Stories from the Edge

We want to wish all our veterans a happy Veterans Day, and thank them for their service!

Today, we're turning our focus toward mental health in the military community, particularly among our veterans. We are joined by Spike Garcia of Lone Survivor Foundation and Marcus Farris from Mission 22. These organizations are dedicated to helping out veterans and their families recover from PTSD and other trauma.

We talk about ways to help in the fight against veteran suicide, how people can get involved, and the differences that come into play when treating veterans in the area of mental health.

For more information about these organizations, visit www.mission22.com or www.lonesurvivorfoundation.org.

My guest for Episode 6 is Ashley Talbert, one of my amazing colleagues at Western Governors University. In the episode, we discuss her battles with anxiety and agoraphobia, her passion for breaking the stigma around mental illness, and her work with the Open Minds for Wellness Employee Resource Group at WGU.

We also get to hear about her dream lineup of musicians for her dream concert, find out where she likes to travel, and much more! 

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 1-800-273-8255, or visit www.SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.

Mental health is more important now than ever. Visit www.nami.org to learn more about mental illness.

This week, we welcome Gary Sawyer of Trinity Christian Counseling Services in Lakeland, Fla. Gary was my counselor who helped me find my way again following my suicide attempt and hospitalization in 2016. He also led my wife and I through premarital counseling! We talk about why counseling can be beneficial, the challenges that counselors face, and get Gary's perspective on why a Christian approach can be beneficial to many people. We also talk about his favorite citrus fruit, and where he'd like to travel most!

We hope you enjoyed the first four episodes! We're going to take a break this week while Ryan travels to the midwest to visit some friends and see some college football. We'll be back on Oct. 15 with a brand-new episode. Have a great week!

NOTE: We had a few audio glitches on this episode, so sound quality might not be the best. We'll fix it in upcoming episodes!

Alicia Thompson joins the show to talk about how she overcame issues with depression and abuse, which led to problems with drugs and infidelity, and how she's absolutely rocking it now! She discusses her love for yoga and meditation, and we find out that she is also part of Team No Pineapple on Pizza!

This week we welcome my former work colleague, Colie Cashwell, to the show. Colie talks to us about being diagnosed with ADD, anxiety, and depression - and how he overcame dealing with the deaths of close family and friends when he was in high school. We also chat a little bit about John Candy and Matthew McConaughey, and hear the birds chirping from Colie's backyard. 

In this episode, we talk with my friend Will Tyner about his battles with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. We find out that he's got quite the extensive book and movie collection, and we learn more about how important it is to connect with others.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 1-800-273-8255, or visit www.SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.

Mental health is more important now than ever. Visit www.nami.org to learn more about mental illness.

Welcome to the very first episode of Stories from the Edge! In Episode 1, I tell my story about my battle with depression and anxiety, open up about my time in psychiatric care, and talk to my parents who spent two months living with me while I recovered. 

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 1-800-273-8255, or visit www.SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.

Mental health is more important now than ever. Visit www.nami.org to learn more about mental illness.