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The Conversation He Started

The Conversation He Started

By: The Conversation He Started
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About this listen

This podcast started after we lost Mike - Steve’s little brother and Ryan’s best friend. Mike used to speak openly online about his struggles, in the hope that it might help others feel less alone. This podcast is our way of carrying that forward - continuing the conversation he started, in our own words and in our own time. Talking honestly is how we are processing what happened and making sense of life while grieving. These conversations sit in real time, and naturally widen into discussions about men’s mental health, perspective, and how life changes when you are forced to sit with difficult experiences. Each episode is an open, real conversation. We check in, talk things through, and reflect on what we are learning as it happens. No acting. No forced positivity. Just honest discussion about life, loss, and the shifts that come with it. These conversations are how we make sense of it, and we hope they help others too. If you are interested in men’s mental health, perspective, and thoughtful conversations rooted in real experience, this space will make sense. New episodes every Wednesday. Steve and RyanThe Conversation He Started Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • Talking About Grief Isn’t Always Healing
    Feb 18 2026

    Four months after losing Mike, we started noticing something uncomfortable.

    We talk about grief every week.
    But is talking the same as processing?

    In this episode, we sit with that question. The point where the shock has faded, but you’re still learning how to live in a world that feels different.

    We explore the difference between a bad day and a grief wave.
    When reflection quietly becomes a loop.
    Why small daily habits can feel like survival.
    And what it actually means to live with loss instead of trying to get over it.

    Trigger warning: This episode contains honest discussions regarding grief, bereavement, and mental health.

    This isn’t a clinical conversation.
    It’s two men trying to work out what’s helping and what might be keeping us stuck.

    If this episode resonates, you’re not alone.

    If you’re struggling:
    UK Samaritans – 116 123
    US – 988

    New episodes every Wednesday.

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    46 mins
  • Losing Your Identity After Grief: The Quiet Change
    Feb 11 2026

    How does grief change your identity? It doesn’t happen loudly or all at once. It happens quietly, stripping away pieces of who you used to be until you realise you’re no longer just "healing" - you’re trying to figure out who you are now.

    Trigger warning: This episode contains honest discussions regarding grief, bereavement, and mental health.

    In this week's podcast, we dive deep into identity grief and the "life audit" that follows a major loss.

    We explore the internal shift that happens when the roles we once held - like being a sibling or a best friend - suddenly disappear.

    In this episode, we discuss:

    - Identity after loss: Why we feel like different people after a bereavement

    - The Life Audit: Practical habits (walking, mindset, and health) to help process the "fog."

    - Reinvention vs. Distillation: Why grief doesn't "change" you, it strips you back to your core.

    - The Lone Sibling: Coping with the changing family roles after losing a brother or sister.

    - Living in the Present: How to carry a legacy forward without staying "frozen in time.

    "This isn’t a conversation about "getting over it" or rebuilding a new you. It’s about distillation, finding clarity in what remains when everything has been stripped back.

    If you are struggling with your mental health after loss or wondering why you don't feel like "yourself" anymore, this conversation is for you.


    If you’re struggling, please reach out.UK Samaritans 116 123US 988New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe to stay with the story.

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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • The Cost of Staying Strong: Surviving the Adrenaline Hangover of Loss
    Feb 4 2026

    Trigger warning: this episode discusses grief and loss.


    We are often told to "stay strong" and "hold it together" after a loss, but what happens when the adrenaline finally runs out?


    In this episode, we explore the Adrenaline Hangover - that physical and mental crash that often hits months after a tragedy. We discuss why the traditional definition of male strength often leads to burnout, and why "out-disciplining" your grief is an impossible task.


    From synchronised migraines to the reality of the 100-day wall, we’re breaking down why the hardest part of the journey often starts long after the funeral ends.


    In this conversation:


    • The physical toll of "performing" as if you're fine.

    • Why your body crashes when the initial survival mode ends.

    • Redefining strength as communication rather than silence.

    • The legacy of "Mike’s Fence" and returning to our childhood roots.


    If you’re struggling, please reach out.

    UK Samaritans 116 123

    US 988


    Listen to all episodes:

    https://linktr.ee/theconversationhestarted


    New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe to stay with the story.

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    1 hr and 23 mins
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