Mental Illness and Me

Halcyon discusses her battle with skin picking disorder, a Body Focused Repetitive Behavior (BFRB). This is an area of mental health that doesn’t often get discussed, and Halcyon addresses it with poise and courage.

Sound editor Daniel Sowards and host Katie Houston Davies discuss why the holidays take a toll on mental health in this bonus Thanksgiving episode.

For our season finale, my two younger sisters join the show to talk about having a relationship with someone with OCD and what they’ve learned through that experience. Daniel Sowards guest hosts.

On this episode, I share my story. I’ve struggled with OCD my entire life, though I didn’t receive and official diagnosis until I was a young adult. I’ve primarily dealt with a form of OCD called scrupulosity that often distorts religious beliefs. I am still an active Christian. I am not a therapist, nor have I formally studied mental illness. What I share comes from my personal experiences in therapy and living with the illness. Daniel Sowards guest interviews this episode.

Daniel is the other half of the two person production team for Mental Illness and Me. Daniel shares why mental health is a topic that is important to him and what motivated him to volunteer his time for this podcast. He reflects on episodes that resonated with him during the editing process, and discusses his own experiences with mental health as he moved away from the religious beliefs of his youth and took a different path.

In high school, Andrew had a hard time focusing, unless it was something that sparked his interest. In that case, he would deep dive in to the subject and voraciously read whatever he could find about the subject. When he learned about ADHD in a health class, he recognized himself in the symptoms. This is his story.

As a high school student, Julia suffered from debilitating anxiety. Any form of presentation in front of her peers led to frequent emotional breakdowns, and she struggled with codependency. She began seeing a therapist and learned ways to cope with her anxiety. Now, as a young adult, she had more confidence than ever before and is in a healthy and happy relationship. She shares what has made a difference for her.

Christina started life in the foster care system. Adopted at a young age, she struggled with mental illness as early as elementary school. Over two decades, doctors tried to identify her mental illness and sought the best treatment for her symptoms. After living through a controlling first marriage, Christina finally found answers and appropriate treatment and is now enjoying marriage and motherhood. Listen as she shares her bumpy road to a proper diagnosis.

As early as 5th grade, James suffered from panic attacks and extreme anxiety. He was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and a child and was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder as an adult. On Monday, James describes his gratitude for the advocates in his life, both as a child and as an adult. He also shares how he uses his own experiences to help him in his employment at a treatment center for young adult men transitioning into life on their own. It’s a touching episode that highlights the best in humanity.

Meet Kate. Anxious from a young age, Kate started experiencing panic attacks in high school. When she left home for college, her anxiety intensified and became debilitating. 20-year-old Kate reflects on what she is learning about herself as she navigates life with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and offers advice to teenagers and young adults like her who are beginning their own process of discovery with mental illness.