On the Brink: When Purpose and Connection Disappear, with Steve and Dan Shrigley

Middle Man

May 13, 2026 ∙ 61 mins
Episode 58

About

This special episode of Middle Man marks Mental Health Awareness Week. It covers the story of father and son Steve and Dan Shrigley, who share the deeply personal story of Steve’s severe depression, paranoia and suicidal ideation, which led to him being sectioned and spending six months in hospital. Speaking with remarkable honesty, Steve describes the slow erosion of purpose that came from feeling trapped in corporate life, losing meaning in his work, stepping away from football coaching and adjusting to his children leaving home. Dan reflects on what it was like to watch his dad disappear emotionally, without fully understanding the severity of what was happening at the time. Paul talks to Steve and Dan about why men often struggle not because they cannot talk, but because they lack the right environments for honest conversation. Steve shares how rebuilding his life through self-employment, practical work, vulnerability and helping others has given him a new sense of freedom and energy, while Dan explains how small moments of connection can lead to deeper belonging and renewed purpose. This is an incredibly powerful conversation about depression, fatherhood, retirement, work, friendship and the vital importance of purpose, community and connection in midlife. --------------- If you’ve found this episode insightful or interesting, you can support the show at www.ko-fi.com/middlemanpodcast I'd love to hear about your experiences, so if you'd like to get in touch email me at paul@middlemanpodcast.com and let me know what's on your mind or sign up to the newsletter at www.middlemanpodcast.com Middle Man on Instagram: @middleman__podcast

Information

Podcast

Middle Man

Episode

58

Date

May 13, 2026

Length

61 mins
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    Why are you not losing weight?  Many of us ask this, and the advice on how to lose weight often leaves you feeling hungry. We’ve been told weight loss means eating less, moving more, but for lasting fat loss dieting, calorie counting, and willpower may not be the answer. In today’s episode, Professor Giles Yeo, […]

  • Why You’re Trying So Hard to Lose Weight But Still Not Seeing Results | MMP Ep. 351

    ☎️ Book Your COACHING INQUIRY Call: https://calendly.com/d/386-k9q-4cg/coaching-inquiry-call-zoom ☎️ Book Your COMPLEMENTARY CONSULTATION and CALORIE CALCULATION Call: https://calendly.com/d/2p8-mxx-dgf/free-consultation-call-zoom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Putting in so much effort and still getting nowhere? In this episode, Stephanie shares a private coaching call recorded with her clients. It got more feedback than any call she’s had. Thinking about your goal all day can […]

  • SEEN & HEARD: Perimenopause, Brain Fog & Mental Health: Finding Yourself Again with Alison Gary & Dr. Harita Raja

    “I was having a hard time finishing sentences. I was having a hard time looking people in the eye. I was not understanding what was going on with my body.” Alison Gary knew something had changed. She was experiencing sleepless nights, brain fog, joint pain, and difficulties in her relationship. But when she sought help, […]

  • Lymphatic Drainage Tips & Tools – How To Jump Your Way To Health | 310

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    The Four-Season Rule: How to Know If It’s Real Love with My Husband, Ira Bernstein

    So many women come out of a divorce believing that part of life is over. Not because they’ve stopped wanting connection, but because they no longer trust themselves to choose it. Tamsen was one of them. By the time she met Ira, she had decided she would never marry again, and she meant it. In […]

  • To the Point: Parenting "Am I getting it wrong?"

    Gabby explores the realities of parenting, sharing the mottos and advice you’ve sent in and asking what it really means to get it right as a parent. Reflecting on her own experiences, she considers the guilt we carry, and how our approach to parenting changes as our children grow up. If you have any questions, […]

  • The Orgasm Expert: "Low Libido" Doesn't Exist! The Real Reason You're Not In The Mood

    Why does desire fade in long-term relationships? And could everything we’ve been taught about female pleasure be wrong? In this eye-opening episode of Begin Again, Davina McCall is joined by clinical psychologist and psychosexologist Dr Karen Gurney to explore the truth about female pleasure, sexual desire and intimacy, and why so much of what we’ve […]

  • 118 – Can your skincare products disrupt your hormones?

