Dan TDM Exclusive: How Depression Took Over My Life

We Need To Talk with Paul C. Brunson

FlightStory

Leisure, Relationships, Society & Culture

4.8 • 652 Ratings

🗓️ 17 December 2024

⏱️ 114 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

“I Thought Therapy Couldn’t Help” - Join us in this powerful episode featuring Daniel Middleton, better known as DanTDM, the UK’s most-followed YouTuber with over 29 million subscribers. Dan shares the untold story behind his rise to fame — from navigating childhood challenges such as social anxiety and the divorce of his parents, to his struggle with severe postnatal depression during early fatherhood. Learn how Dan overcame his mental health struggles through therapy and his advice on how to protect ones mental health through difficult times. If you’re affected by anything discussed in this episode, please contact the below organisations and charities who can provide support: Samaritans - https://g2ul0.app.link/1CRhatR7mPb CALM - https://g2ul0.app.link/YvmzhM17mPb MIND - https://g2ul0.app.link/d72yzu7jJOb Follow Dan here: YouTube - https://g2ul0.app.link/tjSbVHz7mPb Instagram - https://g2ul0.app.link/MEkgFAI7mPb X - https://g2ul0.app.link/341f8KC7mPb Follow me here: https://www.instagram.com/needtotalk https://www.tiktok.com/@weneedtotalkpod Sections: 00:00 Introduction To The Episode 02:16 Being Compared To Michael Jackson 02:46 The Origin Of The Name “Dan TDM" Explained 03:34 Balancing Two Personalities 04:33 A Look Back At Dan's Childhood 05:27 How Divorce Shaped Dan's Childhood 07:46 Surviving Secondary School 12:53 How Dan Started His YouTube Career 16:43 What Is Minecraft? A Beginner’s Guide 18:32 How Minecraft Transformed Dan's Life 21:18 When Dan Realized YouTube Could Be A Career 22:49 Transitioning To Full-Time YouTube 27:07 Why Dan Is One Of YouTube's Most Successful Creators 34:48 Breaking Down The 2017 Forbes Article On Dan 37:56 How Dan Coped With Sudden Fame 42:33 Managing Fame As An Introvert 44:06 Why Dan Is A Positive Role Model For Fans 44:59 Dan’s Impact On His Young Audience 47:39 Behind The Scenes Of Dan's Live Show 51:17 Inside Dan's Relationship With His Wife 54:20 Why Dan Got Married At 21 55:26 How Dan's Wife Influenced His Success 58:43 How Becoming A Father Changed Dan's Life 01:01:26 Huel Sponsorship 01:02:28 Tinder Ad Spot 01:03:24 Dan Advocates For Men’s Mental Health 01:06:16 Struggling With Mental Health During Lockdown 01:09:18 Hitting Rock Bottom 01:10:55 Dan's Honest Experience With Anti-Depressants 01:12:05 Dan Opens Up About Suicidal Thoughts 01:15:21 How Dan Shared His Feelings With His Wife 01:17:45 Exploring Why Dan Felt The Way He Did 01:20:01 What Early Fatherhood Taught Dan 01:24:10 How Therapy Helped Dan Overcome His Struggles 01:27:11 Creating YouTube Content While Battling Depression 01:31:06 How Being A Man Shapes Dan’s Views On Mental Health 01:34:18 Dan’s Advice For Those Struggling With Mental Health 01:36:38 What’s Next For Dan? Future Plans Revealed 01:41:38 Is Being A YouTuber A Sustainable Career? 01:44:07 Dan’s Top Tips For Growing A Successful YouTube Channel 01:46:43 How Many Subscribers Does Dan Have Today? 01:47:02 Dan’s Most Memorable Conversation Ever 01:49:48 Key Takeaways From This Episode 01:52:33 Adobe Sponsorship Sponsored by: Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/uk/express/ Tinder: https://tinder.com/en-GB/ Huel: https://huel.com/paul/ use code PAUL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Exactly how many YouTube subscribers you have.
0:02.5	29.1 million.
0:04.6	Forbes said you made $16 million, the highest paid YouTuber that year.
0:09.0	Yeah.
0:10.3	Forbes said.
0:12.4	Dan TDM is one of the most successful gaming YouTubers in the world and an emerging mental health advocate whose online content has garnered over 20 billion views.
0:23.2	People would track down and find out where you lived.
0:26.1	We had to move, yeah.
0:27.4	That was like my place to escape, like making videos in gaming.
0:31.3	When it got to the worst point, I wrote down how I felt that day and it wasn't good.
0:35.0	Like, I was just like, I went out.
0:36.8	You went out of life.
0:40.3	Dan TDM is almost like the person I would love to be all the time.
0:43.8	So when it takes over, how do you describe what that is?
0:47.7	Mentally, it feels like a spiral.
0:49.2	There's no looking up and being like, oh, I could be up here.
0:52.1	There's nothing above it.
0:53.6	Can I say wherever I want?
0:55.0	Yes, absolutely.
0:55.9	I googled.
0:58.8	Do you position yourself specifically as a positive role model?
1:03.4	As YouTubers, we have broken the mold.
	...

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