David Smith, better known as The Mindset Soldier, has spent years telling men to face the things they would rather run from.

But that message comes from a life where David spent years running from his own pain.

Taken into the care system as a young child, David experienced sexual abuse, instability and trauma that would follow him long into adulthood. He later joined the Grenadier Guards, served in Afghanistan and became a decorated soldier. He was the man others could rely on when things went wrong.

But when the fighting stopped, a very different battle began.

David talks openly about PTSD, terrifying night terrors and being scared to sleep. About cocaine, ketamine and alcohol. About violence, self-harm, suicide attempts and reaching a point where, in his own words, he simply needed “a break from being me.”

And he talks about what happened when he finally stopped running.

This conversation goes far beyond David’s military career.

We talk about childhood sexual abuse and the confusion it created around his identity. The reality of coming home from Afghanistan with nobody waiting for him. Losing his sister. Becoming a father and realising that his voice will become the inner voice his children carry through life.

David also shares the unexpected turns his search for belonging and meaning has taken. Being homeless. Finding community after converting to Islam as a teenager. And later discovering Christianity and a faith in Jesus that he says changed his life.

Today, David is an NLP coach and the man behind The Mindset Soldier, using everything he has lived through to help others change the way they see themselves and the situations they face.

But this isn’t a story about pretending the past didn’t happen.

It’s about responsibility.

About recognising the difference between what happened to you and what you choose to do next.

About changing the people and environments keeping you stuck.

About gratitude, journaling, movement, faith and learning to sit with difficult emotions instead of constantly trying to escape them.

And above all, it’s about what can happen when someone who once couldn’t see a way forward survives long enough to become that person for somebody else.

This is David Smith. The Mindset Soldier.

One of the most raw and wide-ranging conversations we’ve had on Mental Reset.

If something in David’s story makes you think of somebody, send them this episode. You never know when hearing someone else speak openly might be exactly what they need.

Mental Reset exists because we believe these conversations matter. Sharing what we’ve been through can make somebody else feel a little less alone.

If you enjoyed the episode, please follow or subscribe to Mental Reset and help us reach more people. 💙

NEED SUPPORT?

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for support.

Samaritans: Call 116 123 free, 24 hours a day

Shout: Text SHOUT to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 text support

NHS 111: Call 111 or use NHS 111 online for urgent health or mental health advice

Your GP: Contact your GP surgery for ongoing mental health support

999: If you or somebody else is in immediate danger or there is an immediate risk to life, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E.

You don’t have to wait until things reach crisis point to ask for help.

In this deeply personal episode of Mental Reset, Ryan sits down with Verity, a close friend of almost 20 years and someone who played a pivotal role during the darkest period of his life.

Six years ago, Ryan experienced a severe mental health crisis. His mental health had deteriorated to the point that he was experiencing symptoms of psychosis, intrusive thoughts and suicidal thoughts, eventually leading to him being detained under the Mental Health Act.

Verity was one of the few people who recognised just how unwell Ryan had become.

As both a close friend and a mental health practitioner, she noticed the subtle changes others couldn't see. She kept checking in. She persuaded Ryan to make a promise that if he ever felt he was at risk, he would call her.

Eventually, that call came.“Verity, I need you to help me.” What followed was an intervention that save Ryan's life.

Six years later, Ryan and Verity have never truly sat down together and talked through what happened...what Ryan was experiencing, what Verity could see from the outside, the decisions she had to make when his life was at risk, and the impact that moment has had on both of them.

Until now.

Together with James, they revisit that period honestly and openly, hearing parts of each other's experience for the first time.

This is an emotional and deeply human conversation about friendship, intervention, mental illness, recovery and what can happen when somebody notices that something isn't right... and chooses not to look away.

For Verity, sharing this side of the story meant stepping far outside her comfort zone. We are incredibly grateful to her for trusting us with it.

Mental Reset exists because we believe one person's lived experience can become someone else's survival guide. We hope this conversation gives hope to somebody who can't currently see beyond the moment they're in — and gives somebody worried about another person the confidence to check in, keep asking and act when something doesn't feel right.

If you know somebody who might need this conversation, please send it to them.

---

**NEED SUPPORT?**

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for support.

• ​ Samaritans: Call 116 123 free, 24 hours a day
• ​ Shout: Text SHOUT to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 text support
• ​ NHS 111: Call 111 or use NHS 111 online if you need urgent health or mental health advice
• ​ Your GP: Contact your GP surgery for ongoing mental health support and advice
• ​ 999: If you or somebody else is in immediate danger, has seriously harmed themselves, or there is an immediate risk to life, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E

You do not have to wait until things reach crisis point to ask for help.

In this powerful episode of Mental Reset, we sit down with Ben Lynch, Director of the UK Calisthenics Organisation, mental health advocate, coach, and someone whose life story is a testament to resilience, growth and hope. Ben shares his journey from a childhood shaped by trauma, addiction and loss, through foster care, grief, depression and suicidal thoughts, to finding purpose through movement, travel, self-discovery and helping others.

