Chatter Box Radio
Hello beautiful friends! We are a podcast made up with various guests, such as: therapists, life and health coaches, parents, authors, teens, teachers, trainers, etc - who tell their personal stories of how their "ashes turned to beauty". You’ll unravel -wild- untold tales from normal people, just like you and me. Each episode shares the hardships and then gives hope by sharing the miracles that came from it. We are REAL - open and honest about what we’ve been through and want to spread hope in the miracles we've experienced, and that are all around us.
Our intention is to help and support the mental health community with our money and our time. We provide free resources for those seeking professional help for a loved one struggling with mental health. We offer meditations, stories of encouragement, experience, and resources to help you on your mental health wellness journey. We'd love to hear from you! If you or someone you know would like to share their story, please email: podcast@thechatterboxradio.com or visit us at www.thechatterboxradio.com.
Carrie has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from St. Edwards University and Master Studies emphasis in Latin America and Spanish. Her career in radio began at Clear Channel Radio in 1995 in Austin, Texas.
A professional Voice Over Artist, specializing in Commercial, Animation and Elearning genres. (www.carriefarris.com ) She has voiced for many brands, corporate companies, announcements, schools, radio stations... the list goes on and now to be a voice for the #mentalhealth community!
Master yoga, kickbox and cycle instructor.
Certified Meditation Coach - spiritual and cognitive meditations.
Podcast Host - The Chatter Box Radio Podcast.
Voice Brand - KWVH 94.3
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Disclaimer: Supplements and medical stories have been shared in various episodes. Please contact your physician or medical care provider before taking or adding new medicines or supplements to your normal regime. We are not medical physicians and do not claim any health benefits that are right for you. You are your own advocate. Seek medical help immediately if you or someone you know is suicidal or may have overdosed on alcohol or drugs. When in doubt - pick up the phone and don't hesitate. It's better to be safe. Call 911.
Chatter Box Radio
Health Coach Speaks on Former Tennis Pro Husband's Sudden Psychosis Crisis
Ever found yourself in a tight spot, trying to navigate a loved one through sudden mental health struggles? This episode might resonate with you. Our guest, Keri Gassaway, takes us through an emotional journey of her husband's sudden bout of psychosis. Their story is a testament to the power of compassion, understanding, and patience, especially when mental health comes to the forefront in relationships.
Have you ever felt like a maze runner while seeking quality mental health care? Her husband's experience highlights the very real challenges many face in accessing the right healthcare, particularly when it comes to mental health. We also delve into the impact of the Amen Clinics and the benefits of supplements. But remember, always seek professional help first and be a staunch advocate for your own self-care.
Keri talks about her transition into health coaching and the birth of her own business, Live Well by Keri. www.livewellbykeri.com. Listen as she shares her experiences with creating bespoke diet plans — notably for her daughter grappling with PCOS — and connecting people with the resources they need. Through it all, Keri's story is a reminder of the transformative power of wellness and balance, regardless of the turbulence we encounter. Prepare to be enlightened and inspired by this intimate conversation on mental health, love, wellness, and hope. Thank you, Keri, for your bravery in telling your most personal story on mental health.
For questions and a free health assessment, please contact Keri Gassaway at:
www.livewellbykeri.com
livewellbykeri@gmail.com
www.thechatterboxradio.com
www.carriefarris.com
Thank you for listening to our show! If you are looking for resources on any topic we've discussed, please visit our website: www.thechatterboxradio.com You will find vetted websites and information to help with suicide prevention, domestic abuse, and mental health support.
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KG and CF, another Carrie Carrie, except she spells her name way cooler than me, I've always told her that and I knew for a long time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I'm so happy you're here me too and you've been through a lot as well and I think it was just all about the timing that we needed To get here to this moment. And we've had dinner you know couples dinner. We've talked through a lot of things in the past, and and we could sit here and talk about a whole bunch of different things, because I'm like swirling in my mind.
Speaker 1:Oh, what about this and what about yesterday? Yeah, all that, but I want to go ahead and just ask the hard questions Right now. Dive right in. I'm ready for so, for the mental health Issues that you all have been through. You went through this with your husband, who is also named Carrie. Yes, and. It was a couple of years ago, a year and a half ago.
Speaker 2:It started. It was it started two years ago, in August, so yes, 2021.
