Year: 2018

Episode 8 – Kelcey Rockhold Rocks!

On this episode, we interview Kelcey Rockhold. She is an Oregon native, currently living in the Arizona desert with her family. Kelcey works as a freelance editor, and when she isn’t blogging, baking, or laughing at “The Office,” she can usually be found connecting with others in conversation (usually over coffee and pastries.)

We talk with Kelcey about her experience with intensive psychiatric treatment, recovering from an eating disorder, and finding the hope of Christ through faith, family, and freedom from the cultural disorders around body image.
Some of the topics include:

What is the experience like going through different diagnoses in a short period of time?

What was the impact of being keynote speaker at “Shattering Stigma with Stories” Conference in 2014?

How did your pregnancy impact your mental health?

What is intuitive eating and how has nutrition impacted your mental health?

What does healing mean to you?

Kelcey’s work can be found at Writings from the Raven’s Desk: A Journey of Healing and Hope.

Kelcey is on Instagram: @Awayinthewild

As always, you can find much more at www.revealingvoices.com.

Rippy Berry Delight Recipe

Mother’s Day Recipe from Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook.  Described in episode 7…

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 Cups Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

3 Cups Plain Yogurt

2 Tbs Fresh Lemon and/or Lime Juice

2 Tbs Honey

4 Cups Fresh Berries (leave small berries whole, slice larger berries)

Dash of Cinnamon

Sprigs of Mint

Instructions

  1. Whisk together orange juice and yogurt
  2. Add lemon/lime juice and honey and whisk
  3. Cover and chill until serving time
  4. When ready to serve, place about ¾ cup berries in bowl
  5. Ladle the chilled mixture on top (will not be very thick)
  6. If desired, dust with cinnamon and add a few small sprigs of mint
  7. Enjoy!

Episode 7 – Eric Riddle Revealed

On this episode, Tony interviews co-host, Eric Riddle.  In this interview, Eric and Tony discuss unconditional love, haiku, “bipolar order”, wearing a banana suit, Faithful Friends ministry, and many other topics.

Some of the questions include:

What is peer recovery?

How did you disclose your diagnosis to your children?

What does it mean to have a mood disorder?

Why did you wear a banana suit?

What does healing mean to you?

As always, you can find much more at www.revealingvoices.com.

Eric is currently participating in #the100dayproject on Instagram. During the project, he is writing daily haikus that can be found at #hundredhaiku

Author of Watershed: Service in the Wake of Disaster, a book about the 2008 flood in his hometown of Columbus, IN.

Member of The Stability Network: www.thestabilitynetwork.org

LinkedIn Profile link

 

Does Awareness Really Shatter Stigma?

Some weeks back, Eric asked me to write a piece for Mental Health Awareness Month (May). I thought I would wait for inspiration. It’s now May 18 and inspiration has not arrived. In the words of Jack London, “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” So I sit here banging on the letters of my keyboard, intent on making you aware of mental health.

Recently, many celebrities are touting mental health as they share their personal history with mental illness and/or mental health issues. Action movie star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Singer Mariah Carey. Even Prince Harry. Mental health struggles are shared by the homeless immigrant and the Hollywood idol.

I’ve wondered for some time what happens when mental illness assumes the spotlight. When famous persons talk about their anxiety, their depression, their mania, does it serve to reduce stigma or does it increase the demanding expectations on those with severe mental illness?

If Prince Harry can get through his grief and still smile at royal functions, why can’t you get out of bed and take a shower?

If Kay Redfield Jamison can channel her manic depression to become one of the world’s leading experts on bipolar disorder, why can’t you finish a simple assignment?

The benefit of high achievers opening up about their emotional struggles is that we can be reassured that we are not alone, that we are not any less a human being for having a mental health diagnosis. The danger is that we berate ourselves for not being more like them.

As a writer, I have a plethora of role models who exhibited inordinate disordered behaviors. But I can’t expect I will compose epic tales like Tolstoy, plot like Poe, or poetic verse like Plath. Still, I do find comfort we are following the voice of a related muse.

