My way out of the woods
Mic Whitty was a high-flyer in the corporate world, but a breakdown, gambling and money problems left him destitute. At his lowest ebb he set out to find redemption.
A corporate high-flyer ended up living in a forest after a spiral of debt, shame and secrecy.
After avoiding a mounting debt to his landlord, Australian Mic Whitty鈥檚 life started to crumble. Instead of facing his responsibilities, he tried to gamble and steal money to better his fortunes. As his mental health deteriorated, wracked by guilt and shame, he was determined to pay everyone back. Then he disappeared from his old life and ended up homeless, living in a forest. Through a stroke of luck, a kind librarian, and a 100-year-old war diary with a bullet hole in it, Mic would emerge from the woods with a new purpose and a shot at redemption.
This programme contains references to suicide.
If you鈥檝e been affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, you can find support at befrienders.org
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producers: Edgar Maddicott and Elena Angelides
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Mic Whitty. Credit: Dennis Farrell)
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Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary
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