Hello and a massive welcome to Happy Place. I'm Fern Cotton and today it's our last episode of 2025.

So I thought I would pause and reflect on some of the moments that have really stayed with me this year.

There was two types of shame. One is the toxic shame which remains in you for no apparent reason.

And it's taken me till this big age to realize actually what I was doing was learning to

ignore my body. I've heard from a lot of men who have realized that it is a courageous thing

to dare to show your weakness. So coming out of prison, I became a recluse to other people,

but to me I was like reevaluating what I wanted to do.

I was so scared. And I slowly but surely just distanced myself from the world that I knew.

That's, I think, the scariest thing about any mental health issues. You can never underestimate

how alone someone can feel. It's okay to make mistakes, to be confused, to be adventurous.

I'm not afraid of dying anymore and it was the biggest journey of my life. The most important thing

is that I stay true to myself and that I ask for help when I need it. After I got better and I came

up to London and I started taking the tube again and I remember sitting on the tube and looking at everybody and I nearly turned into the weirdo that goes down the tube going smile honestly this is great.

Oh my God, there have been so many topics over the last year that I want to get my teeth even deeper into today. We're going to go

all over the place from health scares and prison changing people's mindsets, OCD and shame,

and the power of menstrual blood. First though, which conversations have really got you going?

At Stammer Sarah on, loved Mel Robbins because her theories are so helpful for people who suffer with anxiety.

Oh my God, 100%.

I love Mel so much.

Hang out with her.

I was sort of lulled into perhaps a full sense that we're now best

mates, but I just, I love her company and she has such a brilliant authoritative voice.

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