Mental Health awareness month is not about competing for who has the most debilitating condition or who is conquering it the best. It’s about recognizing that no matter who we are, no matter what we do, we are of one common stock. The more we stand up, the less others have to fall.

Episode 6 – Mark Teike, Lutheran Leader

Mark Teike has served as senior pastor at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Columbus, IN since 1992. Mark and his wife Debbie, a licensed clinical social worker who is the author of The Art of Invitation, have three grown children and one granddaughter.

Mark and Debbie grew up in Decatur, IL. Recently, Mark has become much more aware of the struggles related to mental illness and is passionate about helping individuals and congregations walk alongside those who live with a mental illness, as well as their families.

Some of the questions include:

Who inspired you to pursue pastoral ministry?

How can the faith community work with local ASAP partners to address the local opioid crisis?

How do you respond to people who spiritualize struggles with mental health?

How can the church reach out to individuals who feel isolated?

What does healing mean to you?

Click here to learn more about the Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress (ASAP) in Bartholomew County

 

 

Bipolar Too

At age 17, I was given a clinical depression diagnosis. At age 22, it changed to hypomania.  At age 27, it changed to Bipolar II.  Over the course of the last 20 years, I have been hospitalized 4 times. The first time for mania and the last three for depression. For 13 years, I was in talk therapy 1x/month.  My most recent hospitalization was Spring 2013. I currently take one medicine for sleeping and one for mood stabilization.  Those are the facts of my psychiatric care.

Tony did flippantly call me “bipolar lite” on a recent show. The facts above indicate that the level of treatment I have received is substantial.  His statement was meant as a comparison to the reality of his tumultuous cycles to my relatively less turbulent experience since meeting him in 2014. He has never seen me in a period leading to an inpatient stay.

I am thankful that a listener sent us a comment about Tony’s use of the word “lite”.  The listener pointed out that “its not accurate or helpful to think of Bipolar II as begin a less severe bipolar sub-type.”  This is correct.

Tony and I need to be held accountable to our language. Receiving feedback is precisely what we encourage from our listeners as we reveal our voices and our guests on the podcast.

I am currently in the best period of health since being diagnosed with Bipolar II in 2007.  I thank God, my family, my church, my friends, and my community for the support, encouragement, and love they provide on a daily basis.  My relationship with Tony is a part of that stabilization.  He knows that my diagnosis can lead to serious symptoms, but he also knows that sharing the burden together can lighten the load.

We will be releasing an episode on May 24 with Tony interviewing me about my mental health history and ministry.  Knowing my darkness has helped me know the light.  I hope to share this with you through Revealing Voices.

Episode 5 – Marie Henning, Super Human Resource

Marie Henning has spent her career as a Human Resources professional. In this episode, Marie takes us behind the doors of the office where crucial conversations occur, prayers are offered, and people in distress are uncommonly cared for.

Marie offers encouragement to those who face job stress and educates on the benefits offered by employers to support mental health.

Some of the questions include:

How do you support employees who are experiencing symptoms of mental illness?

Has disclosure of mental health diagnoses increased since the beginning of your career?

How have you seen stigma impact an employee’s career?

What opportunities have you had to share faith and prayer?

What does healing mean to you?

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) info: https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs28.htm

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) info:

https://adata.org/learn-about-ada

The Plight of Lady Manic (a poem by Katie Dale)

“Listen,” she said. “Hear me,” she whispered.

Voices in her head validated what she heard.

Even with proven logic she was stirred,

The possibilities were too great to have deferred.

 

Tangible in spirit, angels gathered near,

And the devils followed them there, itching to hear.

The reality of the unseen wasn’t something to fear,

It was the lust for the untouchable hurdles she wanted to clear.

 

Lady Manic, she was known, to the shrewd and cunning Mister.

Sir Madness, her unmatched suitor, he wouldn’t resist her.

