Mental Mobility

08/09/2026

Does Ozampic have any mental health benefits?.

Hello everyone, it's great to do a post for you. I have not written a post for a couple of weeks.

I am sure today's post will ruffle a few feathers. I’ve been reflecting on my experience with Ozampic, which I’ve used for weight loss even though I’m not diabetic. I started at 100 kg and now I’m down to 79 kg, all within a year. I can't begin to tell how much better I feel. I can fit into my clothes, walk down the street feeling proud and able to look in the mirror whilst brushing my teeth. I was so ashamed of myself and miserable

I had a conversation with a personal trainer friend who was very critical of Oxampic. I pointed out it has mental health benefits and asked for his view. He joked that we’d just end up with a bunch of mentally ill skinny people walking around the street, which I found pretty amusing given I was diagnosed Bi-polar 1 at age 39. Bi-polar is brutal on the mind. 😞 He is correct to a certain degree but certainly not entirely. I am a walking example that it is beneficial for mental health but may not for some. Taking Ozampic does not mean I do not still experience the roller coaster of life or that I no longer need a mental health team. They are the pillar, Ozampic is a add on.

So I did a bit of research and found some mental health benefits associated with Ozampic

- * Stabilized Mood: Users have felt more emotionally stable.
* Reduced Anxiety: It can ease anxiety symptoms for some people.
* Improved Sleep: Better sleep patterns are a common benefit.
* Enhanced Motivation: Increased motivation can come with feeling more balanced.
* Better Stress Management: Some users find it easier to handle stress.
* Increased Sense of Control: A structured treatment often helps people feel more in control of their mental wellness.
* Craving reduction for alcohol and other drugs,: early research and patient reports suggest that Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications may help reduce cravings and substance use, though it is not yet an approved treatment for addiction

Hopefully, this helps anyone considering how it may fit into your journey. It certainly has mine.

It is important to note, like with any drug it comes with warnings and side affect which your Dr will discuss with you.

Regards

Darrin Smith

Mental Mobility, Moving Minds Towards Recovery, Workshops, Strength, hope, experience, lived live experiences. Darrin Smith, Recovery, Mental Mobility, 12 step program. Lifeline, Beyond Blue, Black Dog Institute. Mental Health. Depression

07/09/2026

Four years ago, Danny Ellerd was down to 92 pounds, living under a bridge, consumed by a 15-year addiction.

Cops showed up to lock him up and realized he was literally on the verge of death.

He survived the hospital, checked into rehab, and put his head down.

Today? He graduated from OSU with straight A’s and a degree in tech.

21/08/2026

Once again, Friday has come around I feel like I have done nowhere near enough work. That is one of the hardest things about working for yourself, you have to SELF MOTIVATE every day. Well, I may have achieved little today business wise, but I spoke to my two sponsee's for a couple of hours, I chaired an International AA meeting with over 140 people and simply participated in another. The meeting I chaired was incredible. I chose the topic "memorial Friday". Each person who wanted to share, was given 4 minutes to talk of someone close they have lost to addiction/alcoholism. I shared about the loss of my best friend of 26 years. His name was Mark and left behind his living partner Nick. He was 50 when he died in his sleep. His heart gave in, much like it did for Hayden Panettierie, may she rest in peace. I tried to get Mark to come to AA but he simply could not accept that he was powerless over alcohol, and his life had become unmanageable.

If you have lost a loved one due to alcoholism and/or addiction, I would love to hear about them. Please be brave and comment below for Memorial Friday.

Below are 5 famous musicians who lost their lives early due to substance abuse disorder.

1. Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse, known for her soulful voice and eclectic style, died at the age of 27 from alcohol poisoning after a long struggle with alcohol and drug addiction, including he**in and crack co***ne. She is also a member of the infamous “27 Club.”
2. Kurt Cobain
The lead singer and guitarist of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, battled he**in addiction throughout his life. He died at 27, and he**in was found in his system at the time of his death, which contributed to the circumstances surrounding his su***de
3. Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin, a powerful rock and blues performer, passed away in 1970 at the age of 27 due to an accidental he**in overdose. She had struggled with substance abuse for years, which significantly affected her life and career
4. Michael Jackson
The “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson, died at 50 from acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication, a result of prescription drug abuse related to pain management and insomnia.
His untimely death exemplifies how legal medications can also lead to fatal addiction.
5. Prince
Prince battled opioid addiction stemming from chronic pain due to concert injuries. He died at 57 from a fentanyl overdose, despite being known for generally rejecting recreational drug use
These musicians’ stories illuminate the harsh realities of addiction, showing that it can affect individuals regardless of fame or talent. Many of these deaths were accidental overdoses, often involving a combination of substances, highlighting the extreme risks associated with substance abuse.

May they all now rest in peace, if you are reading this "having a substance abuse disorder" is not your fault.

There is help out there.

www.mentalmobility.com.au

18/08/2026

Hi my name is Josephine Sammut. I am an Australian, director of my… Darrin Smith needs your support for Help Clifton from Uganda who has a hole in his heart

18/08/2026

Happy Tuesday everyone.

I’m pleased to share that I now have a profile on Crowd Pleaser, where you can book me directly for keynote presentations and workplace workshops.

1 in 5 Australians will experience a mental health illness at some point in their lives. Of those, 22.4% of employees admit to using drugs or alcohol while at work — I was one of those statistics.

With rising living costs, interest rate pressures and increasing workplace stress, these numbers are only trending upward. The real question for employers is: how do we manage this safely, legally and compassionately? I deliver four workshops commencing with my workshop on substance abuse disorder, covering:

* Hard‑core facts and current data
How employers can effectively manage substance‑related issues
* The financial impact on Australian businesses
* How supporting employees can reduce costs and improve retention.

