The Mental Health Marriage

Sam Tielemans is a marriage and family therapist in the Las Vegas area, and also the host of the podcast "Couples Healing from Pornography Addiction".  Sam speaks with Em about the unique challenges couples face when one has a mental health challenges, and real strategies for reconnecting and building more emotional safety when it may have been eroded. patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriageSupport the show

I continue my conversation with Kimberly Simpkins, author of http://www.simpkinsfamilychronicles.com who is also releasing her own podcast with the same name which you can find on any platform where you listen to podcasts. We also get to talk with Jasmyne, Kimberly's daughter, who is 18 and has a great perspective on her Dad's bipolar, and also her own perspective having ADHD. Check out Jasmyn's book at http://www.jasmynesimpkins.com/#/or "Bad Hair Day" on AmazonSupport the podcast at http://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriageE-mail Em at mentalhealthmarriage@gmail.comSign up for the Mental Health and Marriage conference May 21, 2022 at mentalhealthstrong.comSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Author of the blog Simpkinsfamilychronicles.com, and fellow member of the Mental Health Strong Leadership summit, Kimberly Simpkins shares parts of her 20 year history with her husband Scott, who has Bipolar type one. Kimberly wants others to have the hope and resilience and support that she has found, and feels called to share her story. Look forward to Kimberly's future podcast. Sign up for the next mental health strong virtual conference on (May 21, 2022) at mentalhealthstrong.comSupport this podcast at www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Em here announcing our Mental Health and Marriage Summit for October 2, 2021. Sign up at mentalhealthstrong.com , or email me at mentalhealthmarriage@gmail.com.In this episode, I give you an update on huge life transitions and what that does to everyone's mental health, and how I'm confident we will come out the other side and get back to thriving. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Author of "Whoops, I married a Bipolar" Temple Leffingwell talks with Em about the Pandemic, dealing with our own mental health, and the heartbreak that comes when you do everything you can and you're not seeing results yet. She wants to offer anyone who loves someone with Bipolar sound advice (crisis hotline, stay away from pot, etc), and support.  Don't try to do this alone!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Author of "Whoops, I married a Bipolar", Temple Leffingwell joins Em to talk more about things she wishes she had known in navigating the treatment of Bipolar for her husband of 8 years. This is part 1 of a long conversation about the emotional roller coaster, effects of marijuana on  Bipolar, and building our own resiliency and spiritual foundation. Find Temple's book and audio book at https://awesound.com/whoopsimarriedabipolar/audiobook/whoops-i-married-a-bipolarSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Guest Tara, author of "When Hope Speaks"  talks to us about her 3 year marriage to her husband who suffers from Bipolar disorder. On top of everything they face with mental illness, they dealt with 8 years of infertility before their daughter came to them.  hey also know what it's like to live with the fear that comes for Black Americans, and share their perspective on the systemic racism that exists in our country. https://tarapaynebooks.bigcartel.com/find Em on twitter at @mentalmarriageSupport the show

Erin Ramachadran speaks to us about her book "Mental Health Strong". She uses her experience from 13 years of marriage to her husband who has OCD, Depression, and other mental health conditions, to provide guidance and support for those of us wanting better marriages. There is a statistic that says 80% of marriages where mental health is involved end in divorce. Erin believes that this is because of lack of education and support for these couples, and if we work together we can change this statistic. Her website is www.mentalhealthstrong.com. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

We are all having all kinds of thoughts, therefore feelings happening related to the anxiety of a global pandemic. Having a spouse with a mental health issue can just add more anxiety to the pot. Beth coaches Em through some of those scary thoughts, and we learn how to redirect and replace them with thoughts that serve us, and help us show up in the ways we want to in our marriages and lives in general. If you want to connect with Beth, you can reach her at bethbush@marriedtobipolar.com, and you can always donate to this podcast at patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Not only is Beth Bush is a certified life coach through The Lifecoach School, but she also has been dealing with her own feelings and struggles being married to a man who has Bipolar 2. Hear her story, and the life changing break through's she has had, which she now helps her clients with in her work. You can reach her at marriedtobipolar.com, as well as her e-mail bethbush2@yahoo.com Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

The 2nd half of my conversation with "Ruth", whose husband has gone through bouts of Anxiety and depression, which cause work, marital, and life issues. She shares with us their plan as a couple for his treatment, and her own coping strategies on how to still have a great life and marriage, while dealing with this illness. She mentions the book "How to Survive When they're Depressed" by Anne Sheffield, which we both recommend as a way to reset your mind towards other's mental illness. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Em interviews "Ruth" who has been married to her husband for 15 years. He has dealt with years of anxiety and depression, and she has learned many ways to make it through the tough times and has some great insights to share with us. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Winter is upon us! And for those of us with mental illness, or who have a spouse with anxiety, depression, or any other mental illness, this is a tough time of year. We need to fortify ourselves with every tool in our belt to help us get through this time without becoming depressed ourselves. I share some things that work for me, and I also introduce the new patreon account for the podcast at patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage. You can also find me and friend me on Facebook by searching for Em Kacey, or e-mail me at mentalhealthmarriage@gmail.com.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Guest "S" tells of her 24 year marriage to a man only recently diagnosed as both Bipolar 2, and ADHD. She has been through a lot, including infidelity, financial struggle, having a child who is also Bipolar and all the other ups and downs that this illness brings. She has much life experience to share, and also some hard questions she is asking herself. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Guest "K" shares how loving someone with Bipolar really opened the gate into his own Spiritual Journey. He has found better lenses and tools to view our experiences and make sense of this life. We talk about the power of myth and the Hero's Journey (Joseph Campbell), and discuss a few authors you may want to look up including Richard Rohr, and "The Queen Who Saved Herself" by Fiona J. Purcell. You can also find information about the mankind project at mkpusa,org Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

