What No One Tells Men About Losing a Parent, with John Colbert

What happens to a man when he loses his father and no one shows him how to grieve?

In this honest, darkly funny, and deeply human conversation, we hear from John Colbert, a writer and former advertising creative who turned the loss of his father to prostate cancer into Damaged Goods, a memoir made up of short, sharply observed stories about grief, masculinity, mental health, and what happens long after the funeral ends.

John was just 20 when his father died after a six-year illness. What followed was a period of profound depression, emotional shutdown, and learning - painfully - that men are rarely taught how to process loss. In a culture that rewards silence and “being strong,” John found himself unable to talk about what he was feeling, even in therapy, until things reached a breaking point.

What makes this episode powerful is John’s willingness to speak plainly about what many men experience but rarely admit: the loneliness after the support fades, the quiet house, the first Christmas without a parent, the guilt, the anger, and the long shadow grief can cast across identity, relationships, and adulthood.

Rather than avoiding the darkness, John meets it with humour; not to trivialise loss, but to survive it. His writing and perspective show how laughter, honesty, and connection can unlock conversations that grief shuts down.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Why many men are never taught how to grieve, and the cost of burying it
• How losing a parent can force an early and painful “arrival” into adulthood
• Depression, suicidal thoughts, and the moment therapy finally began to work
• Why humour can be a powerful survival tool in grief
• How grief reshapes identity, relationships, and masculinity over decades
• The long tail of loss and why it doesn’t end after the funeral
• Why connection, not isolation, is what actually helps men heal
• The importance of men’s health awareness, prostate checks, and breaking taboos
• What midlife men can do if they’re carrying unprocessed grief right now

Why you should listen:
Because if you’ve lost a parent - recently or years ago - and quietly carried on, this episode will feel uncomfortably familiar. John puts words to experiences many men recognise but rarely voice, offering permission to laugh, talk, remember, and connect without shame.

This is not an episode about “getting over” grief. It’s about living with it honestly, imperfectly, and with other people around you.

If you want to find out more about John, visit his website https://www.itscolbert.com, and his book Damaged Goods is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and through other online retailers.