Speaker 1:So tell me about the beginning, like I Remember him saying you were sitting in a parking lot, just had dinner and everything was fine, yeah we literally went from one minute of having a Date that was like just such a fun date.
Speaker 2:We had connected well, we were having a lot of fun. He had tried new food that he usually he's not picky, but necessarily he just like, you know, like sushi. But he had been so sweet that night and he was like I know you love sushi, let's go have sushi, you know, and so and he ended up loving it like it was just a great night and, honestly, within like 10 minutes from that parking lot to the drive home, like there was just such a shift in him and he was experiencing some pretty extreme anxiety and Like his, the things he was saying, his gestures like was.
Speaker 1:Was he all of a sudden becoming nervous or shaky? Like what were the signs?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was more just like you know. I mean like I was ready to make out, you know, I'm like Like we were just connected, you know, and he just was like I don't feel right and like just kind of Like from my point of view just felt like kind of like a bummer. I was like what do you mean? Like?
Speaker 2:you were doing like what I don't understand and he was just like I just feel really anxious and like he just couldn't shake it and I had Just being honest from, like my point of view. So he has a personality that is very Detailed. He was, or he still is. I mean, he's just a very regimented like you.
Speaker 1:I can know routine.
Speaker 2:I could know what he's doing, where he's at almost any point of the day, and that's a thing that I love about it. Like it provides so much security for me, like I love that part of his personality and it's it Makes him a very safe person. But for a free-spirited person like me, it could also make me a little Frustrated. You know, I'm like, you know I would want him to, yeah, so in that moment I felt like something like that was happening. I had no idea what was you know about to come. So I was a little like Harsh, I would say I was just like I wasn't tender and like hey, like you know, I'm sorry, like what's going on. I was just kind of like pretty like irritated that.
Speaker 1:This is a fun time and you're just day, you know, still it spoiling this party.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was like I don't. I just don't understand what just happened, you know. So Also, part of the story is that we had had this. We if anyone knows us, knows that we move around a lot. We're always up for like adventures and different things like that. So we had had this great idea because he works all over Texas that we would have. We sold, like our big house and we had two apartments, one in the Dallas area, one in Austin, and we were kind of both going back and forth but it it was creating a little bit of separation, more than we had ever had because, there were days that you know we were not in the same city and because he drives- a lot pharmaceutical sales.
Speaker 2:So we were in that state and for me it didn't affect me. I just I stay pretty busy and I was, honestly, every time I saw him I was like twice as excited to see him because we were having some of the Distance you know, for him that part was a little harder because he, when he was away, he wasn't with his family, so we still have one daughter living at home.
Speaker 2:So I I say all that background to say that in that moment, when all of that's happening, and then I Did not handle it well because I thought it was, you know, just something else. And so then the next day he, he was going back, he was traveling back to Austin and I was staying there, and so that was kind of the progression when it really like started to hit he. He got home and he was by himself for several days and he just began to have like these very intrusive thoughts, just constant. He couldn't shake it and he kept calling me and he's like I just I don't know what's going on, but I can't shake this, you know, and I'm still like I feel like you're just being like obsessive, like just let it just.
Speaker 2:The major man else you know like, I don't like and and this is also me being a not what knowing what's going on. You know, in marriage you have history with people, so you're thinking you know it's other personality traits. And then on top of that we're all busy, right Like. I'm thinking like I can't deal with this right now. I have clients to help or I have, you know, I have things to do and so I was in a space of kind of like Just not responding, well, frustrated frustrated.
Speaker 1:This is never happened before you know, together a long time. He's super fit. Yeah, that's how you met him was. He was a tennis pro.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah well, I've actually known him my whole life Really. He and my sister went to school together and so, like always, knew him and his family.
Speaker 2:But yeah he's always been like and that's something that we had common ground on was just, we've always worked out together like we are. You know, we both were on the same page with like how we ate and like what we wanted to do for our health, and Something again I was so thankful for it was just feeling like this extreme of you know, I'm like I, I don't understand, like what's happening to you.
Speaker 2:So he just really continues to get worse and is Super struggling, reaches out to some friends of ours and Slowly from that point he just began like actually isolating himself from me and would not like answer calls. And because I was unknowingly, I was like kind of like Adding fuel to the fire. Yeah, I was hurting more than I was helping and you know that was my heart.
