Dadvice

With special guest:

• Dr Luke Martin

Seriously! Becoming a Dad can be a white-knuckle ride and sometimes it can be overwhelming. When you leave the hospital carrying a new baby it might be the first time it hits you that you have taken on an enormous responsibility and yet you are not issued with an instruction booklet.

Men have lots of different reactions when they hear that they are about to be joined by a new family member who will need 24-hour support. Some jump around, some think about the meaning of life and some might even feel depressed. The main thing to remember is that whatever feelings you experience you will not be the first. This is where Dadvice comes in, a mental health campaign for new Dads developed by beyondblue and funded by the Movember Foundation.

Our guest today is Dr Luke Martin who has loads of experience supporting the mental health of families and who had a key role in the development of the Dadvice videos. We hear about the thinking behind these videos. They are not sugar-coated and don’t shy away from the vomit-splattered reality while they also have some funny sections with comedians such as Lawrence Mooney throwing in his thoughts on the topic. This group of new Dads talk in the videos about their experiences and how to deal with them. They cover the difficult parts of being a new Dad, the lack of sleep, the reduced opportunity to spend time with your wife, the relentless demands of the little one and the added responsibility of caring for a child for the first time.

But importantly the new Dads also say openly that they would not give it up for the world. At a time of increased pressure on the family and the high divorce rate with resultant restrictions on Dads seeing their children it is so important for Dads to see the good parts of being a Dad, the life changing effects and the opportunity to think of someone else as being more important than even your own life.

This is a program for everyone who wonders what it is like for fathers as they embark on the grand adventure. Join in the fun and then follow up with a visit to the Dadvice website.

Dr Luke Martin

Luke Martin is a clinical psychologist who has primarily worked supporting the mental health of families. He previously worked for beyondblue designing initiatives to reduce the impact of depression and anxiety. He helped develop Australia’s first mental health campaign for new dads, Dadvice.

Song selection by our guest: Under Pressure by Queen (featuring David Bowie)

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