# Adam Kay: "I was told to man up!" Coping with PTSD and mental health stigma

An episode of [Happy Place](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1353058891), 29 Jun 2026, 1 h 01 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/happy-place/e/6a26c683695a4680ecc70a27/media.mp3

Just man up. This is essentially what Adam Kay was told when a traumatic day at work left him with PTSD. In this chat with Fearne, former doctor Adam explains why he made the decision to leave the medical profession, and puts a spotlight on the poor mental health of our NHS workers. Adam talks about how, in his case, the job left him feeling paranoid and overcautious, and how he turned to diary writing to process his emotions. They chat about how we can all chip away at any mental health stigma in both the workplace and at home with loved ones, and offer advice for how to put together your own mental health toolkits for crises of varying severity. A Particularly Nasty Case by Adam Kay is out in paperback 2nd July (published by Orion). CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank conversation about suicide. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Nicole LaPera Sam Claflin Jamie Laing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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