After a near-fatal battle with mental illness, Barbara Louise Brennan is grateful to be alive. Now 16 years well, she is a renowned change maker, stigma disruptor, and workplace mental health solutions expert.
In this episode, she opens up about her early struggles, how she rebuilt her life, and the importance of breaking down the stigma around mental illness. “If I can come back…anybody can do it,” she says.
She argues that we need to expand the discussion around mental health to include the broader context of people’s lives, not just the symptoms illness present. She emphasizes that individuals are more than their problems and wants people to see that mental illness is something they can move through or manage, rather than something that defines them.
She stresses that while we have made significant strides, the work of reducing stigma is far from over. Language, understanding, and compassion are key in creating a world where seeking help for mental health is as accepted as seeking help for physical health, and where stigma no longer stands in the way of recovery.
She has advised influential bodies like the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, the Health Service Executive, and the Irish National Office for Suicide Prevention, and lectured at institutions like Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University. Today she focuses on helping create supportive and inclusive work environments, working with organizations to develop strong, employee-friendly mental health policies that go beyond compliance.
Barbara’s story is a powerful testament to resilience and recovery, offering hope to anyone navigating their own mental health journey. It’s filled with expert advice on how to grow, heal, and thrive.
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