She played to his schemes, his subtle plans enthralled her.

Soon, according to Sir Madness, only he could call her.

 

Flirting with the master of irresistible temptations,

She laid open to twirling thoughts and tantalizing elations.

Like a phantom of her mind’s secret infatuations,

She succumbed to be found in questionable situations.

 

Once he lifted her too high, she panicked at the height,

She braved the quickening sensations amidst the fright.

At first glance it was glee in anyone’s unwitting sight,

Until it was too late to do anything but fall from the flight.

 

Perhaps she was naive, overzealous and of youth,

Perhaps he was too masterful for her mind to tell the truth.

 

Whichever way it was, it was now in hindsight error,

The affection they once shared was now a twisted terror.

 

Should she be prey to his next violent plan,

She couldn’t save herself, no one could, not any man.

 

The step after delight could be more than insanity,

The logical plan to follow was the bane of humanity:

 

Depths of loathing and sorrow crawled out from the pit of Hell,

In shrouds of darkness they came moaning, cleverly casted like a spell.

 

This misery appeared inevitable to keep her from her Lord’s Heaven,

It seemed the day turned into night without her knowing when.

For nights came for days and try as she might will then,

No amount of pulling by her bootstraps would let her go again.

 

Now the words fled her mind and mouth where joy once filled,

Meaning evaded her spirit, whose strength none could rebuild.

Confusion mounted its cavalry and crafted artillery from its guild,

Here the war on her psyche ambushed, her sanity, all but killed.

 

Abandoned by her guide to the skies and traitor to the pit,

She remembered her chance given before so again she sought it.

 

In the lion’s lair she knew who else had gone ahead,

The sacrifice that died to pay the ransom on her head.

She surged her strength to call upon the name of Him once dead,

“Give me my life, You paid my price, redeem my life instead!”

 

The only One who was there for her from birth swiftly came,

The test was passed and she could leave the dungeon of her shame.

Alas Sir Madness could not call on her, he had no viable claim,

Since all along she was betrothed to the Lord of Lords: Jesus, was His name.

 

Victory crowned Him, from overcoming Sir Madness and his lies,

Lady Manic was no longer known as Manic but as Wise.

The deception that once bewitched her could no longer rise,

Since she set her sights on nothing but her truthful Savior’s eyes.

 

“Listen,” she said. “Hear Him,” she whispered.

Voices left her head and love was all she heard.

The sound of her heart was true of the passion that was stirred,

Each beat was hope fulfilled and was no longer deferred.

Katie Dale — What Healing Means

Healing is definitely the hand of God on my mind – I consider that I’m healed as it pertains to the elimination of symptoms and side effects. I take medication daily and believe that’s the course God has set me on for a personal healing of bipolar disorder. I don’t have the symptoms – praise God. However, I want to be clear that I recognize I’ll always have bipolar disorder this side of heaven, tempered and treated by medication. I don’t think I’m healed, as in, cured. That is a different thing altogether. To be cured would be like a deliverance of it, but that’s not possible. People aren’t usually cured miraculously of most disorders or illnesses. That’s just not a typical healing. But God has graciously given me the exact dosage of medication I need to function and thrive in life, and for that I know He sustains me, upholds me, and maintains my sound mind. To me, that is healing.

~ Katie R. Dale

Bipolar Brave

Tony Roberts – What Healing Means

What does healing mean to me?
Before we can be healed we first have to recognize we are ill. I have a deathly sin-sick condition; I desperately need Christ’s healing touch. This condition affects my whole life: spiritual, physical, emotional, relational. God heals me in His own good time, and only fully heals me in the life to come. My job is to participate in healing through vigilant prayer and faithful care.
As one with a mental health diagnosis, I have often faced the stigma of professing believers who think my condition would magically disappear if I had sincere faith. That I can pray it away. My response? I have tried. Many times. And I have come to discover purpose in having a mental illness — to rely on the all-sufficient grace of God and to share this amazing grace with others.
~ Tony Roberts