#21 Why men hide their pain and how to start feeling again (with Taylor Bradley)

“All those years worrying what everyone thought… and I could’ve just gone.”

At 14, Taylor lost his mum to alcoholism. For years he wore masks people-pleasing, numbing, dissociating until testicular cancer at 28 forced a reckoning. In this very honest conversation, he traces the path from grief and anxiety to breathwork and men’s circles - work he now brings into the ConnectionHub, creating spaces where men feel safe to be real.

We talk about:

Catching his mum drinking at 11 and becoming the “rescuer” kid

Masks, bullying, paranoia and why numbness feels safer than feeling

Weed, weekend benders and what changes when intention does

The cancer phone call that reset his priorities

The “armour at night” protector and learning to let it step aside

Somatic/emotional release, breathwork and brotherhood as medicine

Practical courage for young men: taking the first uncomfortable step

If you’re stuck in the loop - performing, numbing, pretending - this one’s a mirror and an invitation.

If this episode brings stuff up for you: please reach out to someone you trust, a local support line or a professional. You’re not on your own.