Mohsin Zaidi on the psychological toll of having to hide his true self from the people he loved the most
<p><em>"Would they prefer a gay son or a dead son was genuinely a question that went through my mind more than once a day."</em></p><br><p>In this week's episode, I am speaking to the wonderful Mohsin Zaidi about the importance of belonging and the bitter struggle he encountered with his identity. We explore:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>The tension that arises when our core identities are different from what we believe they should be</li><li>Why courage is something we must grow and it may take years to find the courage to be true to oneself</li><li>How expanding our external world expands our internal world and may enable ourselves to inhabit ourselves more fully</li><li>How secrets and lies can poison and destroy you</li><li>When you despair, it's important to remember to be patient and to not put too much pressure on oneself</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Julia’s Website</strong>: <a href="https://juliasamuel.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://juliasamuel.co.uk/</a></p><p><strong>Julia’s Instagram: </strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/juliasamuelmbe/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@juliasamuelmbe</a></p><br><p>Read Mohsin's book here: <a href="https://www.mohsinzaidi.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.mohsinzaidi.com/</a></p><br><p><strong>Important Support: </strong></p><p>Stonewall - Support for LGBTQ+: <a href="https://www.stonewall.org.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.stonewall.org.uk/</a></p><p>Mermaids - Helping gender diverse kids and their families:<a href=" https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/</a></p><p>It Gets Better - A project to uplift and empower LGBTQ communities:<a href=" https://itgetsbetter.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://itgetsbetter.org/</a></p><br><p>If you'd like to get in touch with the podcast team, please contact us on [email protected].</p><br><p>A big thank you to our sponsor, BetterHelp. If you’re thinking of giving therapy a try, BetterHelp is a great option. It’s not only convenient and can be done from the comfort of your own home, but it’s also affordable. All you have to do is fill out a quick survey and you’ll be matched with a therapist! </p><br><p>Visit <a href="http://betterhelp.com/therapyworks" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">betterhelp.com/therapyworks</a> today to get 10% off your first month.</p><br><p>If you'd like to be unknown voice on Season 2, please send in a one minute video about a challenge you've faced to [email protected].</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>