Benji’s Mum

12/10/2026

Do you identify as a carer?

I didn't until the end of last year.

I knew I was a mum of 3, with kids who were a bit more challenging than usual. But a carer? I didn't see it. I'd been living in the storm for so long that it had become my normal.

It started when my middle child was diagnosed autistic. A few years later, my eldest had her first manic psychosis and spent 6 weeks in hospital.

The following year, my husband had a breakdown and spent 4 weeks in a private hospital. Then, just when we thought we'd found our feet, my eldest became very unwell again while overseas and spent another 6 weeks in an adolescent psychiatric ward, this time in another country.

When I couldn't get help from any mental health service in Australia to organise her care on her return, I realised how helpless I was. I couldn't keep calm and carrying on.

That's when I realised I was a carer.

I contacted Carer Gateway for the first time.

And this is the first year I've even known Carers Week is a thing.

That's why I started ‘Why Do We Care?’ this year. It's a podcast for carers, made in the hope that someone will hear a bit of my story, recognise themselves, and feel less alone. Maybe they'll get help before they hit crisis point too.

If this sounds like you, you're not alone, and support exists.

You can call Carer Gateway: 1800 422 737

OR Listen to ‘Why Do We Care?’ Link in comments.

And if you only just realised you're a carer, l'd love to hear from you in the comments.

08/10/2026

This man made me cry.

Not because he has done anything wrong, but because he is being truthful and clear about what can happen when you are a doctor doing great work, whilst also living with bipolar disorder.

Dov Degen OAM is a nephrologist, specialising in kidney disease, and an ambassador for SANE and Beyond Blue.

His honesty about the systems in place that have failed him, and his triumphs in the face of adversity brought me to tears.

He wasn't asking for special treatment.

He was asking for understanding from a medical system that should know what mental illness looks like.

And it reminded me of my own child.

I know this will have the same effect on you.

Listen to our conversation 🎧

Link in comments 🙏

08/10/2026

As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, this week I am joined by Dr Dov Degen, who is speaking out about being a doctor with Bipolar Disorder.

We discuss how it has impacted his life, his work, and why his experiences have given him more empathy and understanding towards his own patients.

This very important conversation comes out tomorrow on Spotify.

27/09/2026

Humans need to feel seen.
In this important conversation Dr Steven
Gluckman talks about the real human connection that is so important to healing.
If you are searching for better mental health care, or caring for someone who is struggling, this podcast is for you.
• Why Do We Care - on Spotify now.

24/09/2026

The next generation of mental health healing with Dr Steve Gluckman ❤️‍🩹

At his new practice, Saje, that means a multidisciplinary clinic designed to feel human.

A kitchen instead of a reception desk.
A cup of tea instead of a cold handover.
A space where the patient doesn't have to carry the whole system on their own.

In this episode, Steve shares what he, and his co-founder Jonathan have learned in their travels to find best practice in mental health:
- Healing is not one person, one pill, or one perfect answer.
- Sometimes you need a psychiatrist, sometimes a GP, sometimes a therapist or a combination of all, but always a calm place to breathe.
- Sometimes the most healing thing is being treated as a whole person, not just a diagnosis.

Creating the conditions where healing can happen makes sense to me.

If you’re caring for someone, or you’ve been the one trying to hold it all together, this conversation will resonate.

Listen to the full conversation via the link in comments 🎧

19/09/2026

🎙️ NEW EPISODE ✨

“When You Know Your Child Is Coming” - A Mother’s Determination Against All Odds 💛

This episode of Why Do We Care? is one of the most honest conversations we’ve had.

Kym Gleeson opens up about her road to motherhood - the low egg count, failed IVF cycles, miscarriages, and finally, hope through an incredible egg donor 🙏

When her daughter Frankie arrived, it was pure joy. But as Frankie grew, new challenges emerged - leading Kym down a path of medical appointments, uncertainty, and an ultra rare genetic disorder.

Through it all - Kym became the fiercest advocate her daughter could ask for 💪

This is a story about resilience, hope, and the kind of love that shows up even when things don’t go to plan.

🎧 Listen now - link in comments

If you’ve faced fertility struggles, an unexpected diagnosis, or just need to hear that you’re not alone - this one’s for you 🤍

14/09/2026

12/09/2026

Now the Federal Government is talking about creating ‘Thriving Teens’ to kick more kids off the NDIS. This is a very big worry. Please watch 🙏

11/09/2026

We didn’t set out to build an app.

We just needed a way for our daughter to communicate at school—and the “babyish” cards from the OT weren’t cutting it.

What started as a few laminated cards turned into a communication system designed to be:

- Clear during dysregulation

- Cool enough for a primary school kid

- Flexible enough for home, school, or texting

Sometimes these supports don’t fail because they’re useless. They fail because they feel embarrassing, overwhelming, or disconnected from real life.

Maybe the goal is simple: make support look normal, just like wearing a pair of glasses to read a book 👓

Watch my full conversation with parents Tara and Stephen Harnwell Jones, founders of Find Your Voice ™ 💛 on the latest episode of ‘Why Do We Care?’.
Link in comments

08/09/2026

I have to say that I’ve always been an extremely positive person. In many ways, it’s what has helped me survive as a parent carer. Caring for my 11yo son with ASD2, my eldest who is ASD1 with Bipolar Disorder 1, and a few others along the way.

It’s almost as if I do my best work when things are at their worst.

But I’m finding that as the years go by, some of the days that are the hardest come when I least expect it. I think my caring role can creep up on me. Whole days where all I want to do is cry, even when everyone else in my house is doing ok. The years of putting everyone before me, has come at a cost.

Today that meant a visit to a cardiologist to see why I keep getting pressure on my chest. What the doctor thought was a gallbladder problem, now looks more likely to be my heart.

The expectation that unpaid carers continually show up has an impact both mentally, and physically.

I always thought I was invincible and that I could escape these issues. I’m realising that positivity alone isn’t enough when you have to sacrifice so much every day.

So looks like I’m just as human as everyone else ❤️‍🩹