This week I had an eye-opening chat with writer, graffiti artist and former criminal Just Rollins. Justin grew up on the streets of south London and was involved with crime and violence from a very early age. After several spells in prison he finally sought help in his twenties and started to understand the reasons behind his violent behaviour. Now he is fully reformed - and offers great insight to why kids fall into trouble on our streets. His story is dramatic and pretty shocking but I think you will enjoy it.
Hey Sam, I’m finding your Blogs and interviews incredibly useful at a time in my life, 44 years old, two young children, becoming a dad at 40 and having embodied similar patterns of behaviour and a lifestyle akin to what you describe of yours. I am now endeavouring to align my own personal actions and introduce new patterns of becoming more healthy and absent of poor lifestyle choices similar to what you describe so well in a lot of your blogs especially the stuff about getting on it more frequently and how it just crept up on you more in your late 30s when you became a dad. I got into the same pattern and found myself utterly overwhelmed and lost. My mental health has always been something I was proud to own from an early age, I embraced my individual differences and wasn’t afraid to talk about it going back 25 years and at that time people would just say I was weird which later became labelled as quirky to some and I was just told I was experiencing depression by the doctor and fought through it but something always made me feel different to others and I am strong minded but sadly I became lost throughout my 30s and stopped talking about my state of mind, feelings and moods which meant I was bottling things up and not getting the catharsis I needed to ‘talk about stuff’ - I worried about my career, friendships and generally being judged and buried my head in unsavoury habits one and off and just carried on never truly feeling happy or at peace with myself until everything made sense when I was diagnosed with bi-polar at age 40 just after having my first child and it’s been equally fascinating, frustrating and challenging ever since reflecting and making sense of all the lifestyle choices I made over the years as well as currently working really hard to keep the demons at bay and staying firmly on track for the sake of myself and my family. Reading and following your stuff has come at a perfect time for me and has really helped me in my recovery so I’m very thankful for the work you are doing. These interviews are so diverse and insightful and the Justin Rollins one is such an inspirational one, with the fact it highlights the natural ability we have as humans to be deeply entrenched in the darkness that has unwittingly become our life choice but we still maintain the agility, intellect and resourcefulness to completely transform our lives and that story and evidence of change can give hope and confidence to so many in these drastic similar situations. Keep spreading the love about the merit of recovery, abstinence, cleaner living and being open about our mental health. You’re making a significant difference with the topic you’re exploring and the positive energy you’re giving it.
Enjoy listening to these whilst out running (my head space and a good reason not to get pissed every night of the weekend). The miles really do fly by and the content definitely makes you think. For this one it made me appreciate what a happy and safe childhood I had and that we should scratch beneath the surface before judging anyone.
Eye opening interview that Sam. It’s very easy to see people like that as scum especially as teens and young men. It’s not until you hear what they have suffered as children and babies in this case that you begin to understand. Doesn’t completely justify the actions but goes a long way to explaining it. Great to hear him doing so well now
I found this fascinating. His story’s all too common with the young people I worked with (different traumas) and it’s easy to just view them as just caught in a cycle; I’m going to make you suffer like I did. But it’s so much more than that. Transference at it finest. I'm hurting and I want you to feel just how much, by hurting you. If these kids got the help they needed early on, for the underlying issue, they wouldn’t have a solitary life long 'fight' to find solutions to their behaviour. I'm so glad he found the help he needed and, more importantly, sought the help and recognised he needed it. I'm going to research the therapies he’s engaged in. I have just finished five months of bereavement therapy; it was apparent I could get no more from it without addressing a trauma I experienced in early life, so waiting for the referral.
Keep up the good work Sam. I'm getting a lot out of the blog and pods.
Hey Sam, I’m finding your Blogs and interviews incredibly useful at a time in my life, 44 years old, two young children, becoming a dad at 40 and having embodied similar patterns of behaviour and a lifestyle akin to what you describe of yours. I am now endeavouring to align my own personal actions and introduce new patterns of becoming more healthy and absent of poor lifestyle choices similar to what you describe so well in a lot of your blogs especially the stuff about getting on it more frequently and how it just crept up on you more in your late 30s when you became a dad. I got into the same pattern and found myself utterly overwhelmed and lost. My mental health has always been something I was proud to own from an early age, I embraced my individual differences and wasn’t afraid to talk about it going back 25 years and at that time people would just say I was weird which later became labelled as quirky to some and I was just told I was experiencing depression by the doctor and fought through it but something always made me feel different to others and I am strong minded but sadly I became lost throughout my 30s and stopped talking about my state of mind, feelings and moods which meant I was bottling things up and not getting the catharsis I needed to ‘talk about stuff’ - I worried about my career, friendships and generally being judged and buried my head in unsavoury habits one and off and just carried on never truly feeling happy or at peace with myself until everything made sense when I was diagnosed with bi-polar at age 40 just after having my first child and it’s been equally fascinating, frustrating and challenging ever since reflecting and making sense of all the lifestyle choices I made over the years as well as currently working really hard to keep the demons at bay and staying firmly on track for the sake of myself and my family. Reading and following your stuff has come at a perfect time for me and has really helped me in my recovery so I’m very thankful for the work you are doing. These interviews are so diverse and insightful and the Justin Rollins one is such an inspirational one, with the fact it highlights the natural ability we have as humans to be deeply entrenched in the darkness that has unwittingly become our life choice but we still maintain the agility, intellect and resourcefulness to completely transform our lives and that story and evidence of change can give hope and confidence to so many in these drastic similar situations. Keep spreading the love about the merit of recovery, abstinence, cleaner living and being open about our mental health. You’re making a significant difference with the topic you’re exploring and the positive energy you’re giving it.
Enjoy listening to these whilst out running (my head space and a good reason not to get pissed every night of the weekend). The miles really do fly by and the content definitely makes you think. For this one it made me appreciate what a happy and safe childhood I had and that we should scratch beneath the surface before judging anyone.
Nice one Alan, it made me feel the same way about my own childhood. I love a run to sort my head out too, it's sometimes the only medicine.
Eye opening interview that Sam. It’s very easy to see people like that as scum especially as teens and young men. It’s not until you hear what they have suffered as children and babies in this case that you begin to understand. Doesn’t completely justify the actions but goes a long way to explaining it. Great to hear him doing so well now
Agree, nothing justifies what he did but it does explain it. And I really admire Justin for turning himself around.
I found this fascinating. His story’s all too common with the young people I worked with (different traumas) and it’s easy to just view them as just caught in a cycle; I’m going to make you suffer like I did. But it’s so much more than that. Transference at it finest. I'm hurting and I want you to feel just how much, by hurting you. If these kids got the help they needed early on, for the underlying issue, they wouldn’t have a solitary life long 'fight' to find solutions to their behaviour. I'm so glad he found the help he needed and, more importantly, sought the help and recognised he needed it. I'm going to research the therapies he’s engaged in. I have just finished five months of bereavement therapy; it was apparent I could get no more from it without addressing a trauma I experienced in early life, so waiting for the referral.
Keep up the good work Sam. I'm getting a lot out of the blog and pods.
Thanks so much Jacqui, glad you're enjoying these and appreciate your insightful feedback