COVENTRY MAN STARTS MENTAL HEALTH PODCAST IN LOCKDOWN FOLLOWING YEARS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY
A Coventry-based podcast host has been using his own story to help others over the Coronavirus pandemic.
Taylor James, 31, is the founder of The Waffle Shop Podcast, a platform where he discusses mental health after his difficult battle against stress and anxiety.
“It all began in 2017 when I nearly lost my mum,” he said. “She had a slipped disc and was in a lot of pain, even after visiting the hospital and not responding well to the medication.
“The spinal fluid from the slipped disc had been leaking and travelling up her spine causing her brain to drop. She ended up in intensive care on life support.”
He said: “All of a sudden I was responsible for my younger sister who was already under pressure with doing her exams. I remember sending her off one day – as soon as she left and the door had closed, I got called to go to the hospital. It was walking into the set of Casualty with all the doctors, the beeping and my mum unresponsive in bed.
“I was told my mum was going to die and that there was nothing more they could do. It was up to me to decide whether to turn off the life support. I begged them to keep it on to give my sister the best chance of not failing her exams.”
Against the odds Taylor’s mum started breathing again soon after and underwent rehabilitation to learn to speak and walk again over the next three years.
Unfortunately, after she was moved to a care home, she caught aspirated pneumonia and became very ill again, leading to a breaking point for Taylor in January 2020.
“All that time I’d been so focused on taking care of my sister and looking after my mum I didn’t realise how much I’d worn myself down,” he said. “I was so used to being the man of the house that I was just devastated when confronted with her being ill again.
“I crumbled and shut everyone off. It got to a point where I didn’t want to continue living.”
It wasn’t until his best friend and sister guided Taylor towards therapy where it took only four sessions for him to recognise the power of opening up.
“It felt like the weight of everything had been lifted and there was so much relief,” he said. “So when lockdown hit I realised what I had to do. I took up my iPhone and a pair of headphones and just poured my heart out.
“What I learned – aside from that making a podcast is a hell of a lot cheaper than therapy – is that everything I say helps someone else and in turn helps me. No matter who you are, you feel pain and experience emotions – and it’s amazing when someone can relate to that. I’ve received so many messages from people telling me I’ve helped them, it’s unbelievable.”
The Waffle Shop Podcast is on all major streaming services and features regular guest appearances from celebrities, mental health experts and internet personalities.