Speaker 2:I just I truly did not know what was going right. So On one hand, he's telling me some things and on the other hand, he's really shutting me out and he's like confiding more and in some close friends which you know. At the time I felt really hurtful because, as his wife, I just wanted him to talk to me.
Speaker 2:In retrospect I'm super grateful for friends that were there to listen and Just be there for him when I was, you know, not in an understanding space. So fast forward about a week and I'm shipping him like books and sending him like Cards and like words, and just like trying to. I'm finally realizing something's not right. Still a lot of questions, but I'm like well.
Speaker 1:Maybe you're thinking this is more serious than what I thought it was absolutely.
Speaker 2:But at the time I still didn't realize the magnitude of what it was going to be, or that. You know my kind, my shift to kind words weren't gonna change it either. Because even though I made a shift in how I was Caring for him and trying to help, and you know, you know, I mean of course I was like Try this smoothie, or you know, like, yeah, like anything I could think of.
Speaker 1:You know it was like sending him books and like I love you so much in prayer.
Speaker 2:Yes, all the stuff, like I'm like I'm now in the battle to help him and love him through it, even though I still don't really fully understand. But I'm like let's figure it out. And so that was kind of the beginning of us starting the process of so many different types of doctors like which the specialists are really hard to get into quickly, which we needed some like quick answers. But China, like find psychiatrists and your chronologists, because he, he does have thyroid issues, he doesn't have a thyroid at all, so he's on thyroid medication and I had a really like gut instinct that that had a part of it the whole time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but a lot of the like yes, okay, it was definitely the culprit of like why it started, but I couldn't get anyone to listen to me because of the symptoms he was having. They were, they were not connecting the dots, but I just like, I knew it was like a mom's instinct, but but for my spouse, but you, just you know the facts because he had changed his medication right before that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thyroid is affects your pituitary gland and your emotions and your hormones and everything and I had known so when we first started dating he had experienced.
Speaker 2:This is when he found out he had thyroid cancer and he had experienced major social anxiety, which that was my first. I'd never even heard of such a thing, you know.
Speaker 2:I didn't understand then either, but that once he addressed the thyroid cancer, had that removed and got on medication that never came back. He was, he was okay, and so that's why I just but I put two and two together. I'm like I've seen this before in a different way a little bit, but I knew, I Knew that was at least part of the root of it and so All time I mean we went to multiple family physicians er's Tried really hard to get into endocrinologist Finally would get appointments. There was at one point we finally had an appointment with an endocrinologist and he ended up having such an episode that day that he literally I had to take him to the ER. So we couldn't get to our endocrinologist appointment and it was just this like cycle of all these Roadblocks and not feeling heard and people not really like listening.
Speaker 1:I mean at one point.
Speaker 2:One of the doctors said you know what? You just need to think different thoughts. And we were like, yeah, yes, this, if it was that easy. Yeah, that would be amazing, it's surprise it's.
Speaker 1:I can't even think of the word word because surprising just doesn't do it for me. But when Miles was in the hospital, because he was an adult, they could have released him at any time once he was cleared physically. And so we were like you have to give him a psych test. Yeah, you have to, we have to have that. It was so important. And we finally got it. And the guy asked him three questions Did you try to kill yourself? Yes, do you want to right now? No, are you going to? No, okay, you're clear. He's not mentally ill. This is what the hospital said Wow, yeah, yeah, the care.
Speaker 2:And I genuinely don't believe that people, you know, whatever type of physician or if they're in the healthcare realm, I don't believe that they have bad hearts and they don't want to help or that they don't care. I do. I mean, maybe some don't, but I believe that there's so much misinformation, not enough information, just really like such a lack of understanding which I get because, like I said, that's where I was at one point, like I just didn't get it but and you don't even know where to go, there's no, it's like there's no, like, oh, I mean Google, where do you start when this happens? There's no such thing. It's not like saying, like you know what do you do when you break your leg, I mean it's like, yeah, it is all like uncharted territory and it is, the crazy thing is it's so time sensitive and it's so critical to get good help quickly, but it is impossible.
Speaker 2:Like this process went from August to I finally found some help for him. October 15th was when we were able to take him and I don't know if many days more of he would have lived, because it just it was progressively getting so much worse. He was in a state of psychosis and that was induced by how far off his thyroid was, like it was way off which was also some negligence negligence on another physician's part in the way that they changed his medication and didn't tell him.
Speaker 1:Mm. This is, oh, my gosh girl. I can't.
