About Ryan

Welcome to the Mental Edge Lifestyle Podcast! I’m your host, Ryan Gallagher. I am a father, a husband, and a firefighter. I care deeply for my family, my friends, and my community. I am a member of the City of Burlington Peer Support program and I’ve helped raise more than $80,000 for charities in my community over the last three years. I’m also in the Professional Addiction Studies program at McMaster University because I want to recognize and understand people’s struggles so I can give them better support, on the job and in my everyday life.

I started the Mental Edge Lifestyle Podcast because I want to have an open, honest conversation about mental health. I’ve had my own struggles — I lost my father when I was 16 and used alcohol to help me cope. Through my own journey, I discovered the importance of opening up about your problems and realizing how many people around you are dealing with similar struggles can go a long way in helping you overcome life’s challenges and become a stronger person.

But, saying it is one thing and doing it is another. So to let you know that you are not alone in this, I will be opening up and talking to professionals in the mental health field, as well as professionals in a variety of other fields to discuss how to keep a healthy mind. I will also be talking to others who have overcome mental health issues and letting them share their stories.
Included will be episodes featuring experts from around the world on subjects like addiction, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), financial stress, the mind-body connection, and the importance of sleep and fitness. The goal of this podcast is to give you the tools and resources you need to maintain a healthy mind and body to allow you to operate at peak performance for whatever life demands of you.