    Can your skincare products affect your hormones? This episode covers what endocrine disruptors are and how to read a skincare product label. Gina Lewis spent many years working in early years education, and when her daughter, now nearly 12, started wanting the products her friends used, Gina began looking closely at what goes into them. […]

  • The Silent Signs of Breast Cancer & How to Know Your Cancer Risk With World-Renowned OB-GYN

    This episode is a MUST listen.  It’s one of the most important conversations about women’s health we’ve ever had on The Mel Robbins Podcast.  Today, you’re going to learn life-saving information every woman needs to know about cancer prevention, the screenings and tests that could help detect cancer early, and how to advocate for your […]

  • Happy Place Hotline: Making connections and finding joy

    It’s that time again – the hotline is open! On this week’s Happy Place Hotline, Fearne helps busy listener Hannah find ways to slow down. We also hear from Claire in Norfolk, who feels like she’s doing life alone and wants to find connection. Plus, Steve brings a tear to Fearne’s eye with his love […]

  • Thursday Thoughts – Sauna & Cold Water Therapy

    On this week’s Thursday Thoughts, Lucy and I are talking about the health benefits of saunas and cold water therapy, and why exposing ourselves to heat and cold can have such a powerful effect on how we feel. We explore some of the fascinating research into regular sauna use, including a large Finnish study linking […]

  • Reset Your Relationship with Food and Learn to Trust Your Hunger

    Join us on Menopause Made Easy as Dilyana Mileva welcomes Shirley Billigmeier for a conversation about resetting your relationship with food and learning to use hunger as a guide. From grabbing bites while making dinner to reaching for something sweet after a stressful day, Shirley explores the everyday habits that can make it harder to […]

  • Midlife Sexual Health: Healing Trauma and Reclaiming Pleasure in Intimacy

    Menopause Mastery | Midlife Sexual Health: Healing Trauma and Reclaiming Pleasure in Intimacy | Episode 304 with Brooke Bralove Welcome to Menopause Mastery! 🌿 Sexuality and intimacy can change dramatically during midlife and menopause. But what happens when past trauma, stress, relationship challenges, or years of putting everyone else first make it difficult to feel […]

  • Closing the Coverage Gap with Janet Liang, EVP & President of Oscar Insurance

    Janet Liang, executive vice president and president of Oscar Insurance brings decades of healthcare experience to the menopause conversation. She joins Stacy to talk about how menopause care fits into coverage today, how insurers are starting to design around women’s needs in midlife, and what it will take for menopause care to be treated as […]

  • Part Two: The Dead Don’t Go To Heaven. Here’s Where They Actually Are Right Now | Suzanne Giesemann

    Can We REALLY Communicate With the Dead? Suzanne Giesemann Reveals Shocking Evidence, Afterlife Secrets & the Science of Intuition Is the afterlife closer than you think? What if the difference between an ordinary thought and a message from Spirit comes down to something you can actually learn to recognize? In this episode of Mayim Bialik’s […]

  • What If My Body Isn't Something I Need to Fix? with Lisa Congdon (Episode 300)

    Artist, author, and gravel racer Lisa Congdon is back for the first time in more than three years, and a lot has happened. She had both knees replaced seven weeks apart, raced the Unbound 50 five months later, and got her power numbers back. Then she decided to stop chasing them. Lisa talks about her […]

  • Premier Women & Money: How to Create a Forever Paycheck in Retirement with Jean Chatzky

    What if you could retire with confidence, enjoy the money you’ve worked so hard to save, and create a reliable income stream that lasts for the rest of your life? This week, we welcome back Jean Chatzky, renowned financial journalist, financial education advocate, and author of Forever Paycheck, to discuss how women over 50 can […]

  • #266 The Things You Don't Realize You've Lost Until You Get Them Back with my sister Teresa

    In this episode, I'm chatting with my sister Teresa about the little things that make a BIG difference in everyday life. Since joining the Vibrant Living Academy, she's noticed she can put her pants on while standing with better balance and ease. She's also realized that an ankle that used to bother her regularly for […]

  • Episode 243 – Why This Menopause Doctor Isn't Against Supplements

    Ever wondered which supplements might actually help you feel better during or after cancer treatment and help ease menopause symptoms? And which ones are worth your money? When you’re feeling exhausted, struggling with symptoms and desperate to feel more like yourself, it’s tempting to head straight to the health food shop. But with so much […]

  • Do we really need to eat differently after menopause? – with Dr Mandy Leonhardt

    How can we nourish ourselves in our 50s and beyond without the overwhelm of diet advice? Liz is joined by Dr Mandy Leonhardt, GP and nutritional consultant for supplement brand SISTERLY, to explore how our nutrient needs change with age. They discuss the essential vitamins and minerals women need at this stage of life, and […]