Speaker 2:So just unpacking all those things, living with a lot of guilt myself for not knowing what to do and for not always responding right, but it's incredibly taxing on a caregiver, like it's exhausting, because you care so much and you wanna find the answers and you wanna do the right thing and you're also just literally.
Speaker 2:There were moments I was physically holding him up to walk, like every second of our day was about how do we get him through the next moment, mm-hmm, and I know how you feel. I know you, yeah, and which is really wild to me because, to be honest, during all of that, I tend to have issues sometimes with overthinking things. But you and I had not spoken in a while, which was kind of I mean, we didn't spend a lot of time together, always because of just life and living in different cities, but we had not spoken for a while and I remember starting to think I think she's mad at me, or you know the silly girl thoughts that you have, just that like something different is wrong, and then come to find out you're walking your horrific journey at the same time At the exact same time we're on this.
Speaker 1:It's unreal.
Speaker 2:The path which I don't believe is you know. I mean it's not a no, not at all, and thank goodness I don't even remember how we initially reconnected again, but I think it was through me, ann, probably yeah, because she's the one that let me know. You know what was. You know to a degree, what was going on. She's like, oh, she's going through hard season two and I was like, oh okay, yeah, none of this is about me. I mean you know what you get in your head like.
Speaker 2:You're for real. It's like people are just going through life. And stuff is hard and you got to check on your friends and you got to just not make assumptions and you know, and being in the position that you were in, it's like you're just trying to get through your day.
Speaker 1:You're trying to keep your loved one alive and find answers and you can't think about anything else.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you really can and there's not a lot of outside support there either. Like you're walking a lot of it alone, even emotionally, Like people just don't understand and you're trying to protect your loved one for their dignity and their. My husband is the most hardworking kind, Like just I mean, if there's an example of just like, a good kind, normal human being, he's never raised his voice ever in my present I've never heard him. He's just consistent and solid, and this like amazing person and for the world to see him any different. You know, I never wanted to present him in this light of like, oh, your husband's gone crazy you know, and it's like, although it was.
Speaker 1:It's almost like look, it can happen to anybody, anyone. I mean this man who I've known just everything you're saying, I mean from an outsider looking in he wins the award for like the nicest guy in the world, Just so.
Speaker 2:Loves his family and good man, yeah, Diligent in his health, like diligent in his faith, like absolutely not perfect and he's grown immensely over the course of our marriage, but just generally speaking, like he didn't do anything to get this or deserve this or go through this Like to walk through this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was drugs it was out of the blue.
Speaker 2:Just, you know, we truly believe that there's, you know, absolutely a purpose behind it and that God will use it. And you know certainly he would absolutely never want to suffer through it again. But he's willing to take what he's gone through and try to help and it did, Consequently, actually ended up creating a better marriage and relationship for us, and just we are better people in general for it, because both of us have so much more compassion and just Patience Patience.
Speaker 2:Gratitude, gratitude for everything big and everything small, because you just realize like life can change quick and there's a lot harder things than, like you know, sitting through traffic or something stupid that could, like you know, make you go berserk at one point in your life.
Speaker 1:And you feel so silly for looking back and getting upset over some really minor things. You see things a lot differently, for sure. So, october, what happens? You finally got them somehow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we such a cool God story in that too. And just of course I was. You know, I was doing all the things I could do physically research, like just trying to figure everything out, trying to find doctors, doing all this stuff but I was simultaneously praying, begging God, and I can look back now I have all these prayer notes in my phone and just seeing how, like, how desperate I was and how he did actually come through with answers for us. And I didn't always see it in that very moment, but over time I was in such a space of like I either was afraid. I just was afraid we were going to lose him, like that. It was really so far beyond my capacity to do anything I could barely like keep him alive anymore. And but we had visited some places that I was like. I also was like I cannot leave him here, I cannot leave my loved one here.
Speaker 2:It was terrifying to think that I was going to leave him there and so, but I also knew I couldn't continue this. So I was actually trying. I found a place in California and I was trying to get him out there. So I knew I couldn't get him on a commercial flight and have him last through three hours Like there was no way. So just even through the airport I probably couldn't have gotten him on the plane because he was still like just severe anxiety and these intrusive thoughts. He was weak, he was getting like frail and just it was just really bad. He didn't sleep for almost three months. I mean awake constantly, which was perpetuating.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that makes it worse.
