Tom Jenkins looked functional from the outside. He held down jobs, travelled the world and kept life moving forward. But underneath, he was trapped in a cycle of binge drinking, gambling, shame, self-destruction and trying to outrun himself.

In this brutally honest conversation, Tom talks openly about:

• blackouts, cocaine and waking up in places he couldn’t remember
• the loneliness and low self-worth driving his behaviour
• erectile dysfunction, porn and why so many men suffer in silence
• why “having fun” slowly became a way of escaping himself
• the moment he realised he couldn’t keep living this way

But this episode isn’t just about addiction. It’s about the deeper question underneath it all: What are men really trying to numb, avoid or hide from?

Tom also shares how he slowly began rebuilding his life through honesty, changing his environment, self-reflection, healthier habits and eventually exploring psychedelics and ayahuasca in a controlled setting.

This is a raw conversation about shame, masculinity, loneliness, self-forgiveness and what recovery actually looks like when you stop pretending everything is fine.

You can find Tom’s book 'The Drunk Gambler with Erectile Dysfunction: Searching for Something More' on Amazon and through other online retailers. If you want to contact Tom, you can do so via his website: https://www.thedrunkgambler.com/.

When Samuel Shepherd was diagnosed with a rare terminal blood cancer, doctors told him there was no treatment, no cure, and possibly very little time left. For many people, that would have been the end of the story. For Samuel, it became the beginning of an obsession.

A physicist, engineer and inventor with decades of experience across biochemistry, environmental science and high-level government projects, Samuel turned all of his knowledge towards one goal: staying alive. What followed was years of relentless research, experimentation and a refusal to accept inevitability.

This conversation is different from most episodes of Mid-Life Men. It’s part survival story, part deep dive into inflammation, disease and the science behind Samuel’s discovery of a naturally occurring molecule called 'astaxanthin' – and why he believes it changed everything for him.

But beneath the science is something more human:

• what happens psychologically when you’re told your life may be ending
• how fear can completely change shape
• why purpose matters when everything familiar falls away
• and what relentless determination really looks like in practice

Whether you agree with Samuel’s conclusions or not, this is a fascinating conversation about resilience, mortality, curiosity and refusing to give up when the odds look impossible.

If you want to find independent research on astaxanthin, go to the National Institute of Health website or the National Center for Biotechnology Information. To find out more about ValAsta as a supplement, visit Valasta.net.

At 47, Jack Clifford was told he had a 100% blocked LAD “widowmaker” artery and needed emergency triple bypass surgery.

Instead, he walked out of the hospital.

Partly because he didn’t feel like the kind of man this was supposed to happen to. Partly because he’d watched his mother suffer cognitive decline after heart surgery and was terrified of losing himself in the process.

What followed was a five-year journey that completely changed how he thought about health, ageing, and survival.

In this episode, Jack explains why he chose not to follow the path doctors recommended and instead turned to biohacking, lifestyle change, and a little-known non-invasive treatment called EECP (Enhanced External Counterpulsation) - a therapy designed to help the body grow new collateral blood vessels naturally.

Now 52, Jack says he’s running faster than he was at 40 and living without cardiac symptoms.

This is not a reckless “ignore doctors” conversation or a miracle cure story. It’s a grounded discussion about fear, midlife health, identity, and what happens when men realise the life they’ve built has come at a physical cost.

We discuss:

• The shock of being told your heart is failing
• Why so many men ignore warning signs
• Fear around surgery and loss of identity
• Biohacking, recovery, and cardiovascular health
• What EECP therapy actually is
• Diet, fasting, exercise, stress, and long-term change
• Why nothing changed overnight

If you want to find out more about EECP, Jack and his book, then visit his website https://eecpbook.com/