THE GOOD SAMARITAN

THE GOOD SAMARITAN // Insane In The Fem Brain

Published on October 10, 2022

Each issue, Jason Reed recommends a podcast from the charity and causes sector in his Good Samaritan column. His choice for Issue #011 was Insane In The Fem Brain…

How do you go about bettering an already popular and very respected podcast? Well, comedian Rich Wilson has done just that. His show, Insane In The Men Brain has addressed men’s mental health since the start of 2019 with an array of guests who have openly spoken about their mental health journeys, but now Rich takes on a new spin-off project in the form of Insane In The Fem Brain.

So what inspired this transition?

RW: Well, Fem Brain came from a conversation I had with Jayde Adams. Jayde was of the opinion that although I’m not completely in the dark, I maybe didn’t know as much as I thought I did about women – so I decided that the only way to learn more was to go and talk to women, particularly strong, successful women that have got where they wanted to be even though the world is still a very male dominated place. It’s been truly enlightening and I’ve really enjoyed recording the episodes.

With a mandate to learn more about the opposite sex, Rich shows humility to the fact that he is here to listen, so what has he learned over the course of series one of the show?

RW: The whole point of my podcasts is that I’m learning things. I’m talking to people from different backgrounds, different classes, different faiths, different cultures because I want to know more. It’s all about the guests that I have in, not a platform for me to bang on about myself. I feel so different to how I did when I first started. I just feel I understand people a lot more and I’ve come to realise that everyone, no matter where they’re from, is just figuring it all out as we go along. Nobody really knows what’s going on nor does anyone have any answers.

With no signs of stopping, Rich has a clear direction in where he’d like to take the podcast and inspiration behind making more episodes.

RW: I’d just love to reach more people and not from a “I want to be famous” kind of way. I get so many messages from people who’ve said that my podcasts have really helped them which blows my mind so if that’s the case, I’d love to help more people.

Why is it so important to keep this mental health conversation going?

RW: Stigmas are being lifted – but we still need to do more. We may not be the generation that benefits from it but future generations will and this is why it’s important that we’ve started this, and also why it’s important that we carry on. The world is a mad old place and you’d have to be made of stone for it not to affect you, but if we keep talking to each other, at least we can help each other through.

Rich would like to raise awareness of the National Suicide Prevention Alliance, an alliance of public, private, voluntary and community organisations in England who care about suicide prevention and are willing to take action to reduce suicide and support those affected by suicide. www.nspa.org.uk.