Speak Out Loud

There are some episodes you record which you just can't wait to produce and release - and this is one of them!  In today's episode, Stacee and Doug interview Caryn Ross (the SassyMama).  Caryn shares her powerful and inspiring story of recovery in her private battle with alcoholism.  With authenticity, vulnerability and humor, Caryn shares about struggles growing up and stresses as a young mother which led  to seeking relief in "Mommy's sippy cup" - her afternoon glass of wine to relax from the pressures of raising two young children and to numb out from the deep loss she was experiencing in her life.  As Caryn shares, her glass of wine expanded into 44 ounces hidden in a Styrofoam cup so that her children and others wouldn't see her growing dependence on alcohol.  Caryn admits to quickly becoming an alcoholic and about the moment of brokenness and crisis which began her recovery journey.  

Regardless of the struggle you are facing, you will connect with Caryn's story and be inspired as she shares of the journey to sobriety, discovering the value of community, re-connecting with her faith, and most of all finding hope and life.

Today Caryn is a well-known member of the Oklahoma City media as the Food and Travel host for News 9 (Central Oklahoma's CBS affiliate) sharing her famous recipes and unique travel experiences from around the world.  As Caryn began her sobriety journey, she unexpectedly won a national cooking competition, was featured on the Rachel Ray show and in Real Simple magazine and began her career in broadcast media.  Caryn is also well known on social media as the SassyMama sharing recipes, encouragement, and the joy of life from her family's adventures.

Caryn not only loves to share her joy of cooking and travel, but she also has a passion for sharing about the risks posed by alcohol, particularly for women, and the hope and freedom she has found living in sobriety.

Learn more about Caryn at https://www.news9.com/story/62326868335003072898effc/caryn-ross

You can find Caryn on Instagram at @carynsassymamaross and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/caryn.ross.9

To find help in a struggle with alcohol, other addiction, or to connect with a recovery group near you, visit HopeisAlive.net, celebraterecovery.com, or AA.org.  Or find help at another recovery program or center near you - help and hope can be experienced!

To learn more about the Speak Out Loud podcast and hosts Stacee and  Doug Goetzinger, visit www.speakoutloud.me.

The Speak Out Lout podcast seeks to bring hope and encouragement to those struggling with mental health and to those who love and support them.

The number of people experiencing anxiety has increased at incredible rates over the last several years.  If you struggle with anxiety - you are not alone.  For those not sharing in this struggle, most likely you have a loved one or close friend either openly or secretly battling this debilitating mental illness.  Each person's experience with anxiety may affect them in unique and personal ways, but for those who struggle, it can be suffocating and can rob you of peace, happiness, hope and the quality of life you desire.  

In this episode, Stacee and Doug revisit the topic of anxiety with LPC Phoebe Barron.  Phoebe is the first 3rd time guest on the Speak Out Podcast!   You can hear our previous episodes with Phoebe at SOL#9 and SOL#15 which focus on the topics of anxiety and trauma.   Phoebe is a practicing therapist and also a seminary professor.  

Phoebe specializes in working with clients struggling with anxiety and the impacts of trauma.  She has a special gift for painting word pictures and helping to describe both the biological and neurological causes of anxiety as well as tools for dealing with its impact.  Throughout this episode Stacee weaves in her experience with this disease, and Doug shares lessons learned and experiences of how to better support a loved one fighting this battle.  

We invite you to listen to discover tools for dealing with your anxiety, compassion for your loved one fighting the battle, and most of all hope that anxiety doesn't have to be a life sentence and that better days are ahead.  

In this episode Phoebe also provides encouragement and guidance for what to do when someone is facing a mental health crisis.  We've been there, and it can be very scary not knowing what to do or where to turn.  If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis, call the new mental health hotline by dialing 988 for help.

Phoebe's private practice is located in Bethany, OK (part of the OKC metro area), and you can find her online at phoebebarron.com and on Instagram @phoebekate.

Learn more about Stacee and Doug and all things Speak Out Loud at www.speakoutloud.me.

Welcome to Season 4 of the Speak Out Loud podcast!  Whether you are a faithful, returning listener or new to the podcast, we are so thankful for you and welcome you in joining us on this journey as we share hope and encouragement for those who struggle with mental illness and for those who love and support them.  That's our story, and as we share our story and invite mental health professionals, friends, guests and hope-givers to join us, our passion is to bring light to the darkness of mental illness so many experience.

As we look ahead, season 4 will feature episodes bringing hope and light to struggles with self-harm and borderline personality disorder.  We'll re-visit some big topics like anxiety, seeking therapy, and tools for prioritizing your mental health.  And you'll hear some incredible stories of recovery, of finding hope when mental illness hits home with your kids, and trusting God even in the darkest of seasons.  