When we want to hand our mentally ill spouses over to their Doctors or their Therapists and say "Fix Him/Her", we need to understand one thing: It's a slow process. You can't drop them off at the hospital one night and have them come home in a couple days good as new. It takes a long time, often years, to heal, grow, mature, and improve your relationship. Here are my thoughts and some helpful tools from Stephen Covey's Book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" that you can borrow to make a game plan for improving your self and your relationship, and as a result, CHANGE THE WORLD! :) Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Meet special guest Michelle: she has been married to her High School sweet heart for over 20 years, has two boys, and yet only in the past 2 years has her husband been diagnosed with Bipolar 2. We discuss how she took a pretty much broken marriage, and turned it around (with lots of help of course) into something stronger than ever. The goal for all of us is to find ways to be SECURE, even if circumstances in our lives are not STABLE. This is possible, and there is always hope and healing to be had. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

"GET A GENE SITE TEST" and other great advice from the author of the book "Whoops, I Married a Bipolar". Temple shares her story with Em and they discuss deeper things like the spiritual roots of mental illness, and how to heal your own pain and "stay in your lane". Check out more about what Temple has to offer at templesworld.org and enjoy all the great insights this interview has to offer. Or send Em a message at mentalhealthmarriage@gmail.com Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Where is the balance between wanting a better life, and appreciating all the good things that you do actually have? This is something I struggle and wrestle with constantly, and maybe it's the pendulum of these two conflicting ideals that ultimately leads to both balance, and growth in our lives. But as with everything else, mental illness makes it just a little more difficult! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Dealing with a mental illness for the first time, or over the span of a long relationship can leave it's scars. Sometimes we wonder if our mentally ill spouse is even capable of loving us, or of being in a relationship at all. But re framing the whole idea of what it even means to be "in love" have helped me tremendously to get back those old lovey feelings I used to have when we first started out. We will look into where feelings of love come from, and what unconditional love actually is. Things can and do get better, and you can feel love for your partner again! Support the show

In this interview, we hear from "L" who is the wife of a man diagnosed as on the Bipolar spectrum, whose biggest struggle has been severe bouts of depression that have led to a suicide attempt and hospitalizations. How do you come back from that? Well, you can, and people do, and L shares things from "what not to say to someone whose spouse is really struggling" to how this experience has expanded her heart and empathy and ability to love. If you are looking to be uplifted and inspired, look no further. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Interview with "T" who is the spouse of a man recently diagnosed with Bipolar two, whose symptoms are mostly obsessive behaviors and irritability. We talk about how she deals with this, the struggles of sometimes parenting alone, her own struggles with postpartum  depression, and some delightful coping strategies as well. We also cover ways to help your kids as they develop into young adults with the potential of these genetic factors leaning towards bipolar disorder. It's always so interesting to see the similarities in those who struggle with mental illness, and it's great to have conversations like this one, to know, we are not alone! She mentions the book "Educated" by Tara Westover if anyone is interested in checking that out. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Are you dying to hear those words, and believe them? With so many situations out of your control with the mental health issues of your partner, you sometimes, or even all the time, just need someone to give you a giant hug, and tell you that it's going to be OK. Well I want to do this for you, but more importantly, you need to do it for yourself. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Feeling helpless? Powerless? Desperate? You are not alone, and the host will share with you some helpful things you can do to take back your power, own your own happiness, and take steps to creating a more stable life for yourself and your family. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Hear a heart warming and hopeful interview with a couple who have been through the ups and downs of mental illness for 11 years. Even though there will still be struggles ahead, this couple has really learned to communicate, simplify, and hang on to their love and loyalty for each other. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

What does all the bad stuff that happens in this life mean? Well, good news, we get to decide. And let's decide to put our struggles and pains to good use. CORRECTION: I brought up Gretchen Reuben's four tendencies, and mistakingly called her Elizabeth Gilbert. Here is a link to the four tendencies quiz: https://gretchenrubin.com/2015/01/ta-da-the-launch-of-my-quiz-on-the-four-tendencies-learn-about-yourself/Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Parenting is not easy, add some mental health problems to the family, and you will inevitably make some parenting mistakes along the way. Em describes some of her mistakes, and some of the things she has learned along the way that have helped her relationship with her daughter. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

Host Em tells what it's like to hit a long awaited good phase after a tough month/year. Thoughts presented about how we can focus on the good, instead of letting the down phases consume all the ups and downs of the mental health marriage. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)

An introduction to the podcast, and your host, Em, as she discusses what it has been like to be married to a man who developed depression and bipolar 2, all while attending graduate school and starting a family. Em shares what she has learned in the process, and offers a general "we're not alone" air hug to those going through something similar. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mentalhealthmarriage)