  • Most replayed moment: The five fundamental pillars of longevity | Kayla Barnes-Lentz & Dr Federica Amati

    Kayla Barnes-Lentz follows an intensive, highly structured daily protocol designed by a team of scientists to optimise every aspect of her health. She believes this carefully curated lifestyle could help her live to 150 years or more. While her routine may not be realistic for everyone, the insights behind it could benefit us all. Today, […]

  • 360 🐝 How to Handle Big Emotions in Midlife: DBT Skills for Stress, Boundaries & Loneliness with Dr. Alicia Smart & Dr. Jesse Finkelstein of TheraHive

    Ever had one tiny thing — a snippy text, an eye roll from your teenager, a comment from your mother — send you into a full-blown emotional tornado? On this episode of The Midlife Makeover Show, Wendy Valentine sits down with psychologists Dr. Alicia Smart and Dr. Jesse Finkelstein, co-founders of TheraHive, to make dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) refreshingly simple. They […]

  • 248 | What's the Best Exercise to Lose Belly Fat During Menopause?

    Have you ever wondered which workout is actually going to help you lose the stubborn belly fat that showed up after 40? One person says walk more. Another says lift heavy. Someone else says HIIT is the best fat burn exercise for belly fat—and then the next person warns you that HIIT will send your […]

  • The 3 Non-Negotiables for a Strong, Durable Body as You Age | Juliet Starrett

    📩 Get Dr. Vonda’s insights Want to understand what’s happening in your body — and what to do next? Each week, Dr. Vonda shares science-backed guidance on strength, bone health, muscle, and longevity — the same way she speaks to her patients. Clear. Practical. No noise. 👉 Join the newsletter: https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=YqJKtR&g=Ww3gx3&   Your body can’t […]

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    Perimenopause or Something Else? Brain Fog, Anxiety & Fatigue with Dr. Fran Haydanek

    What happens in the gap between your last baby and your first hot flash? Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Fran Haydanek — board-certified OB/GYN and the science communicator behind Paging Dr. Fran — to connect the dots most women are never shown. They unpack “reproductive hormone sensitivity”: why women whose brains react […]

  • The Dead Don’t Go To Heaven. Here’s Where They Actually Are Right Now | Suzanne Giesemann

    Can We REALLY Communicate With the Dead? Suzanne Giesemann Reveals Shocking Evidence, Afterlife Secrets & the Science of Intuition Is the afterlife closer than you think? What if the difference between an ordinary thought and a message from Spirit comes down to something you can actually learn to recognize? In this episode of Mayim Bialik’s […]

  • Ep. 244 – Living the Lifetime of All Lifetimes: Astrology, the Second Saturn Return, and the Moon Cycles

    In this conversation, Dr. Fiona Lovely welcomes Shannon Hugman, a professional astrologer with fifteen years of experience, retreat host, and author of Dear Stardust and the Moon Cycles and Me Journal. Shannon shares her unlikely path into the work—she tried hard not to become an astrologer—and explains how a childhood game of guessing birthdays on […]

  • What Actually Is IBS? The Girl's Guide to Guts

    This episode is sponsored by AirDoctor. AirDoctor – Head to https://AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code FLIPPING50 and get up to $300 off ANY of their select AirDoctor models, plus you will get a 3-year warranty, absolutely FREE! All AirDoctor air purifiers come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. IBS symptoms in women are often dismissed. Could […]

  • Ep 553: 4 Weight Loss Wins That Have Nothing to Do With the Scale

    If you’ve been working hard to lose weight, but the scale isn’t moving, it’s easy to feel frustrated and wonder if anything you’re doing is actually working. But what if you’re making more progress than you realize? I want you to start looking beyond the number on the scale and recognize the behaviors that are […]

  • Jodi Picoult: A life in writing, motherhood and ambition

    What does it take to build a writing career while raising a family, and how do you find the confidence to keep pushing yourself? This week, Gabby is joined by bestselling author Jodi Picoult to talk about her journey from first-time novelist to one of the world's most successful writers. She reflects on a lifetime […]

  • 117 – Testosterone isn’t just for libido: what the data shows

    Does testosterone help women with more than low libido?Real-world data from Dr Louise’s research team says yes. Content advisory: this episode includes themes of mental health and suicide. In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Aini Kamal, a neuroscience graduate and researcher with Newson Research, the small team Louise funds to study hormone […]

