Words Are Hard was originally published as photo essay in January 2021, for people who deal with mental health challenges as well as their families. It was designed to help them overcome the daily stigmas regarding mental illnesses. Using pictures to illustrate my own personal journey the goal is to communicate thoughts that words are just too limited to explain.

In May 2022, we started an annual event based on the photo essay as a way to create a discussion centered around increasing the understanding of mental health recovery, showing the differences between mental health vs. mental illness and helping others understand how to better support those who are struggling. This was our 3rd year doing the event and the goal of  was to bring the much needed awareness to the blindness of society regarding the stigma that people living with mental illness face on a daily basis. At the same time, offering suggestions of an approach that identifies people as people and not their diagnosis.

The event was recorded live, the video of which will be available on YouTube in the coming weeks, and this is the audio of the discussion we had.  Unfortunately we forgot to take the handheld microphone out into the audience so some of the sound quality may be a little rough in spots but we still wanted to provide those who were not able to make it the opportunity to be a part of the discussion.  

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May is Mental Health Awareness month and this will be our 3rd year presenting the Words Are Hard roundtable discussion on mental health on May 13. In this episode Pastor Larry and I discuss the upcoming event and what we hope to accomplish with it.

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Back in March, I had the opportunity to speak as part of a panel on living with a disability at the Together: Ignite Conference.  Afterwards, I had several people wanted to speak with me, which is still a bit of a shock to be honest.  But one of those people is our special guest to Amanda Burgos, the mom of a million kids.  Sadly, Pastor Larry was out of town when we recorded this episode but Amanda & I had an amazing conversation about some of the challenges associated with mental health and parenting, including the parenting foster children.

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Over the years we have learned to talk more openly about mental health.  Today Paster Larry & I explore the importance of teaching kids mental health as a parent, or other adult role model.

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Episode 5: Exploring Boundaries

Today we have the pleasure of sitting down with “Podcast Pete” Kane, host of the Kennesaw Happenings Podcast we were started our conversation about the importance of boundaries and effective communication and then finished it here.  

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Communication can be difficult at times.  Especially for those who have a hard time reading body language and picking up on various social cues.  Today Pastor Larry and I talk about some of the challenges that can occur when trying to communicate with others, especially when people function in the “ever always listening” mode which sometimes causes well-meaning people to provide irrelevant support to others who may or may not be in crisis.

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Today we are joined by a very special guest, Kathy Lathem from Cobb Senior Services.  In this episode we talk about the importance of community and the services available for the “Senior” population in Cobb County, Georgia while also working to debunk some of the myths and stigma surrounding aging and the senior community in general.

If you would like to get more information about the services provided by Cobb Senior Services you can contact: Kathy Lathem

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According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), the 4 major dimensions of recovery are health, home, purpose and community.  In today’s episode Pastor Larry and I focus on the importance community and finding a sense of purpose and how the impact our mental health. 

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We all experience obstacles and challenges in life and sometimes those come with a setbacks that can detail our progress.  In this episode we talk about the importance of managing expectations of ourselves and others and how it impacts our mental health.

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 In our final episode of Season 3, Pastor Larry and I continue our conversation about self-care and other strategies to survive the additional stress the holiday season often brings. Especially for those who have a strained relationship with their family or perhaps aren't able to get home to spend time with their loved ones. 

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