Speaker 2:So I'm at this point of desperation. I think of a friend who I knew had his pilot's license and I'm like I'm going to call him and see if he can get a hold of the plane and get us out there. So, oddly enough, I call him and he happens to work in the same building with a lady who is literally all over or over all of the state of Texas mental health facilities Like she. I can't even describe exactly what her job is, but she knows in detail, like what they're all about and like knows who runs them, like what you know?
Speaker 2:So she, he connects me to her. She buried graciously at 8 pm at night, not during her working hours. Like she calls me and walks me through all this and she's like, do not get him to California. Like I know where you need to take him and it was, it wasn't covered by insurance, so also by the grace of God, like we were able to pay for it. And that's something that's on my heart a lot, because not everybody can, but not there's a lot of people with the same need and not everyone can access that kind of quality care.
Speaker 2:And I know that it saved his life and it was, you know, a full team of seven people, like a social worker, a psychiatrist, you know, just like a nurse practitioner, like just a whole team and this was a manager in Houston and I can't speak highly enough and there you know, for our experience it was amazing and I felt, I mean the minute he went in, the very first night, he was prayed over and loved on and it wasn't even just, like you know, the expertise of the physicians, it was also just the people there and their heart and the way that they cared for him and I finally felt like he was safe.
Speaker 1:You know I've heard a lot of great things about that place.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, it was amazing. And to finally feel like Did it help? You have help, support and that there's actually hope that somebody's actually really going to look at what's going on and help you figure it out and help not just and I am not against using medication as needed or as part of the plan or a tool, like I'm not and we've had to do it but I refuse to just like hand over this once healthy, thriving man and be like just drug him up so he's, you know, still like not coherent but he's not ready to kill himself. You know, I knew there had to be better and deeper answers and I knew I had exhausted all the resources I had and I did. I felt like I was out of space where I couldn't even keep him safe anymore.
Speaker 2:So to just feel like you could safely hand someone over to people that were not going to just dismiss him as a number and shove him in a room and throw out some medicine and be like we did our job, but they really cared and they worked with him and he met friends in there and people who have very, very high level, high functioning people.
Speaker 2:Like the stress in this world, you think people their physician, their professor, their professional athlete they have it all. They're hurting too and they're struggling and they need help and they need answers. There's no person too high and there's no person that's too low, I guess, or like there's just an immense need for this kind of help across the board, like as normal of a person, as you can think, and as like it doesn't discriminate no, not one ounce. So that aspect of it was good too, that he I just I realize now that's such a part of all of our healing and just general health is just connection and connection to the right people and being able to talk and share and like be vulnerable and it's not fun to share with people like the hard things that you're going through, especially to that level.
Speaker 1:I'll never forget one time. It was back in Houston when we were living and we had a friend, and it was the frame where you do the play dates right, and I had suffered through postpartum depression five times. So I knew what it was, I knew how to write it out, I knew how to self-care at that point. And she had come over and I remember she said something to me and I decided to open up to her about it and the first thing she was like I was so shocked at her reaction because it wasn't. Oh, I'm so sorry. You know, I've felt like that before. I wasn't looking for, you know, this big thing, I was just letting her know. Hey, I've been kind of going through this, so if I'm acting, whatever. And she just was like you know, I've never been able to understand people like that. I've never felt that way. I don't know what that is.
Speaker 1:And you know, I have a conversation with my sister about this once and she was telling me that she was feeling like that. I told her just snap out of it and she left. I was like she didn't get it. You know, I have family members that couldn't get out of bed. That were amazing people. It's not a choice. Sometimes we do choose to wallow in our own stuff and stay depressed and go through all the lists and have a party with our, you know, feeling sorry for ourselves, but we need to be able to have people to talk to. And one thing that I'm glad about all of this discussion I'm hoping people if there are, if there is still a person out there, because this was like 20, 18 years ago we didn't have a lot of information, so maybe it'll, you know, open someone's eyes and ears up to maybe not be so insensitive Because for that person to actually admit it out of their mouth to you, to everything they had and trust in you as their friend.
Speaker 2:And to dismiss it just totally invalidates what they're going through. They already feel so much shame anyway. I mean my husband had to work through. I mean, even though it was nothing he could control, he had to work through a lot of shame of, like what you know, just not being able to care for his family and, like you know, having to get help and being in that space and being a man, being provider for his family, that identity that they take on, yeah.
