People First Radio – September 12, 2024People First Radio – September 12, 2024
People First Radio
Men’s mental health advocate Noah Batista shares his journey from struggling student to community mental health worker, including changing fraternity culture and finding his own diagnosis. He also talks about systemic gaps, practical listening skills, and small everyday steps that can support recovery.
0:00•12 Sept 2024
Changing Men’s Mental Health, One Honest Conversation at a Time
Episode Overview
- Shift from punishing heavy drinking to connecting people with real support can change fraternity culture and keep students safer.
- Talking openly about emotions makes it easier for men to seek help and shows younger men that vulnerability is acceptable.
- A correct diagnosis, like ADHD, can help someone understand their behaviour, reduce shame, and guide effective treatment.
- Being a supportive friend means active listening, asking twice how someone really is, and removing judgment from the conversation.
- Small wins during depression, such as managing a shower, are important milestones and worth recognising and celebrating.
“"Replace judgment with curiosity and compassion."”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety and mental wellness? This episode of People First Radio follows men's mental health advocate and community mental health worker, Noah Batista, as he shares how friendship, honesty, and policy change have shaped his life. Noah talks about arriving at UBC knowing almost no one and joining a fraternity to build community.
Far from the movie stereotype, he describes fraternity life as a surprising lifeline for his own mental health, with close friends helping him feel understood for the first time.
He explains how he helped create safer alcohol and mental health policies in his fraternity, shifting the focus from punishment to support: one-to-one conversations, risk managers stepping in, and structured social bans paired with real referrals to help rather than just “hoping they figure it out on their own.” He then opens up about his own history of crippling anxiety, depression, suicide attempts in high school, and a later ADHD diagnosis that finally made sense of his struggles.
A key theme is how vital it is to feel heard; as Noah puts it, the starting point is to "replace judgment with curiosity and compassion." Now working with New View Society in Port Coquitlam, Noah describes psychosocial rehabilitation in action: informal community-based programmes, supported housing, and social groups that help people with serious mental illnesses build connection and confidence.
He also doesn’t shy away from systemic problems—long waits for housing, underfunded services, lack of men’s supports, and burnout among frontline workers. Along the way, he shares practical advice on being a better friend: active listening, gently asking “How are you really doing?”, respecting boundaries, and creating calm, safe spaces to talk.
He finishes with simple but powerful reminders to celebrate small wins—like finally managing a shower after weeks of depression—and to remember that "you're not your anxiety, you're not your depression." If you're curious about how open conversation and small actions can change lives, this one’s worth your time.
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