Welcome to Where Is My Mind? A podcast about how we can better look after our heads and our hearts in the head-melty chaos of the modern world.

Addiction is a topic we’ve wanted to cover for a long time on the podcast due to the complex relationship between mental health and addiction. Addiction rarely exists without some history of suffering and trauma. 

Senator Lynn Ruane and Brian Pennie, PhD, are two leading powerhouses in the addiction space in Ireland. Both have had their own lived experience, growing up in drug and poverty ravished areas of Dublin, and advocate for better systems and supports for those experiencing addiction. The conversation is had through a social structures lens, as evidence suggests that focusing on the individual has not worked thus far. Lynn and Brian discuss how we still need to focus on destigmatising drug use and bringing humanity back to individuals, how poverty is the core issue destroying communities and what approaches they are advocating for to protect those in vulnerable positions. 

Follow Niall on IG @bressie, TikTok @niallbreslin, FB @whereismymindpodcast and Twitter @nbrez and visit his website: www.niallbreslin.com.

If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally or feeling hopeless, it’s important to talk to someone about it now. You can contact one of the resources below for free. 

In Ireland/U.K.: https://www.samaritans.org/

In the U.S.: https://988lifeline.org/ 

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