Author

About the Author
Co-creator of Revealing Voices and resident spiritual poet for the podcast, Eric advocates for the development of better mental health through art and environmental stewardship.
Eric with his father, Dr. Bruce Riddle

Episode 26 – Healing Wounded Warriors and Wounded Fathers

July 4, 2019 Eric Riddle Podcast Episodes, Season 2 38:24 Comments Off on Episode 26 – Healing Wounded Warriors and Wounded Fathers

Tony and Eric have one-on-one discussion on the Wounded Warriors Project and an experience Eric had with his father around Father’s Day.

The episode features insights from over 100 responses to “What Does Healing Mean to You?” from the 2018 Heartland Conference. Themes emerged from the responses, framing healing as:

  • Acceptance
  • Restoration
  • Wholeness
  • Freedom
  • Peace

Shownotes:

Tribe by Sebastian Junger. Eric discusses in context of soldier’s returning from tours of duty

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Next Episode:

Deborah Gleesing from P82 Project Restoration

Episode 25 – Cam Stout of The Stability Network

June 6, 2019 Eric Riddle Podcast Episodes, Season 2 51:46 Comments Off on Episode 25 – Cam Stout of The Stability Network

Cameron has been an attorney since 1984. Cam is on the other side of the abyss of a major depressive episode in 2013, feeling better in many ways than he ever has. The Founder and CEO of Stout Heart, Inc., a 501c3, Cam speaks publicly to students, professionals, church congregations, and other groups about his resilient recovery from severe depression, and his seven years of sobriety.

Cam’s timely message is simple and powerful: Mental health conditions are just that, health conditions, not weaknesses. They are not our fault, and there is tremendous hope for ongoing recovery and effective management of these challenges.

Cam discusses ways to identify and address mental health and addiction issues in the workplace, in schools and in places of worship.

Cam is married and a very proud father of two adult children.

Topics include:

What was his experience growing up with a father who was alcoholic?

What role has Stout Heart, Inc in supporting other lawyers and students?

Forming “SEAL” teams- Supportive, Energizing, and Loving- to help maintain mental health

Describes how Electoconvulsive Therapy (ECT) helped him through a time of severe depression

What does healing mean to you?

Shownotes:

Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation – Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Stout Heart, Inc. – Cam’s Non-Profit

The Stability Network – Mental health advocacy group where Cam and Eric met

Listening to Prozac – The landmark book about antidepressants and the remaking of the self (1997)

Next Episode:

Tony and I discuss responses they received from over 100 people to the question: “What Does Healing Mean to You?”

BONUS: Mental Health Month Dialogue

May 27, 2019 Eric Riddle Podcast Episodes, Season 2 13:06 Comments Off on BONUS: Mental Health Month Dialogue

Should we promote mental health or combat mental illness?

Can we do both?

In this bonus episode, Eric and Tony engage in critical dialogue about the purpose and priorities of mental health advocacy. Eric leans more in the direction of such groups as Mental Health America promoting mental health by combating stigma, as represented in this quote:

This year marks Mental Health America‘s 70th year celebrating Mental Health Month! In 2019 we are expanding upon last year’s theme of #4Mind4Body and taking it to the next level, as we explore the topics of animal companionship (including pets and support animals), spirituality, humor, work-life balance, and recreation and social connections as ways to boost mental health and general wellness. 

(from the Mental Health America, May newsletter)

Tony, on the other hand, sides squarely with groups and individuals who believe the best, and perhaps only way to promote well-being is to combat serious mental illness through improved treatment and rigorous research.

May is being celebrated as Mental Health Awareness Week or Month (MHAW or MHAM). In celebration, well-intentioned advocates are hosting events they think reduce the “stigma” of mental illness. But they are inadvertently perpetuating it….

.. MHAW public service announcements never feature the homeless psychotic, eating out of garbage cans, sleeping in cardboard homes, and living with festering wounds under layer after layer of filthy clothes, or those locked behind bars or in institutions. Why? The stigma advocates fear that showing the most seriously ill will create stigma. But trying to gain sympathy for mental illness by only displaying the highest functioning, is like trying to gain support for ending hunger by only showing the well-fed.   

(from “Why I Don’t Celebrate Mental Health Month” by DJ Jaffe) Jaffe is Executive Director of Mental Illness Policy Org., and author of Insane Consequences: How the Mental Health Industry Fails the Mentally Ill.

Which side are you on? Is it possible to be on both? How can we learn from each other? Listen and see.

Episode 24 – Hope for the Homeless with Dawn Adams

May 2, 2019 Eric Riddle Podcast Episodes, Season 2 51:01 Comments Off on Episode 24 – Hope for the Homeless with Dawn Adams

Dawn Adams is the Community Relations Director with Food 4
Souls. Her focus is on researching and aligning resources that allow
Food 4 Souls to assist those who are ready to move into a life beyond homelessness. She is also responsible for cultivating donor partnerships, working with individuals in recovery and working with local organizations, churches and youth programs for community outreach projects.

When she is not working, she enjoys traveling, visiting the local coffee shop and spending time outside with her dog. Dawn currently resides in Fisher’s, IN with her husband and twin girls and attends Heartland Church.

Topics include:

What led her to making the decision to work full time in ministry to the homeless?

How does she handle referrals to mental healthcare providers?

How has her perception of the homeless changed over her 7 years in ministry?

How has working with homeless helped Dawn heal?

What does healing mean to you?

Shownotes:

Key Ministry – Inclusion Fusion Conference – Conference Tony attended

Friends of Pollinator Parks – Eric’s Pollinator Park Facebook group

Brighter Days – Homeless shelter in Columbus, IN

Next Episode:

Cameron Stout from Stout Heart, Inc.

