Episode 14: Kelly-Sue O’Connor and Birding with Mental Health Issues

The Big Year Podcast

Hello birders, and other non-feathered friends, and welcome to Episode 14 and the final episode of Season 1 of The Big Year Podcast. I am thrilled to have Kelly-Sue O’Conner, who runs Birder Brains, who along with myself and many other birders, live with various mental health issues, including Attention Deficit-Hyperactive Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Post-concussion Syndrome. In my case all three plus a few other, including Social Anxiety Disorder. Boy, do I hate the word "disorder" as a descriptive.

Anyway in this episode I did something very different. Because of the subject matter, I didn’t edit out anything, as I thought it important to hear us as we really are and not hide our pauses and such. So, the idea was to not cut out the parts of the conversation that were challenging to us. You'll even hear, in my opening monologue, that sometimes I have trouble getting the words out, because of different mental challenges I have. So bear with us when we go off on tangents, and be patient where there might be some long pauses.

We wanted to get that message out that if you do have your own cognitive and mental challenges, it’s okay talk about it, and if you need help, there's always people you can talk to and people that can definitely give you advice and help you feel more comfortable with what you’re going through. I like to take some of these challenges like OCD and ADHD and put them to use in my everyday birding life.

So, sit back, relax,(unless you’re driving), and enjoy my chat with Kelly-Sue, live from the boardwalk in Rondeau Provincial Park.