42. Prison, Pain, and Purpose: Neah Tuohy's Message of Hope for Troubled Teens

Title: Prison, Pain, and Purpose: Neah Tuohy's Message of Hope for Troubled Teens DISC Profile: Yellow & Red (I&D) | In this episode of It Starts With YOU, Vic O'Farrell sits down with the powerhouse that is Neah Tuohy, better known as Neah Inspired. From a childhood of undiagnosed ADHD and unhealed trauma, to a violent incident in her 20s that led to a 12-year prison sentence, seven of which she served, Neah's story is as raw as it is transformative. She opens up about the chaos of her teenage years, the pivotal moment that changed everything, and how prison forced her to face herself in a way that nothing else could. But this isn't a story about being defined by your past, it's about resilience, reflection, and the choice to rebuild. Today, Neah is using her experiences to change lives, founding a community interest company to protect vulnerable teenage girls from grooming and exploitation, and speaking out to raise awareness about ADHD, trauma, and systemic failures. Together, Vic and Neah explore how trauma shapes behaviour and how to unpick it, why the right question isn't "what's wrong with you?" but "what's happening with you?", and the lessons seven years inside taught Neah about resilience, compassion, and self-worth. This conversation is powerful, unfiltered, and ultimately hopeful, a reminder that your past does not define you, but how you rise from it can. "It Starts with You" podcast is available everywhere on Wednesdays every fortnight.  If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review! Thank you, Vic.      Let's Connect! Follow Vic O'Farrell via the Queen of Behaviours  Instagram - @vicofarrell LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaofarrell/ Email – [email protected] Website - www.queenofbehaviours.com   Work with Vicky Showreel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTWViLzyLkU Programmes: https://queenofbehaviours.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Programmes-2024-new-copy.pdf Speaker Pack: https://queenofbehaviours.com/speaker/   FREE RESOURCES Newsletter: https://mymailers.biz/qob/?fbclid=IwAR3CWpPKNLH0Qy7_9fDBYrCK0o6PdDXfHD08phcq8_okFfJM9UT6cAvIFOo Understand Different Personalities: https://form.jotform.com/250735619744363 Quick Guide to Disc: https://queenofbehaviours.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Quick-Guide-to-DISC.pdf DISC for Team Success: https://queenofbehaviours.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Using-DISC-.pdf     For updates on new episodes and everything podcast related Watch the podcast on YouTube:  www.youtube.com/@queenofbehaviours Instagram - @itstartswithyoupodcastqob Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/queenofbehaviours TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itstartswithyoupodcast LinkedIn Page - https://www.linkedin.com/company/queenofbehaviours/ Website - www.queenofbehaviours.com/podcast   About the Guest Neah Inspired is a lived-experience speaker, empowerment advocate, Growing up with undiagnosed ADHD, she faced challenges that led her into the criminal justice system — but her story didn't end there. Turning pain into purpose, she now speaks openly about the hidden struggles of women like her, breaking stigma around ADHD, trauma, and survival. Through her talks, workshops, and community work, Neah helps women and at-risk girls rewrite their stories and reclaim their power. Her voice is bold, unapologetic, and built on the belief that healing creates change.   Get in touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neah_inspired/ LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/NeahInspired  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@neahinspired   Get in touch: [email protected]