We're so excited to share this season and these episodes and more with you as we've invited hope-givers to join with us to to put courage into (encourage) you, our friends and fellow-journeyers.

In this kick-off episode Stacee and Doug catch listeners up on the last few months of their recovery journey by asking each other 5 questions.   They talk about their favorite days of the summer, buying into the Top Gun Maverick hype, getting swept up into the pickleball craze, inspirational podcasts, bouts with Covid, and Stacee authentically shares about the good, the tough and the struggle of her continued mental illness recovery.  Stacee and Doug conclude the episode by both sharing where they are finding and experiencing hope right now.

Check out our new website, www.speakoutloud.me, to learn more about Stacee and Doug and all the things they are doing through Speak Out Loud.  In addition to the website, you can follow Speak Out Loud on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe/follow/share the podcast on your favorite podcast player!   

You are not alone in your mental health struggle!  Let's experience hope together!

**Friends, please note that this episode was recorded before the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, TX.

Depression and anxiety are on dramatic rise for teenagers and young people.  Pandemic disruption, impacts from being the first "social media generation," sleep deprivation, and higher levels of disconnection from meaningful relationships, on top of the normal emotional and mental challenges of teenage years, are all combining to have devastating effects on today's teens.

Dr. Sam and Krissi Dallas are experienced youth pastors, teachers, and author.  With a heart for teenagers and their families, and with over forty years of combined experience working with youth, Sam and Krissi have witnessed the significant rise in mental health challenges for teens in recent years.  

This episode is the second half of Stacee and Doug's interview with Sam and Krissi.  In this episode, Sam and Krissi share practical steps for teens, parents and youth leaders for improving mental health and also share from their own personal experiences over the last several years of finding resilience and hope in dealing with some significant health challenges.  Change can happen; there is hope even in what can feel hopeless for many families.

We invite you to listen to the first half or the interview with Sam and Krissi in last week's episode and listen to the rest of the conversation in today's episode.  Thank you for joining with us to build a community of hope for those who struggle with mental health and for those who love and support them!

Dr. Sam Dallas (DMin) is the Student Ministry and Family Pastor for Chisholm Summit Community Church in Burleson, TX.   Sam is a professor of student ministry and Christian apologetics.  Learn more about Sam and his work with teenagers @ cscchurch.org.

Krissi Dallas is the author of seven young adult fiction novels, including the Kindle Vella Production Wish Upon a Streaming Star and the  Phantom Island Series.  Find all of Krissi's novels and more information about her at KrissiDallas.com.

**Friends, please note that this episode was recorded before the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, TX.

Depression and anxiety are on dramatic rise for teenagers and young people.  Pandemic disruption, impacts from being the first "social media generation," sleep deprivation, and higher levels of disconnection from meaningful relationships, on top of the normal emotional and mental challenges of teenage years, are all combining to have devastating effects on today's teens.  

Dr. Sam and Krissi Dallas are experienced youth pastors, teachers, and author.  With a heart for teenagers and their families, and with over forty years of combined experience working with youth, Sam and Krissi have witnessed the significant rise in mental health challenges for teens in recent years.  In this interview with Stacee and Doug, Sam and Krissi share wisdom, encouragement, practical steps, and hope for teens (and their families) struggling with anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges.  Change can happen; there is hope even in what can feel hopeless for many families.  

We invite you to listen to the first half of this interview with Sam and Krissi and then listen to part two of this interview to be published on June 9.

Dr. Sam Dallas (DMin) is the Student Ministry and Family Pastor for Chisholm Summit Community Church in Burleson, TX.   Sam is a professor of student ministry and Christian apologetics.  Learn more about Sam and his work with teenagers @ cscchurch.org.

Krissi Dallas is the author of seven young adult fiction novels, including the Kindle Vella Production Wish Upon a Streaming Star and the  Phantom Island Series.  Find all of Krissi's novels and more information about her at KrissiDallas.com

Can joy and peace be  experienced while battling depression and anxiety? Can we know God loves us even as we suffer? Has God abandoned or rejected me because I struggle with mental illness?  

In this episode, Stacee and Doug dive into these questions and more as they share a vulnerable and authentic conversation about following Jesus while living with mental illness. God knows your mind and heart intimately - all of the good, the whole and the broken parts. He loves you with all of your pain and struggle, not just in spite of it.  Stacee shares about the challenge of overcoming her past, her pain, and the ongoing impacts of mental illness to know and believe God truly loves her - even on the dark, fearful, and overwhelmingly anxious days.

