#69 — Nic Newling: Unscripted Conversations around Mental Health

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Nic Newling about reducing mental health stigma and lowering the barriers of seeking help through helpful conversations. Nic Newling is an outspoken advocate for mental health, suicide prevention, and sharing personal stories. Having lived through the experience of suffering with a mood disorder throughout high school and losing his brother to suicide, he has since dedicated himself to changing the way mental illness is addressed in schools, workplaces, and communities. Nic has reached millions of people through television, live talks, radio, print, online, documentaries, and eHealth programs. He strives to make a continuing positive impact utilizing sharing and listening to encourage helpful, unscripted conversations around mental health, suicide prevention, and getting the most out of life. He has been featured on The TODAY Show, Australian Story, Huffington Post, and has shared his message through major radio stations and newspapers. He features in the men’s mental health documentary series Man Up and the upcoming documentary Suicide: The Ripple Effect, and was one of the subjects of his mother’s Human Rights Award winning memoir Missing Christopher. He also regularly features in awareness campaigns, most recently for an international suicide prevention campaign with Movember, and has contributed to news articles and research journals. He strongly believes in the power of research, leading the development of an online positive psychology intervention at the Black Dog Institute and collaborating on its effectiveness evaluation study through the University of New South Wales. Nic counts himself fortunate, lucky, and grateful to have received familial, peer, and professional support allowing him to recover and heal through his turbulent teen years. It has since enabled him to focus his attention on sharing directly to young people, families, workplaces, and professionals, and the broader public. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/nic-newlingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.