I’m Graham Panther. I write about mental health for people who've done all the things you're supposed to do, but still feel stuck.
This was my own story, asking for help for years and years and still feeling blown apart most days. And it's so much more common than you might think!
My writing on this topic for the ABC has garnered some of their highest share counts in this space, but it's my newsletter, Big Feels Club, that's shown me the true need for this kind of writing.
With 7,000 subscribers and a 55% open rate (not bad for long-form content? who says attention spans are dead!) my inbox is regularly filled with messages like: 'prior to Big Feels I was sure I was a uniquely ****ed up weirdo. I can't accurately express via email just how much it's helped.'
Along with my Big Feels co-pilot Honor Eastly, I also co-wrote No Feeling Is Final, the ABC’s award-winning narrative memoir podcast about what to do when you’ve ‘asked for help’ but still feel hopeless. It’s been praised by The New York Times, The Atlantic, and TIME Magazine.
I’ve had millions of readers of my newsletter, articles and podcasts
“this newsletter has done more to hepl me feel valid in the last few months than anything in the rest of my life”
“thank you for making me feel less crazy!”
“these newsletters remind me that I’m not broken, just human”
sensitive human trying to make it through life
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sensitive human trying to make it through life • • •
I made the thing I wanted to see in the mental health system
Along with my writing, I’ve worked in mental health for twenty years, helping to set up and run award-winning mental health services across Australia and New Zealand, and these days I do public speaking on mental health in the workplace.
Read some of my work
For my Big Feels Club writing, check out some of my most popular pieces here. Or sign up to the newsletter.
For keen beans, here’s a list of recent pieces I’ve published for ABC and elsewhere:
I Reluctantly Joined A Choir And Found Instant Community, ABC Everyday, March 2023
A Crack In Reality, Wrote this episode of ABC’s “Days Like These” podcast, Oct 2021
Why The Pandemic Makes It Harder To Feel Like You Belong, ABC Everyday, Sept 2021
Pandemic Grief, Isolation Blues, ABC Everyday, Sept 2021
Overcoming The Fear Of Being Found Out By Your Friends, ABC Everyday, May 2021
When Every Little Thing Makes You Anxious And Nervous, ABC Everyday, April 2021
Five Things To Keep In Mind When Supporting Friends Who Are Struggling, ABC Everyday, Feb 2021
Making Plans For A Pandemic Year, ABC Everyday, Jan 2021
The Anxious Type’s Guide to 2020, Wrote and hosted this episode for ABC’s “All In The Mind” podcast, July 2020
How Being ‘The Anxious Type’ Prepares You For These Uncertain Times, ABC Everyday, May 2020
Coronavirus Isolation: How To Avoid People Without Feeling Depressed, ABC Everyday, April 2020
Using My Phone Less Was Made Easier By This One Question, ABC Everyday, March 2020
How A Silent Meditation Retreat Made Me Less Afraid Of People, ABC Life, Sept 2019
How To Handle A Bad Day, ABC Life, June 2019
Mental Health Care Plan Consultations Always Leave Me Feeling Worse, ABC Life, March 2019
What To Do When You Feel Nervous Inside Your Comfort Zone, ABC Life, Feb 2019
Taking The Guilt Out Of New Year’s Resolutions, ABC Life, Dec 2018
Why I Won’t Tell Someone Who’s Suicidal To “Just Ask For Help”, ABC Life, Oct 2018
My Girlfriend Told Me She Was Suicidal, Here’s What Happened Next, ABC Life, Oct 2018
Why Mental Health Week Can Make You Feel Like Crap (And What To Do About It), Oct 2017
I’ve Set Up Plenty Of Mental Health Services, Here’s Why I Wouldn’t Use Any Of Them, The Spinoff, Aug 2017