Episode 23 – Indiana DMHA Director, Kevin Moore

April 5, 2019 Eric Riddle Podcast Episodes, Season 2 48:37 Comments Off on Episode 23 – Indiana DMHA Director, Kevin Moore

Kevin Moore is the Director of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA). He was appointed Director on January 1, 2012, and leads the public mental health and addiction treatment system.

He was appointed after serving as Assistant Director for DMHA for 2 years, directly supervising the operations at each of the state psychiatric hospitals as they integrated the values and goals of the recovery model.

Kevin worked 24 years with the Department of Correction in a variety of direct service and administrative positions.

Topics include:

How has his job changed since the opioid epidemic became a national problem?

How does he balance his twin responsibilities of supporting mental health and addiction treatment?

Is addiction a mental illness?

How do you bridge the divide between church and state in encouraging support from the faith community?

What does healing mean to you?

Next Episode:

Dawn Adams from Food 4 Souls ministry in Indianapolis, IN

Healing Story 1 – Amie Carey

March 21, 2019 Eric Riddle Healing Stories, Season 2 17:44 Comments Off on Healing Story 1 – Amie Carey

Enjoy our first Healing Stories episode, featuring our guest from episode 22, Amie Carey.

Amie does an excellent job modeling the personal storytelling that we want to be the trademark of Healing Stories.

For more on Amie, her podcast “A Girl I Know”, and her advocacy efforts, please find her at www.agirliknow.org

Mental Health during Lent

March 18, 2019 Eric Riddle Behind the Scenes Comments Off on Mental Health during Lent

I spent a long time on Ash Wednesday sitting in the candle light considering what I would dedicate myself to until Easter. I remembered 3 years ago I had chosen silence and solitude. That experience resulted in a weekend silence retreat and much contemplation of the power of language.

I have decided to do a similar practice this year.

Recently, I’ve noticed the momentum of bringing stress from work into my home. The drive from work to home is less than 3 miles and sometimes involves continued phone calls related to work. Without that transition time, the stress and attention to work may continue unmitigated. It is a bad habit, creating unintended stress for my family.

With this in mind, I chose to transition from work to home by going into my basement to spend time in intentional silence when I get home. The time in silence has proven throughout my life to serve as a reset. The resulting prayer and meditation leads me into a much more mentally healthy experience.

After a time in silence and focusing on my relationship with God, it is much easier to bring that sense of peace into my relationships with people.

I look forward to dedicating myself to silence and solitude.

Episode 22 – Into the Wilderness with Amie Carey

March 7, 2019 Eric Riddle Podcast Episodes, Season 2 53:33 Comments Off on Episode 22 – Into the Wilderness with Amie Carey

Welcome to Season 2 of Revealing Voices!

Amie Carey is a mother of 3 from NYC who is passionate about changing the conversation around child and adolescent mental health.  She has been an advocate for families in crisis for about 5 years. Amie wrote a blog about her family’s experience which then morphed into a podcast called “A Girl I Know” to share her story with a broader audience. 

Her oldest daughter, Violet, has struggled with behavioral challenges from a very young age.  It has changed her perspective on children, mental health, and stigma.

The decision for Violet to participate in wilderness therapy and the impact it has had on the family is the focus of the episode.

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Topics include:

Describe the experience of wilderness therapy for adolescents.

How did family and friends respond to decision for Violet to participate in this form of therapy?

What changes has Amie witnessed in Violet after her wilderness experience?

Why did Amie decide to start a podcast?

How was the decision made with Violet to share the family’s story publically?

What does healing mean to you?

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Shownotes:

NATSAP – National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs

Second Nature Wilderness Family Therapy

“The Journey of the Heroic Parent” book by Brady M. Reedy. One of Amie’s favorite books on parenting.

“On Writing: A Memoir on the Craft” by Stephen King. Mentioned as an excellent book about creativity

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Next Episode: Kevin Moore, Director of State of Indiana’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA)

Season 2 Trailer

February 17, 2019 Eric Riddle Podcast Episodes, Season 2 8:19 Comments Off on Season 2 Trailer

We have settled into our new studio and are preparing for Season 2 to kickoff on Thursday, March 7. Join us for this quick announcement about adding a new “Healing Stories” format to our podcast feed!

Tony’s Big Announcement

January 26, 2019 Eric Riddle Behind the Scenes Comments Off on Tony’s Big Announcement

I don’t make a habit of fraternizing with our Revealing Voices guests, but I made an exception with Susan Lockwood from Episode 20. Not only did we fraternize, but we started dating regularly, became engaged, and on December 20, 2018, got married.

Some might look at my diagnosis and claim that I swept Susan off her feet in a case of mass mania. But it wasn’t that way at all. We are in our mid-50s. We have been single for 7 years and have grown quite confident in our solitude. We don’t desperately need each other to be complete. Instead, we have the desire to share our lives together to enrich them and bring glory to God.

What will this mean for Revealing Voices? On the whole, I believe it will greatly enhance our show. Susan is passionate in the field of correctional education and networks with many persons who overlap with mental health ministry. With her, we can make connections with potential guests who know mental illness inside and out.

Yet, in a few practical ways it will change the nature in which I prepare the program. I will not likely pull all-nighters and send Eric dozens of emails about ways to improve the show. Hopefully, I will also not get lost in a depressive haze where I find it difficult to engage with guests, brainstorm new possibilities, even commit to a date on the calendar.

For some time, I have found great joy delighting in the Lord. Now I am receiving the desires of my heart. I pray my voice of praise inspire others to reveal their own as they wrestle with mental health disorders.