Mary Ryan: doctor, scholar, wife, mother, survivor, dog lover, cold water swimmer—talks personality disorder, good & bad priests, being a GP, power, violence, not being believed, and love.
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Description
Doctor, scholar, mother, survivor—and dog lover.
After 35 years as a GP, Mary Ryan has seen it all, but her own journey has been just as intense as the lives of the patients she’s treated. Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), she opens up about the stigma, misunderstandings, and how her own views on it have changed over time.
She talks about power, violence, and the times she wasn’t believed, reconciling with her Catholic faith after a traumatic childhood, and how a sudden stroke at 41 changed everything. From serious workplace bullying and hospital admissions to the one treatment that truly made a difference, Mary doesn’t hold back.
And in between all the chaos? There’s her love for dogs, baking, The Archers, Barry Humphries, and the strangely therapeutic power of cold-water swimming.
A fearless, funny, and brutally honest conversation about mental health, resilience, and finding strength through taking the plunge – literally.
Life Jackets
Lifejackets in this podcast refer to the personal tools and rituals that keep us afloat in the waves of life. Whether it’s a film, tv show, music, a favourite book, a crossword puzzle, or the steady presence of a dog, these are the things that keep us afloat. Everyone needs their own lifejackets—small but essential things that help us stay sane in an insane world.
- TV/Radio – The Archers – ‘I’ve listened to it probably almost since my first day at Oxford’, Classic FM, Radio 3, Test Match Special.
- Pets/Best Friends – My kids have been very important in keeping me going, wanting the best for them and wanting to be there for them. Now my 2-year old granddaughter Rosie is powerfully happy-making and lives relatively nearby. I couldn’t manage without the constancy of our family dogs, previously Drogo and now Flint- both highly intuitive and gentle black Labradors who usually know all my innermost thoughts from our walks together or from their own canine intuition.
- Gardening – I have a large garden, which I moan about, but it does mean that I always have more to do than hours in the day, which gives a sense of purpose and forward momentum. The grass wont stop growing just for me.
- Hobbies – I clean and tidy my way out of many a glum patch and get distraction and consolation from cooking, especially making all our bread and an endless supply of cakes, scones and biscuits.
- Exercise – Biking, walking and swimming make a big difference. I swim at home every day all year round and this often feels like a powerful way to wipe the slate clean (of angst) and start again. I never wear anything to swim in here and there is something about being cold, starkers and at one with the rest of early morning nature that is very exhilarating.
Fascinating talk .thanks Jeremy & Mary
Fascinating and moving conversation .Thankyou Jeremy & Mary