Speaker 2:And that was, you know. That was, you know, really not the first experience in our family with some mental health issues, but I do. I can say that, backing up to when it started, you know, becoming something. That was this, this ongoing message God was trying to get through me or to me.
Speaker 1:Through past experiences. You mean yeah?
Speaker 2:And I've had some friends with you know other people in my family where I too was like I don't know. I mean, I've had hard things and I just like you, just keep going work hard, like just get over it.
Speaker 2:You know, like there's, like you said, there's a place for that, there's a place for responsibility for ourselves and ownership and what we are, you know, supposed to do in life. But there's a big difference in a real illness or suffering, and we would never in a million years tell a diabetic or someone with cancer or like, suck it up. Just you know what's your problem.
Speaker 1:Yeah, kind of, I've never had that.
Speaker 2:Like why can't you just get over your cancer?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Like it is. It is an actual illness. It is an actual like there are many different problems going on. It's not any one thing, I guess, and everybody experiences like there are different types of mental health, I guess.
Speaker 1:In extremities.
Speaker 2:Absolutely so, it's you know.
Speaker 2:But sometimes, yeah, it's like I mean, just get over your chemical balance just or imbalance you know, like that's just kind of an overarching attitude for some reason about mental health, and then the other side of it is just the Hide it, suppress it, like there's shame around it. There, you know, and it's like I Wouldn't feel shamed to say my child has diabetes and we could really use some prayers and I really don't know what I'm doing with this disease to help her. But you know, if you'll have any tips or if anybody can help or if you can lead me in the right direction. Somebody, please help me. You know, but whenever it's Related to mental health, it is like you, you can't announce it, you can't ask for help, you can't I mean Not without some judgment and.
Speaker 2:And a lot of misunderstanding. So that, like then, my heart is not even to to judge the people that feel that way or are judging. It's just to create some awareness and some eye-opening about how you respond to people, like you could even just listen, even if deep down you don't, still don't understand. Just listening can be the most powerful thing for someone that's suffering, like Because, like you said, like they've got all this stuff bottled up and for them to get to, yeah, just open up and share can be a huge part of their healing.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely, you know so, and that's a space that I work on in myself because, you know, having I haven't experienced extreme mental health issues for in my own body, but I have witnessed the destruction and the pain and the hurt and the suffering and other people very dear to me, and I had to learn and grow and figure out how to help and respond and and so anyone can like, wherever somebody's at in that journey like you, you can learn like, you can learn how to do better and you can learn more about it, even if you don't understand it now, and I just it really starts with just listening and just Deciding to have a heart of compassion instead of a heart of Judgment. You know, and yeah yeah, so what?
Speaker 1:how long was he in there? He was in there for seven weeks.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, he got to come home right before Thanksgiving, which was amazing. He was definitely Still not like a hundred percent himself when he came home, like the journey continued for his healing for sure. He, to this day, I mean he still has to do, you know. He knows what he has to do every day to like Manage, you know and to to feel good.
Speaker 2:Nothing, nothing to the extreme at all of what he felt when he was in the thick of it. But there's there's a lot of gratitude for for the healing and for getting you know over the humps. But there's always a little bit of fear there too for both of us to ever go back. You know it's a, so Any little thing that feels off sometimes can be super scary and and you can want to, just you know.
Speaker 1:Go right back there where you are emotionally. It's so fresh.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's pretty, it's, it's an actual trauma. I mean, it's a trauma for sure, and your body doesn't know the difference in in. It happened two years ago to you. Think it's about to happen again right now.
Speaker 2:Yeah and it feels the same and it feels terrifying in different ways for for both of you. But yeah, I mean the the manager clinic helped stabilize him, helped you know a protocol, like he did. I always forget the name of these treatments. He also did some. They're Brain stimulation, I feel like. It's like EMR. I want to say a DM EMDR. Is that the tapping one or no EMDR is?
Speaker 1:the one where they take you. Aaron does this, she's a therapist.
Speaker 1:You have to be a therapist, yes, to be able to do that, and they wouldn't do it with miles, because he was in psychosis, but once he was out of psychosis, they take you through it and it's supposed to be just a game changer. She lost her baby by drowning. Well, when the baby was 18 months old, this therapist and EMDR saved her Aaron's life yeah, by being able to move on and move past it, and so now she's a therapist and actually helps people with that. That's amazing. Is that what you did, or I?