We explore:

Growing up with an alcoholic parent

Foster care, loss and family trauma

The impact of grief on mental health

Depression, suicidal thoughts and recovery

Why movement can be a powerful mental health tool

Calisthenics and the mindset behind elite performance

The importance of community, connection and brotherhood

Why “one more rep” became “one more day”

One of the most powerful messages from this conversation is that recovery isn’t about finding a perfect blueprint. It’s about learning yourself, finding what works for you, and continuing to take the next step...even when life feels overwhelming. If you’re struggling right now, we hope this conversation reminds you that your story isn’t over.

In this powerful episode of Mental Reset, we sit down with Anthony Noble for one of the most raw, honest and inspiring conversations we’ve had.

Anthony has lived a life of extraordinary highs and devastating lows. From being a drug dealer and serving time in prison, to becoming a self-made millionaire, losing everything through addiction and gambling, experiencing homelessness, rebuilding his life once again, and then facing the unimaginable loss of his son.

This isn’t just a story about success or failure. It’s a conversation about grief, addiction, depression, resilience, purpose, and what it truly means to rebuild your life when everything has fallen apart.

Anthony speaks openly about:

Life before and after prison

Addiction and gambling

Losing everything and living homeless

Rebuilding a successful business

The devastating loss of his son

Depression, anxiety and grief

Finding purpose through helping other men

Why money and success don’t protect us from mental health struggles

What real recovery looks like

At Mental Reset, our mission is to create honest conversations that remind people they are never alone. We’re incredibly grateful to Anthony for sharing his lived experience with such openness and vulnerability.

What does it really mean to “be a man” in today’s world? In this powerful episode of Mental Reset, we sit down with author, speaker, and men’s mental health advocate George Bell for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had on the channel to date.

George opens up about masculinity, emotional suppression, addiction, bullying, identity, shame, and the dangerous pressure many men feel to suffer in silence. Together, we explore the masks men wear, the cost of carrying everything internally, and why vulnerability is not weakness....it’s courage.

This episode is for the men who feel exhausted from pretending they’re fine. For the people supporting someone who is struggling. And for anyone trying to make sense of pain, pressure, addiction, trauma, or mental health battles in a world that often tells us to “just get on with it.”

Topics covered include:

• Men’s mental health

• Addiction and coping mechanisms

• Suicide and emotional crisis

• Masculinity and identity

• ADHD, trauma, and emotional regulation

• Bullying and self-worth

• Recovery, healing, and purpose

• Why conversations like this matter more than ever

George’s story is raw, honest, and incredibly important.

We’re often told what should make us happy…but what happens when it doesn’t?

In this episode of Mental Reset, we sit down with James Garside, a qualified psychotherapist whose journey is anything but straightforward.

Growing up, James struggled with bullying and never quite felt like he belonged. That search for acceptance led him across the world, chasing answers and trying to find where he fit in.

Like many of us, he followed the blueprint society lays out, building a career, forming relationships, doing everything “right.”But when COVID hit, everything changed.

A lost contract.

A relationship breakdown.

And suddenly, the life he’d built began to fall apart.

What followed was a period of deep depression… and ultimately, a turning point.

Instead of continuing to search externally, James began to look inward, confronting the parts of himself hidden behind shame, fear, and protection.

Now, he’s on a mission to help others do the same.

Through men’s groups, community events, and open conversations, he’s creating spaces where people can connect, be seen, and realise they’re not alone.

Because sometimes…the answers we’re searching for out there…are found within.

In this episode of Mental Reset, Luke opens up about the defining moments that shaped his life... from being convicted for drink driving, to building a million-pound business, and everything in between.

We explore how the dopamine trap can quietly take hold, especially for those with ADHD, driving behaviours that feel good in the moment but come at a cost long term. Luke shares how chasing external success didn’t bring the fulfilment he expected. Instead of focusing on possessions, he made a conscious decision to use his success to support the people around him. Through significant life events, Luke was forced to stop, reflect, and look inward. To sit with discomfort. To understand his thoughts and emotions. And to start living in alignment with his true purpose.

This is a powerful conversation about accountability, self-awareness, and what it really means to create a life that feels meaningful...not just looks successful

Real talk and real tools only, Mental Reset

You never know the battles someone has fought to still be standing today.

In this episode of Mental Reset, Ryan and James sit down with Dean Clarke to talk about his journey through bipolar disorder, suicidal crisis, and rebuilding a life with purpose.

Dean shares his story openly...from his time serving in the armed forces, to experiencing severe mental health struggles that eventually led to him being sectioned under the Mental Health Act. What followed was a fight to survive, understand himself, and rebuild.

Today, Dean is a coach, using everything he has been through to help others who are struggling with their own mental health.

This conversation explores:

• Living with bipolar disorder

• The reality of being sectioned

• Experiencing suicidal crisis

• The transition from survival to purpose

• Turning pain into helping others

Stories like Dean’s matter. They remind us that even in the darkest moments, change is possible.

If this conversation resonates with you, please follow to support the channel and help these stories reach more people.

You are not alone.