God's love, joy, peace and hope are not only reserved for when your recovery is finished but are gifts of God to be experienced on the journey.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5) 

In today's episode Stacee and Doug interview two eating disorder specialists and friends, Claire Gish and Dr. Alex Meyers-Ellett.  Claire and Alex share about their experiences in treating eating disorder patients, keys to recovery, the impacts of the pandemic, diet culture and social media and how Claire and Alex are seeing their patients experience hope.  For those battling an eating disorder or other mental health challenge, reaching out for help is crucial to experiencing and living in recovery. Claire challenged Stacee several years ago during Stacee's inpatient eating disorder treatment to "do the hard things" - a challenge Stacee has taken to heart and encourages others that they too can do the hard things it takes to get better.  Recovery is hard, but it's in doing the hard things that we find hope.  Whatever your battle, help is available, and hope can begin by reaching out for help today.

Info About Today's Guests:

Claire Gish is a Registered and Licensed dietitian, as well as a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian and supervisor (CEDRD-S). You can find Claire and her practice in Tulsa, OK and online at www. tastelifenutritiontherapy.com. Find Claire on Instagram @tastelifetulsa.  

Dr. Alex Meyers-Ellett is a licensed professional counselor and college professor at Northeastern Oklahoma State University. You can find Dr. Meyers-Ellett and her practice in Tulsa, OK and online at www.yourhearttherapy.com. Find Alex on Instagram @yourhearttherapy.

Today's podcast is a recording of a message Stacee shared recently at the His Purpose Women's Retreat in Oklahoma City. Your story matters, and surrendered to Him, God can use your story, with all of its hurts and struggles, to communicate His love, grace and hope! Stories inspire us, move us and give us hope even in the darkest times. We connect through our stories - you'll connect to Stacee's story of hope in the midst of pain and lengthy struggle with mental illness, and you'll be encouraged to see how your story can tell about the goodness and greatness of God.  

We all need someone who believes in us, someone who believes our story, our past with all of its hurts and pain, matters. In this episode Stacee and Doug visit with Kelly King a friend and women's ministry leader who believed in Stacee and first opened a door for her to begin sharing her story of God's sustaining love and power in her mental illness recovery journey.  Stacee, Doug and Kelly talk about the video Kelly produced several years earlier highlighting some of Stacee's story called "A Love That Never Let's Go" - a link to the video is below - we invite you to click and watch.  Your story matters; your belief in someone else matters. God can and will use you - your story, your words, your encouragement to bring hope and to shine a light on His love and grace.  

More Info and Resources from Today's Episode:

"A Love That Never Lets Go" video link:  https://speakoutloud.me/media-2

Kelly King is the Manager of Magazines/Devotional Publishing and Women’s Ministry Training for Lifeway Christian Resources. She holds a Master of Theology degree from Gateway Seminary and was previously an adjunct professor at Oklahoma Baptist University while serving as the Women’s Specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma.  She is the author of Ministry to Women: The Essential Guide to Leading Women in the Local Church.  Kelly co-hosts the "Marked" podcast which can be found here: https://women.lifeway.com/blog/podcasts/

Life-change begins by saying "yes" - yes to help, yes to hope, yes to God.  Stacee's life changed when she said "yes" to inpatient treatment at the Laureate Eating Disorders Program where God had waiting a therapist, and now friend, who would change her life.

In this episode Stacee and Doug interview Dr. Crystal Bowlby and share a vulnerable and transparent conversation about Stacee finding hope and the desire to live out of the depths of her life-long battle with anorexia.  

Crystal, Stacee and Doug talk about Stacee's treatment experience, keys to recovery, what family or friends of those struggling with an eating disorder should know, the life-changing impact therapy can make, and finding hope in the midst of the confusion and pain of an eating disorder and mental illness.  Crystal's message to Stacee - "you have suffered enough" were words of hope and inspiration in Stacee's recovery and are now tattooed around her wrist to daily remind her of this life-giving message.

Those who struggle with an eating disorder or with mental illness will connect with Stacee and Crystal's story.  Family and friends of those who struggle will grow in understanding and compassion.  Whether your battle is with an eating disorder or another mental illness diagnosis, you will be encouraged and find hope in this conversation for your unique journey. 

Dr. Crystal Bowlby has a PhD in Clinical Psychology and is certified as an eating disorder specialist through the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals.  She is the lead therapist in the Laureate Adult Eating Disorders program in Tulsa, Ok.  

Visit https://www.saintfrancis.com/laureate/eating-disorders-program/ to learn more about the resources and treatment options provided by the Laureate Eating Disorders Program.

To learn more about eating disorders and resources for treatment and help, visit the Oklahoma Eating Disorders Associations website at www.okeatingdisorders.org.