Be That

Facing life altering events such as death, illness and trauma can completely change a persons view of the world. This can cause a major paradigm shift as people reevaluate everything in their life and can propel a person into a new way of being and interacting with the world. Artist, Jess Le Clerc's story captures how finding new meaning after escaping death has caused her to reinvent her life to find renewed purpose and authenticity. Psychologically, this process of renewal and re-creation doesn't always happen in an instant, it often involves wrestling in dark places with an unknown end. But once on the other side of the tunnel, life is viewed with a new perspective which can take time for others to adjust to.

Becoming a mother is a huge adjustment at any stage and navigating parenthood alongside other life circumstances can be incredibly overwhelming. Post Natal Depression affects 1 in 5 mothers in Australia and is an important topic that often goes unspoken. The Be That team discuss the journey through PND and how to best support those who are navigating their way to recovery. With guest, Janelle Spies.

Over 1 million Australians are currently battling a form of eating disorder. Eating disorders can take control of an individual's life and have a devastating effect, if left untreated. We hear first hand from guest Angie Cahill how eating disorders can develop and the journey to recovery.

Connection is a living, breathing entity, and is the cornerstone of a healthy relationship. Not only does connection bring with it the promise of exciting new opportunities, shared goals and endeavours, but it is the glue that holds couples together through the most challenging times, and allows each to feel safe in the partnership. We hear first hand how a break down in a marriage can occur and the steps that can be taken to reach reconciliation. With guest, Nick Britt.

In life, things don't always go to plan, and we are forced to adjust our expectations and pivot in ways that make us uncomfortable and leave us feeling vulnerable and out of control. It is in these moments where we learn what we are made of. We discover the areas that need some growth and resilience we didn't know we had can be revealed. Lis Eberle's story is an inspiring example of how perseverance and strength can carry someone through an unstable and life threatening situation that, in her case, led to a miraculous outcome.

No one is immune from facing the unexpected in life. However, how we choose to see that adversity will determine how we navigate it. This episode highlights the importance of facing adversity with optimism and hope for the future. With guest Monika Siemonek.

A traumatic event is an experience which is highly threatening to ourselves or the safety of others and can be either physical, emotional, mental, or relational in nature. It's normal to experience trauma symptoms immediately after an event and for up to 4 weeks, while the brain is processing it. When people suffer the effects of trauma for much longer, this is known as post traumatic stress disorder and this disruption interferes with an individuals ability to function normally. However, overcoming the effects of trauma and PTSD is possible through treatment which focuses on processing the trauma experiences into memories and restoring a sense of safety both cognitively and emotionally. With guest Ruth Whitford.

With drug addiction, the physical and emotional rewards after use create a strong association in the brain to want those rewards again. Consequently, neural pathways develop which then influence the individual to use again. Jared Cooke's story depicts how his past addiction led him down a dark path where he would do anything for his next fix jeopardising important relationships. Cheating, lying and stealing along the way he finally landed in prison. His recovery and redemption beautifully demonstrates how one can overcome these learned and highly reinforcing behaviours through a willingness to do the work and humbly accepting help.

We all have this idea of what we hope our life and relationship with our partner is going to look like. We do all we can to direct our path that way but sometimes, chronic illness or chronic pain gets in the way. Through a small number of practical, low energy changes, couples can escape survival mode and find a new, exciting normal. With guest, Karra Eloff.