Season 1, Episode 13: Ellie Nelson

Dan Sterenchuk and Tommy Estlund are honored to have as our guest, Ellie Nelson. Ellie has been married for ten years and is a mother of two children. Her family also has two dogs, two cats, and a lizard. She has her BFA in printmaking and painting and her BSN (psych certified). She was born in Cedar Rapids, IA and she has lived in Kansas City, MO and currently lives in Denver, CO.

Important notes from Ellie: in the casual style of the interview, I left out a lot of teaching. I worry about that. I want to ensure that those that require help get the assistance they need. Obviously, I can’t cover every topic but these are the most important things I’d like to get across;

1) If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health concern, PLEASE reach out for help. It’s available. In the event of a crisis, call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). In addition, the National Alliance on Mental Illness has excellent information available and can be accessed at nami.org. Please take mental health seriously; ask questions, validate feelings and, most importantly, take action.

2) If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know you are not alone. You are not stupid or incapable or unworthy of being treated with respect. When you are ready to get out, there are people that can and will help you. It is not easy and it may get worse before it gets better. But, this doesn’t have to be a secret. Absolutely no one has a right to hurt you, let alone someone that claims to love you. A good starting point is thehotline.org or call 1−800−799−7233 (please be careful). In addition, for me personally, the book Why Does He Do That; Inside the Mind of Angry and Aggressive Men by Lundy Bancroft was particularly helpful and eye-opening.

3) Please take care of yourselves and love on those around you. Sometimes simply asking a question can be life-saving. Be bold. Don’t hesitate. It can be scary. But, realistically, even if you have an inaccurate perception, the person you ask will hear your love and concern.

The Curiosity Hour Podcast is hosted and produced by Dan Sterenchuk and Tommy Estlund.

Please join our Facebook Group, The Curiosity Hour Podcast, to continue the discussion about this episode online: www.facebook.com/groups/thecuriosityhourpodcast/

If you have any guest suggestions, comments, or feedback, please email us at [email protected].

Disclaimers: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are solely those of the guest(s). These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of The Curiosity Hour Podcast. This podcast may contain explicit language.

Notes:

The brief music at the beginning and end of the podcast is the track, "Trail" on the album "Trail EP" by Nobara Hayakawa. We are using under creative commons license. The artist/publisher does not endorse or approve any of the content of this podcast.

freemusicarchive.org/music/Nobara_Hayakawa/