Sunday Brunch featured soundbytes from the above ‘Sussex & Surrey Soapbox’ podcast episode…. to skip chapters click on the 3 horizontal lines (left in the above player). Have your say via WhatsApp (bottom right) or join the conversation in our Facebook Group HERE.

One in four adults will face a mental health problem each year across the SUSY area, but numbers don’t capture the quiet part: the loneliness, the slow slide, and the moment someone realises they’re not coping. From the Red Lion & Cellar Room in Betchworth, Surrey, we talk plainly about mental health in Sussex & Surrey and why it’s showing up more in everyday life, workplaces, and friendships.

Maureen Jones, a psychotherapeutic counsellor, shares what she’s seeing more of: anxiety, depression, isolation after Covid, and that undercurrent of not belonging. We dig into early warning signs many people miss, like broken sleep, irritability, comfort eating, zoning out, and feeling emotionally numb. We also come back to one simple habit that can cut through all the awkwardness: asking “Are you okay?” and meaning it.

Our special guest Graham Dearing from Menshare Listening Group tells his story, from pushing through school and building a high-pressure finance career to hitting a point where “buckle down and work harder” stopped working. He talks candidly about imposter syndrome, unrealistic roles, trying different medications and therapies, and why empathy and confidentiality in peer groups can be the support that finally lands. We also discuss barriers to workplace help, concerns about privacy, and the bigger picture around crisis care, including NHS plans for mental health A&E and the need for proper follow-up and long-term talking therapy.

If you’re looking for support, we point to Menshare Listening Group and Sistershare across the area, and Maureen wraps up by sharing practical guidance on finding properly qualified private counselling through the Counselling Directory. 

Roundtable Featuring: Graham Dearing (Menshare Listening Group), Maureen Jones, Georgie Lucas, Iqbal Khan, Aga Es & James Tidy. Host: Clive Hilton.