Karen Cowan talks Harrods and heroin, bipolar, alcohol, forbidden love, fear, and the chaos of growing up unparented.
Listen on your favourite platform
Description
Shed Talks’ very own psychologist, Karen Cowan, takes the hot seat in this extended edition, opening up about her tumultuous upbringing in an aristocratic yet deeply dysfunctional family. Born into wealth overshadowed by heroin addiction, alcoholism, and bipolar disorder, she navigated a childhood filled with fear, anxiety, and debilitating asthma—never truly feeling safe.
Forced to grow up fast, Karen found strength in protecting her younger sister, helping her cope with her father’s imprisonment and her mother’s repeated hospitalizations due to alcoholism and mental illness. She also reflects on the painful consequences of her mother’s forbidden love with a teenage boy and the subsequent emotional toll.
Ultimately, it was love that saved Karen, her marriage to film producer Paul Cowan (The Crying Game, The Krays, Dance with a Stranger) became her anchor, transforming her life and leading her to a career in mental health, resilience, and healing.
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.
- Books – Simone de Beauvoir – The Second Sex, Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart and Who they Was – Gabriel Krauze
- Films – Paris, Texas, Wild at Heart, Pulp Fiction
- Music – Allman Brothers ‘I was born a rambling man’, ’Shout’ Lulu. ‘Everybody Hurts’, REM, Blondie
- Gardening – Have lovely garden luckily for me and delighted that granddaughter does things in it to make it lovely but not great gardener. Had a garden as a child in part of our garden and nothing would grow
- Hobbies/Exercise – Love trains though and dream to go on a long train journey with grandchildren. Love crosswords as a comfort to lose oneself in
- Pets – Have a dog – by default – daughter and granddaughter wanted it. Trouble is you don’t want a pet and then you start loving the pet and you are in danger of losing something else!
- Friendships – Lots of lovely friendships
Fantastic. What a wonderful woman. Fascinating Shed Talks Jeremy. Thank you.
How great to hear this – keep shining the light Jeremy! and thank you Karen, resilience is the word!
Groovy, fab, brill, tip-top and so interesting! Love it shed-loads! These Shed Talks are wonderful, Jeremy! Please keep up the good work!