S2 E3A: EBBS with Pat Kennedy - a candid conversation about alcoholism, love letters to the things that are destroying us, crying in the toilet and taking vulnerable risks in recovery

Pat Kennedy joins The Ebbs and The Flows for episode 3 (Part I) of Season 2. This was initially supposed to be a discussion that fit into one episode, however things took a turn for the better and what has been produced is two parts of a candid and open conversation about the respective struggles of two people connected by one season of footy in 2017. Pat Kennedy is a political staffer-cum-small business owner who has been sober for two and a half years after an exhausting and painful battle with booze ending in two visits to rehab and he is now a proud advocate for Alcoholics Anonymous. The first part of the conversation focuses on the perils of addiction, taking vulnerable risks in recovery, finding solace and meaning in Alcoholics Anonymous and a lengthy chat about William and Pat's connection at a football club in 2017 when both were lost in their own respective battles with their problems. 

I wasn't quite sure what to expect, as the Pat I knew the last time we meet in person was a long way from the Pat who walked into the studio for this discussion. This first part is something of a preamble to the classic EBBS format - with a candid, open and wonderfully transparent chat focusing on addiction and mental health, but with the periphery of the benefits and detractions of community, how social norms can be insidious and how our experiences shape us but taking risks in finding new environments and communities are essential in us finding out who the 'real you' truly is. 

The Ebbs and the Flows is an emotional health movement focused on openness and transparency about the light and the shade of the lives we led and journeys we encounter. The Ebbs and the Flows is not a licensed mental health service and therefore if you are seeking mental health advice, assessment or treatment, you should seek expert advice with a GP, psychologist, psychiatrist or call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

For The Ebbs and The Flows Instagram page head to https://www.instagram.com/theebbsandtheflows/

At the end of the day, we are all just a work in progress.

The Ebbs and the Flows is an emotional health movement focused on openness and transparency about the light and the shade of the lives we led and journeys we encounter. The Ebbs and the Flows is not a licensed mental health service and therefore if you are seeking mental health advice, assessment or treatment, you should seek expert advice with a GP, psychologist, psychiatrist or in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

For those struggling, or who know somebody who is, help is available:

@lifelineaustralia 13 11 14

@beyondblueofficial 1300 22 4636

1800-RESPECT (1800 737 732)

@headspace_aus 1800 650 890

@kidshelplineau 1800 55 1800

For advice specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people @13yarn 13 92 76

For LGBTQIA+ specific advice @qlife_aus

1800 184 527

The Ebbs and The Flows website: www.theebbsandtheflows.com
Substack: https://substack.com/@theebbsandtheflows 

For The Ebbs and The Flows Instagram page head to https://www.instagram.com/theebbsandtheflows/

At the end of the day, we are all just a work in progress.