Opening up:

Sunday reporter Jehan Casinader is the brainchild behind a new local series which aims to help people discuss personal issues in a frank and open fashion. Melenie Parkes reports.

A new panel show helps to tackle issues many Kiwis struggle to talk about.

Too many Kiwis suffer in silence about their personal problems, says Jehan Casinader, who presents a new local show The Inside Word.

Casinader’s show features a mix of people, including well-known personalities, engaging in frank discussions about issues that are often ignored. What some of them have to say may surprise you.

Comedian Guy Williams reveals he’s never had a drink and the reasons behind his decision.

Presenter Hayley Holt gives a moving account of her public struggle with alcohol and the ways in which her life has changed since giving up drinking.

The aim of The Inside Word is to break ‘stigma, shame and silence’ and the conversations that ensue are brutally honest, emotional and even funny at times.

The concept is the brainchild of Sunday correspondent Casinader, 28, who also presents and produces the six-part series. In each episode, Casinader’s guests reveal personal challenges and the ways they have learned to manage those issues.

After reporting on several mental health stories, Casinader felt the time was right to open up about the problems that touch many people, either personally or through friends and family.

“I think there are so many Kiwis who suffer in silence,” says Casinader, “because they feel that if they were really honest and vulnerable and authentic that they would be judged or condemned for the things that they’ve done or felt or experienced.”

While the subjects are serious, the approach is informal. It’s like watching four friends chatting.

“I was just amazed at how willing people were to share honestly about everything, from experiencing alcoholism through to losing a brother to suicide,” says Casinader. “There’s just such a wide range of stuff that we were able to cover.

“Zac Franich, The Bachelor, talks about his career as a sprint kayaker and how he lost his identity after he left his sport and how he had to work out who he was again. I think that’s something that people wouldn’t really know about him.

“1 News political reporter Katie

Bradford talks about cyberbullying and the horrific, vile, disgusting stuff she has to put up with online.”

Casinader has spoken publicly about his own issues with body image, something he says affects many men but is a taboo subject.

Kiwi men, in particular, are all too adept at sweeping their feelings under the emotional rug.

“It’s actually not necessarily about fixing these problems, it’s just about normalising conversations around them and and being able to be OK not being OK.”

Casinader says that often people who appear to have everything can also be silently struggling too.

“We look at someone who’s on TV or has a rugby contract and we think their life is amazing. The truth is it’s really not and for some people the more famous you are and the more conventionally successful you are the more challenges you have.”

Former All Black Zac Guildford is an example of that struggle.

On The Inside Word, Guildford reveals the pain of facing up to his alcohol and mental health issues in the spotlight.

“Zac is very honest about the fact that he didn’t have the tools when he was younger to deal with those challenges,” says Casinader.

“He is judged by a lot of New Zealanders for the bad choices that he’s made in the past but the thing that I find really inspiring about Zac is that despite that, he’s still telling his story. He’s still being honest and trying to use his mistakes to teach others and I just think that takes so much courage.”

Casinader encourages people struggling in their personal lives to seek help, cultivate a strong support network and avoid social media.

“I think the problem with Facebook is it’s made us believe the lie that we all need 500 friends.

“What we need is a small, close group of people in our lives who we are able to be our true selves with. If you have that it doesn’t matter what you’re going through. You know that you’ve got a safety net and you’ve got people who are on your team.”