A dad of eight turns late-night lyrics into lifelines while caring for a partner living with bipolar, BPD, chronic pain, and severe asthma.

How do you hold a household together when the carer is running on empty? John—dad of eight, full-time carer, and aspiring songwriter—opens up about school bullying, quiet grief, and the strain of supporting a partner through bipolar disorder, BPD, chronic pain, and severe asthma. We talk men’s mental health, the pressure of social media, and why ten minutes of courage—calling a friend, walking into a group, or hitting record—can change a family’s future. John also shares how AI-assisted songwriting helps him process the ache and celebrate the fragile wins. This is a conversation about resilience, creativity, and the small rituals that keep us here.

Email: onlydanlawrence@gmail.com

• Caring on empty: diabetes, fatigue, and the hidden cost of being “the strong one.”
• Bullying’s long tail: what schools miss, and how to push for real interventions.
• Living alongside bipolar, BPD, chronic pain, and severe asthma—what helps and what harms.
• Men’s mental health: why bottling up backfires, and simple check-ins that actually work.
• Grief in the background: when songs heal you—and undo you.
• Making music at midnight: how AI tools help John write, produce, and breathe.
• Parenting on purpose: choosing presence over presents and building memory rituals.
• Building a support network when you are “not a talker.”

If this helped you: subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs a nudge to check in—or to finally speak up.

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What happens when the thing that saved you becomes the thing you have to leave behind?

At six years old, Matt Power was told he’d never ride a bike. Instead, he fought his way into the world of combat sports — MMA, K1, Muay Thai, and boxing — chasing televised highs, adrenaline, and purpose. But one fight changed everything: a brain injury, small vessel disease, and a year spent mostly in bed.

Without the gym’s rhythm, the silence got loud — loss, gaslighting, and PTSD turned sleep into a battlefield. Yet two anchors held: a brother who never stopped showing up and a father who flew him to Spain and cried at the airport.

In this unfiltered, powerful conversation, Matt opens up about:

• Growing up with dyspraxia and learning resilience through stubborn practice
• Switching between fighting styles and redefining what “strength” means
• Surviving trauma, isolation, and emotional abuse
• The diagnosis that ended his career — and the therapy that saved his life
• How EMDR, family, and love rebuilt his identity and hope

Now, as a partner and stepdad, Matt shares what it really takes to rebuild:
Resilience as a trainable skill, boundaries that protect healing, and the power of chosen family to bring light back into dark places.

This episode is raw, honest, and life-giving — perfect for anyone navigating men’s mental health, PTSD recovery, or life after sport.

🎯 If it hits home, please share, subscribe, and leave a review. Every listen helps others find stories that remind them they’re not alone.

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A “bad back” that wasn’t. A silent diagnosis that changed everything.
In this powerful episode, Martin opens up about surviving two cancer battles — testicular cancer in his early twenties and later lymphoma that reached his spine — and how each fight reshaped his understanding of strength, masculinity, and mental health.

He speaks honestly about the first surgery he told no one about, the loneliness that followed, and why the hardest part wasn’t treatment — it was breaking years of silence. Martin recalls the moment he trusted his gut, demanded scans, and likely saved his own life.

From there, the conversation expands into generational masculinity, mental health in the trades, co-parenting, and the evolution of support on building sites — where leaflets, trained foremen, and simple text lines are making it easier for men to reach out.

Martin shares how Andy’s Man Club became his turning point — the place where talking stopped feeling like weakness and became survival. With a partner who spots the signs early and asks the right questions, he now recognises his triggers and prevents spirals before they start.

Then came a new chapter: building a business rooted in purpose, hiring a team, and setting goals that align with his values. Together, we explore how to spot health changes early, manage pressure, navigate online hate, and protect your mind while pursuing success.

If this story moves you, tap follow, share it with a mate, and leave a review — your support helps more men find the courage to speak up. Sometimes, your message is the one that saves a life.

Episode Highlights

• First diagnosis in his twenties — and telling no one
• Loneliness, drinking, and the pressure to appear fine
• Back pain, missed warning signs, and a brutal spinal procedure
• Trusting instincts and pushing for life-saving scans
• Why men still struggle to open up — and how to start
• Mental health resources now appearing on building sites
• Andy’s Man Club as a turning point
• Handling online trolls and protecting your peace
• Partner support, asking twice, and recognising signals
• Turning pain into purpose — and building a thriving business

“Get yourself a quote. What have you got to lose, eh?”

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