# Paddy McGuinness: “I was drowning and needed help!” Raising autistic kids and clinical depression

An episode of [Happy Place](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1353058891), 15 Sep 2025, 48 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/happy-place/e/68b9b0752d913bd33048ed78/media.mp3

Men are starting to open up. Presenter and comedian Paddy McGuinness used to work on building sites where vulnerability would have been seen as a weakness, but he’s seen things changing... In this chat with Fearne, Paddy talks about his own clinical depression, and what he’s learnt from therapy about keeping his mental health in check. He explains that understanding why you’re reacting a certain way will give you the power to change your behaviour. Paddy’s three children all have autism, and he’s frank about how he felt when he first got the news. He talks through the common misconceptions, and what he wishes more people understood about the realities of raising autistic children. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Kate Silverton Lucinda Miller Mo Gilligan Child on the line is a three-part documentary podcast series celebrating the Volunteer Counsellors of Childline, and the brave children & young people who contact the helpline service. Listen here: https://www.childonthelinepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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