Some of you will know that I have started a podcast called That Shit Show that focuses on overcoming trauma.

So why would anyone in their right mind want to spend so much time thinking and talking about trauma? How could anyone enjoy this stuff?

Well, here’s the thing. I do love it. And I am not some creepy ambulance chaser who loves misery.

Firstly, it is critically important that people’s personal experiences are validated. It is very rare for people to be given a forum to talk freely, openly and intelligently about the things that have hurt them and changed the course of their lives.

90 per cent of people experience some form of trauma (and if you haven’t, it’s coming for you). Trauma is NORMAL. It’s going to happen to you so why not prepare?

Why don’t people talk about it?

So many reasons. Shame. Taboo. Fear of being seen as a failure. Fear of making other people uncomfortable or sad. Fear of judgement. The lack of appropriate social forums in which to discuss these issues.

Trauma is often the defining factor in people’s lives. It is the figurative ‘Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I took the road less travelled’. Trauma is the tour guide on that other road.

People who have overcome trauma have important information and lessons to share.

The key lesson is this: you are not the first person to go through this.

Everyone has a different way of experiencing and getting through trauma but, like climbing a mountain or cooking a particular recipe, why not learn from people who have done it before you?

The challenge is finding someone who has experienced your special flavour of misery.

Helloooo internet. Hello social media. Hello human family.

The power of one person’s trauma story to influence the outcome of another person’s trauma story is exponential.

I have experienced this phenomena myself (thank you Liz Ellis).

So my objective is to hear (and validate the pain of) people’s stories, record them, share them and hopefully find an audience who will benefit from the information provided.

Like anything in human life that causes pain – childbirth, love (and it’s many endings), illness and death – it is helpful and comforting to connect to other people’s experiences of those rites of passage.

So if you want to talk, I am here. I want to understand what happened to you, why (and how) it hurts and what you learnt. I want to help you carry your pain. And in recording your story, I want it to be like that dorky team building activity where you put your fingers underneath someone and ‘magically’ lift them with a single digit. By giving you a chance to be heard by other people, I hope we can help you carry your burden.