158. David Wood: Searching for Answers—Finding Courage and Clarity; Part 1

David Wood—an Australian journalist and copywriter now based in Darwin—reached out to me after listening to SASS and recognizing his own story in the voices of others. I was immediately captivated by David's email…which turned into several emails through our ongoing efforts to make this episode happen. The bumps in the road as we struggled to put this together were well worth it for me. And, I think you'll also find it well worth it to listen to David's episodes. As you'll hear, David, with his ample talent articulating his experiences (which I attribute this to his expert abilities as an experienced professional writer), paints a vivid picture of life in the Northern Territory—crocodiles, cyclones, cattle stations (what we in America call ranches), and monsoonal rains—then opens the door to the harder terrain he's had to cross: decades of depression, shame, and a long search for what was really happening beneath the surface. David's life was shaped by early childhood and adolescent pressure to fit a role, the silence of an emotionally constricted household, and the slow, eventual, collapse that followed: failing out of school, drinking to cope, and repeatedly trying to rebuild. He shares how journalism became both a refuge and a battleground—holding power to account in a frontier city while privately fighting to get out of bed, to think clearly, to simply function. Along the way David describes the independent newspaper company he worked for that took on government blacklisting, the stories that toppled leaders, and the cost of doing that work when your nervous system is already on fire. David's story is not a neat "treatment plan," but a messy, honest, human journey: forty mental-health professionals, trials that didn't help, medications with harmful tradeoffs, and the painful realization that many answers he'd been given didn't fit his lived reality. David lived through the humiliation of being labeled "treatment-resistant," the limits of purely cognitive fixes, and the experiences of meditation, a different kind of therapeutic relationship, and a commitment to stop turning away from pain began to move the needle. From my lens, David makes a compelling case for seeing depression and anxiety not as character flaws, but as signals—rooted in love withheld, in stories untold, and in bodies that learned to survive more than they could name. I am particularly appreciative of how David describes how memory works when trauma muddies the timeline, and why shame can masquerade as consent to a life you never chose. But even more amazing is his realization of how a witness—someone who sees you—can become the hinge on which healing turns. David doesn't glamorize suffering; he demystifies it for us. And while doing so, he gives amazing language to what so many male survivors carry in silence: the pressure to perform, the terror of feeling, and the hope that returns—slowly—when you refuse to abandon yourself. If you're a survivor, a loved one, or a professional, this conversation is a reminder to keep looking until the story you're told matches the truth you feel. I love how David's through-line is simple and powerful: if the explanations you've been given don't make sense, don't stop. Keep asking better questions. Keep seeking better care. And keep choosing the kind of community that believes you, and stands with you. Make sure you tune in next week for Part 2! It's a power culmination of the grit of human pain and healing. You don't want to miss it!! An important side note: if you're finding value in these episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. Here's my email address: dave@sasstories.com Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already; and, if you're interested in guesting on the show, please mention that in your email or text, and provide me with a phone number where I can reach you. Please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you! Here are some critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so!—Thank you!! gofund.me/af648f46 (Kennedy Alley: A 100 Mile Journey; GoFundMe link) https://a.co/d/7P6Fmmc (Amazon link to I, Sean/a) https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com https://www.survivor-school.com/?ref=DAVEMARKEL www.arcigrey.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/invisible-no-more-lady-veterans-stories-of-military/id1754061590 https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ My email address: dave@sasstories.com As mentioned and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in.