Caring Between Minds - Mental Health Advocacy in Action

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patty.kikos.page

Listen on Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/033zFgDkd8C6YPv388v29y

Listen on Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/caring-between-minds-mental-health-advocacy-in-action/id6795803450

Watch on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSWW0-aIcbpg

Become a MHCAN member here, it’s free and takes about 5 minutes to join: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5CWMVYD

If this episode raises anything for you, support is available:

Helpful carer services: https://www.mentalhealthcarersnsw.org/resources-for-carers/helpful-supports-and-services/

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636

13YARN: 13 92 76

If this episode resonated with you, please like, subscribe and share to help more carers find this space.

Caring for the Parent Who Couldn't Care for Me (Ep 3)

mentalhealthcarersnswadmin@gmail.com (Mental Health Carers NSW) — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000

After losing her mum as a teenager, Nikkie found herself losing her dad in a different way—to homelessness, addiction and mental illness. Years later, she became his carer, supporting him through schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and a complex mental health system while trying to rebuild a relationship shaped by grief, distance and love. Patty Kikos speaks with Nikkie about caring for a parent who couldn't always care for her, the challenge of setting boundaries without losing compassion, and how becoming a mother changed the way she understands vulnerability, forgiveness and what it means to break generational cycles.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentalhealthcarersnsw/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mentalhealthcarers/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mental-health-carers-nsw1/

More from Patty Kikos:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patty.kikos.page

Listen on Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/033zFgDkd8C6YPv388v29y

Listen on Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/caring-between-minds-mental-health-advocacy-in-action/id6795803450

Watch on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSWW0-aIcbpg

Become a MHCAN member here, it’s free and takes about 5 minutes to join: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5CWMVYD

If this episode raises anything for you, support is available:

Helpful carer services: https://www.mentalhealthcarersnsw.org/resources-for-carers/helpful-supports-and-services/

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636

13YARN: 13 92 76

If this episode resonated with you, please like, subscribe and share to help more carers find this space.

Am I a Husband Today or a Carer? (Ep 2)

mentalhealthcarersnswadmin@gmail.com (Mental Health Carers NSW) — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Shaun spent years seeing himself as Joel's husband, not his carer. Supporting his partner through PTSD challenged not only their relationship, but Shaun's understanding of love, responsibility and where caring ends and control begins. Shaun speaks with Patty Kikos about navigating hospital admissions, balancing his own ADHD and anxiety, learning to step out of "fixer mode," and discovering that sometimes the greatest act of care isn't rescuing someone — it's staying beside them through the hardest moments.

Content note: This podcast series discusses mental illness and family trauma. Listener discretion is advised. This podcast is for general informational purposes and isn't a substitute for professional mental health advice or treatment.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentalhealthcarersnsw/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mentalhealthcarers/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mental-health-carers-nsw1/

More from Patty Kikos:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patty.kikos.page

Listen on Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/033zFgDkd8C6YPv388v29y

Listen on Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/caring-between-minds-mental-health-advocacy-in-action/id6795803450

Watch on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSWW0-aIcbpg

Become a MHCAN member here, it’s free and takes about 5 minutes to join: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5CWMVYD

If this episode raises anything for you, support is available:

Helpful carer services: https://www.mentalhealthcarersnsw.org/resources-for-carers/helpful-supports-and-services/

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636

13YARN: 13 92 76

If this episode resonated with you, please like, subscribe and share to help more carers find this space.

I Love Her... But It's Hard to Like Her (Ep 1)

mentalhealthcarersnswadmin@gmail.com (Mental Health Carers NSW) — Sun, 2 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Growing up with a mother living with schizophrenia, Laura's childhood was shaped by trauma, unpredictability and responsibilities far beyond her years. Laura speaks with Patty Kikos about the emotional complexity of caring for someone who has also caused deep pain, exploring people-pleasing, guilt, boundaries and the reality that love, resentment and compassion can exist at the same time. She also reflects on protecting her own wellbeing, building a life beyond caring, and why relationships, and caring itself, are rarely black and white.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentalhealthcarersnsw/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mentalhealthcarers/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mental-health-carers-nsw1/

More from Patty Kikos:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patty.kikos.page