18: Mary Ryan: BPD, Bullies & Cold-Water Swimming

Doctor, scholar, mother, survivor—and dog lover.After 35 years as a GP, Mary Ryan has seen it all, but her own journey has been just as intense as the lives of the patients she’s treated. Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), she opens up about the stigma, misunderstandings, and how her own views on it have changed over time.She talks about power, violence, and the times she wasn’t believed, reconciling with her Catholic faith after a traumatic childhood, and how a sudden stroke at 41 changed everything. From serious workplace bullying and hospital admissions to the one treatment that truly made a difference, Mary doesn’t hold back.And in between all the chaos? There’s her love for dogs, baking, The Archers, Barry Humphries, and the strangely therapeutic power of cold-water swimming.A fearless, funny, and brutally honest conversation about mental health, resilience, and finding strength through taking the plunge – literally.