This episode is essential listening for anyone who's ever struggled with their mental health, loved someone who has, or wants to understand what depression and self-harm actually look like beyond the sanitized awareness campaigns.
More info, resources & ways to connect - https://www.tacosfallapart.com/podcast-live-show/podcast-guests/ian-mcguckin
Sometimes the most powerful voices come from unexpected places. When Ian McGuckin reached out on Reddit willing to share his story, I knew we had something special. This high school senior from Michigan isn't your typical guest, but his insights into mental health run deeper than many people twice his age.
Ian was diagnosed with depression and anxiety during his freshman year of high school. What followed was a difficult journey through self-harm that lasted until October of last year. But this story goes beyond the struggle. He talks about finding what actually works when the standard answers fall short.
Ian describes his depression as pervasive loneliness and disconnection. "I felt like I was in my own world and I was very alone," he explains. "Like I was just an avatar walking through all the stuff and the real world was in my mind." Moving frequently as a kid left him feeling like a perpetual outsider, always one step removed from the deep connections his peers shared.
His anxiety manifested mostly as social anxiety. Simple things like throwing away trash in class became overwhelming. The weight of worrying about how others perceived him was constant and exhausting.
When Ian talks about overcoming self-harm, he's refreshingly honest about what worked and what didn't. Ice in his hands, rubber bands on his wrists, running until the urge passed. He emphasizes that no single tactic solved everything. It was the combination of many strategies that finally broke through.
Exercise became particularly important, offering a triple benefit: distraction, physical sensation and that crucial endorphin rush. Running gave him the added advantage of getting away from whatever he might use to harm himself.
Now Ian volunteers with Teens Thriving Together, a nonprofit run entirely by teenagers focused on mental health support and education. They're building a website to serve as a hub for struggling teens and working to incorporate mental health education into school curriculums nationwide.
His motivation is clear: he wants to break down the stigma that kept him isolated for so long. "It happens to everybody," he says about mental health struggles. "Everybody has those times when their emotions and their brain takes hold of them."
Perhaps the most important thing Ian shares is about support systems. He had caring family and friends, but often didn't reach out when he needed them most. When he finally did open up, the reactions were overwhelmingly positive. The stigma he feared existed more in his head than in reality.
For anyone struggling now, Ian's advice is practical: find your community, even if it's online. Keep your hands and mind busy. Don't underestimate how many people actually care about you, even when your brain insists otherwise.
Ian McGuckin is proof that teenagers aren't just the future. They're changing things right now. And we should all be paying attention.