  • How to Lose Weight with Low Progesterone | MMP Ep. 350

    ☎️ Book Your COACHING INQUIRY Call: https://calendly.com/d/386-k9q-4cg/coaching-inquiry-call-zoom ☎️ Book Your COMPLEMENTARY CONSULTATION and CALORIE CALCULATION Call: https://calendly.com/d/2p8-mxx-dgf/free-consultation-call-zoom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking up at 3am, spotting before your period, PMS that has gotten worse, rings that will not come off and a scale that will not move, even though you are eating less and working out more? In this […]

  • 241: Stem Cells: Miracle Cure or Million-Dollar Scam? What Science Really Says

    (00:00:00) 241: Stem Cells: Miracle Cure or Million-Dollar Scam? What Science Really Says (00:00:05) Welcome to Itchy and Bitchy Podcast (00:00:48) Doc Itchy Medical Pet Supplements (00:01:21) Hair Loss and Stem Cell Injections (00:03:52) The Science of Stem Cells (00:08:13) Stem Cell Sources and Ethics (00:10:54) The Promise and Pitfalls of Stem Cell Therapy (00:11:17) […]

  • Bonus: Train Smarter, Not Just Harder — Meet the Feisty Winter Training Experts

    In this special Another Mother Runner bonus episode, host Sarah Bowen Shea introduces some of the expert educators behind Feisty Winter Training, a 16-week program designed to help women build fitness, strength, and knowledge through the winter months. Through highlights from Feisty’s Hit Play Not Pause, The Women’s Performance Podcast, and Another Mother Runner, you’ll […]

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    How to Improve Your Gut Health (What Finally Worked for Her) with Journalist Chloe Melas

    Bloated, dealing with stomach pain, or running to the bathroom every time you eat, and told it’s nothing? In this episode, you’ll learn the gut symptoms you shouldn’t ignore, how much fiber you really need a day, and three simple changes that can help improve your gut health, plus how to speak up when a […]

  • Menopause Weight Gain – Beyond the Scale with Val Schonberg RD

    Why is my body changing, and what am I supposed to do about it? It's one of the questions I hear most in midlife and menopause spaces. My friend Val Schonberg, RDN, MSCP is back on the podcast to talk about her new book, The Weight of Menopause. We get into why we still don't […]

  • What Are You Doing With Your Life? An 89 Year Old’s Best Advice for You

    You are in for a treat today. You’re getting The Mel Robbins Podcast on the go! Last week, my mother-in-law, Judie, walked into our kitchen in Vermont and announced that she’s planning a big adventure, starting on her 90th birthday. She and her partner, John, have decided to backpack around Europe for a year. I […]

  • Nara Smith: “I have a real issue with people trying to put women in boxes” Influence and identity

    Model and influencer Nara Smith is one of TikTok’s most recognisable faces. With over 15 million followers across social media, she’s become known for her aesthetic cooking videos and signature ASMR-style voice. Think making skittles from scratch, wearing haute couture. In this wide-ranging chat with Fearne, Nara talks about raising four young children alongside a […]

  • Why I don’t eat low-fat foods

    Is a low-fat diet really the best choice for women looking to manage their weight and cholesterol in midlife? Liz explains why she prefers whole, naturally satisfying foods over many low-fat alternatives, which can contain added sugars and fillers to replace lost flavour. She also explores the role of healthy fats and how to make […]

  • Robotics in knee replacement with Prof Chris Vertullo

    Robotic surgery promises precision. But does it translate into better outcomes for patients having knee replacement? In this episode of Joint Action, Professor David Hunter speaks with Professor Christopher Vertullo, an orthopaedic knee surgeon and researcher based on the Gold Coast. Chris is Clinical Director of the Australian Orthopaedic Association Clinical Trials and Data Analytics […]

  • Begin Again Moments: How to Keep Your Sex Life Alive

    In this episode of Begin Again Moments, Davina McCall revisits two honest, eye-opening conversations with relationship expert Paul C. Brunson and psychosexual therapist Dr Karen Gurney, exploring how you can rebuild intimacy, reconnect with your partner and rediscover desire at any age. Paul reveals why his sex life is better after 23 years of marriage, […]

Middle Man

From the outside my life looked wonderful. I had an amazing wife, three great kids, a beautiful house in the countryside and a successful consultancy business. But on the inside, I was deeply unhappy. I felt trapped by the very life that I had designed. I felt that I had no sense of purpose. And […]

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