In episode 379 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Hannah Stallard.
Hannah is Head of Community for an organisation called Looseheadz, which combines the sport of rugby with mental health.
They started at the end of a bar in a rugby club, and their goal is to make this a conversation at the end of every rugby club bar in the world.
LooseHeadz uses the power of rugby to start conversations, tackle the stigma, and save lives.
Hannah joined the organisation in October 2024 and says she wouldn’t be where she is today without Looseheadz support.
In this episode we discuss the work Looseheadz does, the free toolkit it provides to clubs across the country, the mental health training they provide for their Looseheadz champions and the work they do to combat abuse of rugby referees at all levels of the game, on the pitch and on social media.
For Hannah’s mental health journey, we first discuss when she was hit by a bus at 16 years old and the physical and mental health impact it had on her.
We also talk about her experiencing an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in her keen when she was around 32/33 years old in 2022. We explore how she recovered from it, losing a dog in 2017 and a cat in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
During this period, she got to the point where she became suicidal, and made a plan to take her own life.
She drove herself to A&E, waited 8 hours but was then sent home with a prescription for SSRIs.
She sought out therapy on the NHS and waited eight months on a waiting list before seeking private therapy instead.
We discuss why she believes she should have been sectioned when in A&E, how she recovered from it and how she reflects on the experience now.
As always, #itsokaytovent
TRIGGER WARNING: this podcast contains a discussion about suicide, which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.
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