I’d welcome the opportunity to share my lived experience and practical strategies with your organisation.

Direct bookings receive a 10% discount

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

10/08/2026

August 10, 2026

“I am learning, when looking for signs of spiritual awakening in myself, to look, not for bright lights or emotional upheavals ... but for sobriety, stability, responsibility, meaning, satisfaction, joy. These are the marks of the beginning of spiritual awakening.”

Hankins, N.Y., May 1967, From: “AA’s Steps Lead to – Spiritual Awakening”, Spiritual Awakenings

09/08/2026

Have you ever wondered what I looked like. I never share as I lack self-esteem as a result of complex PTSD and bi-polar disorder. Let's add substance abuse disorder to the list. LOL 😢

It's ok though, I recognize it. Through my work though, seeking outside help, a higher power and vitally a 12-step program I am getting better at managing the illnesses. Yes, multiple unfortunately. My self esteem is improving.

But here you go.

09/08/2026

Hope everyone is having a happy Sunday. My post today has nothing to do with mental illness. It is about Pauline Hanson. Have a read of my commentary on the matter of Pauline being racist.

"Pauline Hanson has once again worn her racism into the Senate — loud, proud and unapologetic.

I do not agree with racism at any level, in any place, or from anyone holding public office.

When we add her recent comments regarding domestic violence to this ongoing rhetoric, I have to say: Pauline Hanson is dangerous to the future we are creating for our next generations.

Our children deserve leadership built on equality, respect, safety and inclusion — not division, fear and prejudice.

We must do better. Our future generations are watching.



My reply to the above on Linkden was:

I do not agree with racism in any form either. Our origin, color of our skin or our accent is irrelevant. I recall 30 years ago when Pauline transitioned from owner of a fish and chips shop to a popular but controversial politician. We must give her credit when credit due. But she was homophobic, publicly berating gay people, myself being one of them. I recall her exact words "It's not natural". However, she educated herself and embraced the gay community. She is now a bit of a gay icon, liked by many gay people as she says it as it is. She has come a long way but has a long way to go if she wants to lead a country. Unfortunately, she has hurt and continues to hurt many along the way, this is another example. 32% of our population were born overseas. That is 32% of the vote she will miss out on if she continues her racist remarks and stance on immigration. I strongly suggest she keep such commentary to herself. Let's hope her views change, much like they did for the gay community. C'mon Pauline, grow up and start thinking with your head, not your emotions.

What are your thoughts?

05/08/2026

Hello all,

As promised earlier today, here is my post for the week. If you have had a drink or a drug today to cope, it is possible to make today the beginning of a new chapter, free from alcohol and drugs. It is not immunity from life though or the challenges it brings. Hence, today we are going to talk about Acceptance.

In life, acceptance of people, places, things or just life in general, can be challenging and a foreign concept to most. I often speak about the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Every time I read the Big Book with a sponsee, like I did this morning, I am reminded of something that I don't do well in my recovery. Acceptance that I have to live with Bi-polar disorder for the rest of my life is one of them. Medication is helpful but I am sure any medical professional reading this will agree, ultimately medications help but should not be the only solution. A combination of medication, behavioral changes and cognitive behavior therapy is the solution. And of course, a 12-step program. Please, correct if I am wrong as I am no doctor, I share from lived experience, not a textbook.

The phrase “acceptance is the answer to all my problems today” comes from Dr. Paul O.’s story on page 417 of the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book, where he explains that serenity begins when we stop fighting reality and accept people, places, and situations exactly as they are. He writes:

“Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation—some fact of my life—unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God’s world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life’s terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and my attitudes.”

I like to keep my posts relatively short so let's hear from you if you are brave enough to comment. Most people do not want to be associated with a recovering addict/alcoholic. I get it.

What is some element in your life or situation that you find hard to accept? How does your attitude require adjustment?

Do you have an employee who has a mental illness or substance abuse disorder and don't know what to do, please do reach out to me. I may be able to help. I am not here to make millions of dollars as a keynote speaker; I do this to make a difference and help businesses reduce the costs associated with mental illness. Hence, please do reach out to me if you think I can be of value. It is a good time to remember 22.5% of employees admit to using a drug or alcohol whilst at work. 1 in 5 Australians will suffer from mental illness at some point in their life.

Best wishes for a sober life

Darrin Smith

Mental Mobility, Moving Minds Towards Recovery, Workshops, Strength, hope, experience, lived live experiences. Darrin Smith, Recovery, Mental Mobility, 12 step program. Lifeline, Beyond Blue, Black Dog Institute. Mental Health. Depression

27/07/2026

Recovery is about Progress not Perfection

Firstly, apologies for not posting for a couple of weeks. I hope this post finds you well after another Monday. Despite having the privilege of working for myself I still do not like Monday's. I don't think many of us do with Mondayitis being a real thing.

I am in my 16th year of recovery. My recovery is far from perfect with many relapses. In fact, perfect recovery does not exist. We all have our flaws, working on them is a lifelong progress. For a long time, I often thought relapse was failure. This is simply not true. Regardless of how painful each relapse was with a new rock bottom just about every time, I was still progressing. Perfection would leave us with little to achieve and a very boring society.

One of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous was Bill Wilson. In his book, As Bill See it he writes:

— AS BILL SEES IT, pp. 10, 8
I have been given a daily reprieve contingent upon my spiritual condition, provided I seek progress, not perfection. To become ready for change, I practice willingness, opening myself to possibilities of change. If I realize there are defects that hinder my usefulness in A.A. and toward others, I become ready by meditating and receiving direction. "Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely" ( Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 58).

Below is a very short video on the subject (52 seconds)