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From Bullied Kid To Bold Voice
Manage episode 514945476 series 2797191
The room goes quiet when someone tells the truth. Aidan does exactly that—about bullying that tried to break him, a voice he built to protect the boy inside, and the diagnoses that keep reshaping the map. Anxiety, depression, ADHD, and, just today, borderline personality disorder: each name explains a piece of the chaos, none of them tell him who he is. He talks about the girder moments—performing through pain in panto, collapsing on the kitchen floor, a letter written in the dark, and the exact day he chose sobriety for himself and nobody else.
We get into how a manager’s insight opened the door to an ADHD diagnosis, why five medications in nine months didn’t bring relief, and how BPD finally put a name to the paranoia and splitting that wrecked family life over something as small as a forgotten Coke zero. Aidan explains the persona “Aidan G” as a shield that lets him sing when the real Aidan would run from the mic, and how that split can be a lifeline, not a lie. Then we pivot to craft: turning online hate from a Pride performance into a defiant pop song, learning production, saying yes to small gigs, and building Eurovision dreams through relentless songwriting camps.
This is an episode about mental health, recovery, Irish pop, theatre life, and making art that tells the truth without swallowing you whole. It’s warm, raw, and weirdly joyful, because he’s decided the next six months are for bringing joy while feeling joy. If you’ve ever worn a label you didn’t choose, this conversation gives you a way to hold it differently. Listen, share with a friend who needs it, and if it resonates, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find the story and the songs.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
123 episodes
Manage episode 514945476 series 2797191
The room goes quiet when someone tells the truth. Aidan does exactly that—about bullying that tried to break him, a voice he built to protect the boy inside, and the diagnoses that keep reshaping the map. Anxiety, depression, ADHD, and, just today, borderline personality disorder: each name explains a piece of the chaos, none of them tell him who he is. He talks about the girder moments—performing through pain in panto, collapsing on the kitchen floor, a letter written in the dark, and the exact day he chose sobriety for himself and nobody else.
We get into how a manager’s insight opened the door to an ADHD diagnosis, why five medications in nine months didn’t bring relief, and how BPD finally put a name to the paranoia and splitting that wrecked family life over something as small as a forgotten Coke zero. Aidan explains the persona “Aidan G” as a shield that lets him sing when the real Aidan would run from the mic, and how that split can be a lifeline, not a lie. Then we pivot to craft: turning online hate from a Pride performance into a defiant pop song, learning production, saying yes to small gigs, and building Eurovision dreams through relentless songwriting camps.
This is an episode about mental health, recovery, Irish pop, theatre life, and making art that tells the truth without swallowing you whole. It’s warm, raw, and weirdly joyful, because he’s decided the next six months are for bringing joy while feeling joy. If you’ve ever worn a label you didn’t choose, this conversation gives you a way to hold it differently. Listen, share with a friend who needs it, and if it resonates, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find the story and the songs.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
123 episodes
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