Women’s mental health, ableism and sexual honesty – this week’s episode The Spill

Have you ever had one of those days that screamed for a wine and chats sesh with your girlfriends? Enter Image.ie’s podcast, The Spill. The Spill is hosted by our very own self-proclaimed agony aunts Sophie White and Rhona McAuliffe. With a mix of discussion on current affairs, arts and culture and some healthy advice to our listeners, it’s the best place to unwind and deliberate the issues affecting Irish women today.

Women’s mental health

This week, the main topic of discussion is women’s mental health. In response to the National Women’s Council of Ireland’s report this week about female mental health in Ireland, Sophie and Rhona delve deep into the factors that impact our mental state as Irish women in this week’s episode. Our hosts discuss their own personal experiences with grief, counselling, medication, misconceptions, therapies, the idea of ‘recovery’ and the health system. It’s a long and informed discussion, where Sophie and Rhona reveal their own stories and how it has impacted their lives. With female mental health in this country at a crisis point, where should we be aiming from here?

Ableism and ableist terminology

How conscious are you of being ableist? According to our hosts, probably not enough. While discriminations of other kinds, including racism and sexism, are at the forefront of public discussion like never before, the idea of ableism (i.e discriminating against people with disabilities or illnesses) is still a massive issue. The way we approach issues around disabilities is in need of an overhaul and a great place to start is with our language. Words such as ‘cretin’, ‘spaz’ or the ‘R’ word are still widely used by people and even media outlets – as Sophie and Rhona explain, many editors are oblivious to why they might even be offensive. How do we begin to curb our language, and make things more inclusive for everyone?

Hit Me Up: Should I be honest about my previous sexual partners?

On this week’s Hit Me Up, Rhona hears from Do White Lies Really Count from Dublin. As her relationship with her new partner is progressively getting more serious, she is at a loss as to how to be honest with him about her sexual history. While she feels comfortable in herself with her sexuality, and regularly talks to friends about it, she has a mental block when it comes to being honest with potential partners. Having initially lied about her ‘number’ (saying that she’s slept with four people, when really, it’s triple digits), she is now struggling with how to come clean and have her partner accept her truth.

This week’s new episode, and all the others you might have missed, are available here: