, societal expectations, and personal identity during these pivotal years. This isn't a lecture series; it's a collection of real stories and shared experiences. Listeners will hear candid discussions that range from managing stress and redefining purpose to navigating relationships and confronting the stigma that often surrounds vulnerability. The podcast delves into the cultural and personal dimensions of health, offering documentary-style intimacy alongside practical perspectives. Each episode aims to connect, reassure, and provide a sense of shared understanding for any man who has ever felt adrift. By focusing specifically on the mid-life experience, this series creates a vital, targeted forum for reflection and connection, challenging the notion that struggling is a sign of failure. Tune in for authentic conversations that prove you are not alone in your journey.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 50

Mid-life Men: the mental health podcast
Podcast Episodes
What No One Tells Men About Losing a Parent, with John Colbert [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:46
What happens to a man when he loses his father and no one shows him how to grieve? In this honest, darkly funny, and deeply human conversation, we hear from John Colbert, a writer and former advertising creative who turn…
What if the Life You Built Isn't You Anymore? with Nick Shelton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:43
What happens when the work stops, the job title is no longer relevant, and the role that defined you disappears? In this episode, Nick Shelton tells the story so many midlife men silently live: achieving everything you t…
Why Midlife Doesn’t Have to Mean Decline, with Louis Bezich [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:45
What if midlife wasn’t the beginning of decline, but a second chance to feel alive again? In this episode, my guest is Louis Bezich, men’s health advocate, and author of Saving Men from Themselves. After years of jugglin…
The Moment You Realise You're Not the Only One, with Merlin Matthews [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:32
In this episode, Merlin Matthews, founder of Man Academy, explores how men can move from isolation to connection, from being “lone warriors” who suppress emotions to connected men who grow through community and accountab…
Powerful or Pitiful – You Choose, with Coach Anthony Cudjo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:57
In this powerful conversation, transformational coach Anthony Cudjo shares a no-excuses roadmap for men who are tired of living small, disconnected lives. With the passion of a preacher and the precision of a scientist,…
Cracked Open: How Honesty Heals Men, with Gary Jader [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:43
In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, Gary Jader, a lifelong advocate for men’s mental health, talks about growing up in a house full of conflict, the long shadow of a verbally abusive father, and how that ear…
Why It’s So Hard for Men to Talk, with Tom Karrel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:38
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains references to suicide, which you may find distressing, so please listen with care. So many men grow up hearing the same messages: figure it out yourself, don’t cry, just get on with…