Some days are flat. The milestones drift. The questions feel heavier than they should. In this episode, I talk honestly about pressing pause on romance and pouring that energy into purpose — advocacy, community, and building work that actually fits the season I’m in.

We unpack life with multiple diagnoses — generalised anxiety, social anxiety, OCD, ADHD, autism, BPD, bipolar II — without turning identity into a checklist. Dysregulated Daily is my way of showing the real picture: the wins, the losses, and the long grey in between. Because when crisis hits, people don’t need perfect answers. They need someone to sit beside them. Go to ED. Wait the hours. Support beats speeches every time. Trust me.

I dig into stigma — especially around Borderline Personality Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Schizoaffective disorder — and why research needs to be translated into something human, usable, and real. With one in five Australians facing a diagnosable mental health condition, making care clearer and more navigable isn’t optional. It’s urgent. And it's in the public best interest.

I don’t have everything figured out. God, I am trying hard to figure it out though, But I’m steady on the mission. If this episode resonates, follow Dysregulated Daily, on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube share it with someone who needs it, and leave a rating so these conversations can reach further. And best of all? I got that little dopamine hit. So thank you!

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Follow The Dysregulated Podcast:
Instagram – @elliot.t.waters
Facebook – The Dysregulated Podcast
YouTube – The Dysregulated Podcast (Official Channel)

Created by Elliot Waters — Inspired by lived experience.
Mental health insights, real stories, real conversations.

Ever felt calmer in a roaring stadium than a quiet supermarket? In this episode, I unpack the strange maths of social anxiety and autism — and why a packed night at McDonald Jones Stadium can feel safer than a fluorescent aisle at Coles. I walk you through hyper-vigilance, sensory overload, and the stories my brain spins when I’m late, lost, or convinced someone’s in “my” seat. And underneath it all? Love. Love for the Newcastle Knights, for red and blue, and for the city that built me.

We talk social batteries — how sleep and solitude recharge them, but not always in time for kickoff. When that battery’s low, catastrophising creeps in fast. Small unknowns become full-blown internal conflict scenes. But there’s a second battery too: passion. Identity. Ritual. Loyalty. The chants, the banter, the stubborn belief the ref needs a reminder about the offside rule. Sometimes it’s magic. Sometimes I’m completely cooked by halftime. Both are true.

I also share the story behind my Pride of the Hunter banner — why it fires me up, why people look for it on TV, and why part of me still worries I’m in the way. If you live with anxiety or sensory sensitivity, you’ll recognise the push-pull of doing what you love while your nervous system screams no. The takeaways? Anchor to values. Accept the nerves. Convert adrenaline into purpose. And plan recovery like it matters — because it absolutely does.

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Follow The Dysregulated Podcast:
Instagram – @elliot.t.waters
Facebook – The Dysregulated Podcast
YouTube – The Dysregulated Podcast (Official Channel)

Created by Elliot Waters — Inspired by lived experience.
Mental health insights, real stories, real conversations.

Right, picture this. It’s 2:30am. I’ve been bounced off half of Sydney’s motorways on the way back from Albury-Wodonga, the NSW/VIC border, and I’m talking myself through a full-blown panic attack because, well, everyone else is asleep. Zzzz

Today started as a quick meet and greet and hit top gear — strapping freight, riding in an Kenworth and remembering why I love the transport industry so much. I’m trying to build something that brings trucking and mental health together… and for most of the day, I felt real purpose and inspired.

Then, I hit Sydney.

First, the M7 shuts. No biggie, I keep on truckin’.
Then, NorthConnex shuts. Just my luck.
Roadworks everywhere. Detours through the back roads of the big smoke. Sleep? Not likely tonight.

Now I’m picturing myself fronting up to an 8:30am meeting at the University, then a filmed interview I’ve been looking forward to all week, and an advisory group meeting (yep, big day) running on fumes — and the inner critic is LOUD. The anxiety is like THUNDER. Here comes the wave of dread. I just need to get back to Newcastle.

Perfection or nothing.
Don’t stumble.
You can’t afford it. The stakes are too high

So I go back to basics: name what I can see, breathe longer out than in, loosen the grip, label the task instead of the monster. The goal isn’t to get rid of fear at 3am — it’s to keep pointing northwards while it’s yelling at you.

By the time I get home, the panic’s still there… but it’s smaller. And it’s not driving anymore. Thank God, neither am I. Now to sleep, I’ve got a big day coming up!

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Follow The Dysregulated Podcast:
Instagram – @elliot.t.waters
Facebook – The Dysregulated Podcast
YouTube – The Dysregulated Podcast (Official Channel)

Created by Elliot Waters — Inspired by lived experience.
Mental health insights, real stories, real conversations.