I Get Anxiety More Than Most | Chris Binch, The Old Paratrooper Podcast

Ex Para, Iraq close protection, anti piracy, twelve years a firefighter. Chris Binch on the fear that never left, and what he does with it. Chris Binch served in the Parachute Regiment, worked close protection in Iraq, spent three years protecting ships from piracy and then twelve years in the fire service. He now hosts The Old Paratrooper Podcast, which he started after losing friends and colleagues to mental health struggles. In this conversation he is honest about the gap between how he comes across and how he feels. He gets anxiety before every episode, every event and every hard thing he does, to the point he describes as crippling, and he goes anyway. He talks about the one time the anxious voice won and what it cost him. He explains why he is calm at two in the morning walking into a house fire and overwhelmed by an ordinary list of tasks, and what that says about training, process and how his brain works. He is open about being part way through an ADHD assessment and about why he does not want it as a label. And he explains why he said yes to a 50K mountain ultramarathon in Albania with a bad hip and no training, days after this recording. The through line is leadership of yourself: acting with the fear still there, reading the useful warning from the noise, managing yourself before there is a problem, and owning the mistakes that shaped you. New conversation every Friday. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one. Chris also talks about testosterone replacement. He mentions a clinic that is providing his treatment in return for promotion. That clinic is not named and is not endorsed by this podcast. Nothing here is medical advice. Chapters 0:00 Cold open 1:04 Welcome 3:44 The mistakes that shaped him 7:45 Why he started The Old Paratrooper Podcast 15:38 What the podcast gives him, and the anxiety behind the confidence 20:05 Acting with the fear still there 23:45 The one time the inner voice won 28:45 A life of service 32:55 Calm on the fire engine, overwhelmed by the admin 37:00 ADHD and understanding how his brain works 53:35 Managing yourself before there is a problem 56:05 Health, TRT and longevity (promotional arrangement, see the note above) 1:06:35 Albania: a 50K ultra with a bad hip 1:12:40 Be kind Find Chris The Old Paratrooper Podcast: https://theoldpara.co.uk Instagram:   / theoldparatrooperpodcast   YouTube:    / @theoldparatrooperpodcast   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4jm3x1E... LinkedIn:   / chris-binch-4a660959   Curiosity and Command is hosted by Ben Newton and supported by Kaizen Summit. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5gy3hTd... Kaizen Summit: https://kaizen-summit.com This episode talks about mental health and about veterans who have died by suicide. If you are struggling, Samaritans are on 116 123, free, any time. Veterans and their families can also contact NHS Op COURAGE. #Leadership #MentalHealth #Veterans #ParachuteRegiment #Firefighter