Angie sits down with Irish-born creator and mental-health advocate Brian Higgins, founder of Mental Healthy Fit, to explore how creativity, storytelling, and community can rewire trauma responses and fuel long-term recovery. From growing up amid The Troubles in Northern Ireland and conflict-based PTSD to homelessness in the U.S., Brian shares the moment two kids “shot” him with banana guns—sparking a life-saving reframing that became his program helping veterans, students, and people in recovery transform pain into purpose.

Guest: Brian Higgins — Founder, Mental Healthy Fit (Films • Ideas • Tips)
Website: mentalhealthyfit.org

What we cover

• Growing up during The Troubles & conflict-based PTSD
• Why “everyone is affected by mental health” (the 1-in-1 idea)
• The line between diagnosis, experience, and language (e.g., PTSD in everyday speech)
• Homelessness, relapse, and the moment that changed everything: bananas over bullets
• Neuroplasticity in plain English: reframing, lucid dreaming, and replacing fear images
• Building Mental Healthy Fit: creative workshops that turn emotions into films
• Why the audience matters: making help actionable for families, staff, and communities
• LEAP: Listen • Empathize • Agree • Partner — a simple framework to “hold space”
• Youth, veterans, schools, and workplaces: adapting creativity for each setting
• Purpose as relapse prevention: staying sober by serving others

Key Takeaways

• Reframing works: changing the image your brain uses to encode fear can reduce triggers.
• Creativity is a bridge: stories built around emotions (fear, anger, love) connect people better than clinical labels alone.
• Community needs “how-to” help: it’s not enough to tell people “ask for help”—we must also teach supporters how to respond.
• Small catalysts change big lives: one imaginative moment can unlock recovery momentum.
• Purpose sustains sobriety: sharing your gifts keeps the lights on in recovery.

Suggested Chapter Guide (approx.)

00:00 — Brian’s introduction & “1-in-1” mental health lens
05:20 — The Troubles, family targeting, and hypervigilance
12:30 — Peace process, division, and learning to cross lines
18:40 — Coming to the U.S., when PTSD finally shows up
24:15 — Homelessness, psych wards, and the “banana gun” moment
31:10 — Neuroplasticity & lucid dreaming (rewiring the image)
36:45 — Early workshops: veterans, fruit → creativity
42:10 — Birth of Mental Healthy Fit (films, ideas, tips)
49:00 — The “monster under the bed” film & teaching communities to help
56:30 — LEAP: Listen, Empathize, Agree, Partner
1:01:00 — Youth, rehabs, workplaces & screening impact
1:07:30 — Purpose, sobriety, and where to find Brian

Resources & Links

• Mental Healthy Fit — Workshops, films, speaking: mentalhealthyfit.org
• Framework mentioned: LEAP (Listen • Empathize • Agree • Partner)

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