In this episode, Hannah and I discuss seven helpful tips that we have both found to be helpful in our walks dealing with depression and anxiety. Just to reiterate from last episodes, we are NOT experts on these issues and we are only sharing from our own personal experiences. If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, anxiety, or any other mental health issue, please consult your doctor and/or counselor. We hope these tips help you in your lives when dealing with depression and anxiety and that you can use these tools to care for the ones you know who go through this. 

This is our first series on the show, and we are talking about the very important topic of mental health. My good friend, Hannah, joins me for the series and we discuss our experiences with depression and anxiety. Hannah discusses dealing with depression from an early age and throughout her whole life. Some people experience anxiety and depression simultaneously, while others do not. Hannah is one of those people and she shares what it has been like tackling both kinds of pain. I also share my experience of dealing with depression and how it looks in my daily life. We don't share our stories to make others compare, we share them because we hope that someone is able to relate to either of our stories and to know that they are not alone. If you are someone who has mental health issues, please know that however it looks for you is legitimate and this is not a "one size fits all" thing. We encourage you to speak with a counselor and find the best course of action for your health. We are not experts in this area and can only speak to our own experiences. We hope us sharing will bring you hope to know that though these pains are horrible, you are not alone in them, and there is help out there.

Lots of topics are discussed in this episode including dating, marriage, parenting, ministry, and giving your life away. Bryan and Hillary are not only two great friends of mine, but two mentors that I look up to immensely. They share their story of dating and how God kept them together when reality kept telling them they shouldn't have made it. They discuss getting married and having their baby girl, Caroline. Bryan works in full-time ministry as the Area Director for Young Life in Indiana County, PA and him and Hillary discuss what it's like to do ministry in Indiana. They are passionate about giving their lives away for the Gospel and we discuss why that it is so important to do as followers of Christ. When we lose our life for Jesus and the Gospel, we truly find it. Bryan and Hillary have found that to be true in their lives and have come to know joy in Him. While following Jesus and doing ministry is incredibly hard and not always fun, Bryan and Hillary assure us that it is 100% worth it. These guys are rock stars and you will want to have a notepad beside you when you listen because they spit some truth at us. I love them so much and hope you enjoy our conversation!

My sister-in-law joins me for episode 8 and we discuss her story of growing up in a small town and enlisting in the Army right out of high school. She walks me through the process of joining the Army and working as an active duty water craft operator. She discusses the many times in her life where she thought she had her future plans figured out, but they didn't end up panning out the way she'd hope (relatable much?). Hannah is an extremely hard-working, strong woman and you will feel empowered by just listening to her! She made it through some of the hardest training out there and proved to all those who doubted her that she could do what she set out to do. You will be encouraged by her desire to serve her country, how great of a role model she is, and her drive to achieve her goals and chase her dreams no matter how many obstacles stand in her way.

Lastly, you will hear us talk about gender discrimination and sexual assault in the military and how the military is addressing these issues. While they have come a long way, there is still work to be done. These topics are painful and if you would like to skip over the discussion on the issue of assault, it occurs from 33:45 to 37:20. 

I know you will be inspired by Hannah. I hope you enjoy our conversation!