Speaker 2:did I think I think so it. I know that it was. They had like a cap on his skull and had like these. It only gets to like the gray matter, I believe, like it doesn't the stem the brain stimulation. I think it is the EDMR, because of the. The initials that are coming to my mind are too close to that for it to be. I don't feel like something different. But anyway, he that was part of his treatment protocol. Of course they were able to find some medication to help like Stabilize his thoughts and like work, work with that and he's been able to wean down to really low dosage of that. It's not you know, which is amazing, like he had to use what he had to use initially but he was able to to wean down off of that his. We stay very on top of his thyroid now and Really only use very trusted Physicians and resources for that, because it it can be. I don't.
Speaker 2:I don't know if people realize how much a thyroid can really like Wreck your body or make your body feel amazing, like it's yeah, it's like the central control system in the brain so People will kind of look at me funny when I would even say like that that was part of the thing you know, and I was like no, it's, it's very powerful and so Having that's just another thing I would encourage if people just said Get labs, like if you feel off and you know in any way, like just don't hesitate to get labs done and really seek somebody that will look at what's going on, cuz even my mom.
Speaker 1:She's, she's, has a hypothyroidism, and that was one of the reasons why she was in bed for six months. She didn't know, and part of hypothyroidism is depression and so it does.
Speaker 2:It's all connected and people can think oh, I'm just being lazy, or I'm just you know, you know I just why am?
Speaker 2:I depressed yeah, everything's great, you know, physically cannot function in the way that you're meant to, or feel the way that you want to feel, if those systems are not intact. And so I, I just the idea, or if you're depressed or something. There's, there's so many systems in your body that can contribute to all of that. And can you know, like you know all this with even just like what you're eating and your gut health, and like there's, there's just so many things you can help, absolutely enzymes.
Speaker 1:Have you heard of the amen clinics? Yes, yeah, and so someone had told me about that a friend. She took her daughter there. It was great. It's really expensive. They do the brain scans. They can tell you exactly if you have the money in the time, yeah, I would recommend going to do that. It's an. They have debt. They're in Dallas, chicago, la, new York and maybe one other place and and so they have supplements and that's where we tried Probiotics for the brain.
Speaker 1:There's specific probiotics that are made for your brain and for other things you know, like your gut or whatever, and so we did a lot of that. Lions, main mushrooms Amazing. I would recommend going to your doctor and you know what you're already taking. I don't want to recommend anything. You are your own advocate. I am not a medical doctor. However, I do believe in supplements and Researching them. Going to amen clinics, look online, read their blogs. Their blogs are amazing. You'll learn so much and they give you great tips, not just for supplements, but for exercise routine, learning, more information about it. So that's another really great resource.
Speaker 2:Resource yeah, it's funny you mentioned them because we that was actually the first Clinic that we tried Before I sent him to manager I hate to say sent him, because that honestly sounds like like I didn't just dump him off before he went to manager for treatment but he, it was an amazing Tool. He was in such a state that we couldn't even get him past part of the the process of diagnosis and you know like you have to sit still and have some tests done and things, and so his his experience there. He was not in a state to Even get them, have them, help him, get ready to understand how to treat him. That makes sense. Like he was, like he couldn't even Get through all the tests, so he was just at a different level. That said, I have a family member who has suffered from addiction for 10 years now and Been been clean for almost a year, but is currently using a men clinic and Like mind-blowing, helping her really to like, even even though she had been Clean and sober for like nine months, like the addition of this treatment is Addressing so much, like so much deeper than just oh, you know she did your band aid right yeah and really like it's, it's so awesome to watch because she's feeling better she is.
Speaker 2:she doesn't even like to not eat clean anymore, Like it makes her feel bad when she eats bad or like she is so aware now of how she's, you know, feeling and helping her body. And it's really cool because you know addicts hurt their body for a good period of time. You know like they're in a mindset of being okay with essentially hurting their body and then to see them learn how to want to heal their body and to you know, and and then that clinic actually really got her like to a whole other level of well with some treatments they did on her.
Speaker 2:But even just the supplementation and the things that she's putting in her shakes every day and all these things and like working to heal her from the inside out you know I love hearing that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it ended up helping my friend's daughter as well.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, so there are some good resources out there.
Speaker 1:Even though we've talked about there's maybe not enough or it can be challenging to find the right thing but well, and one of the reasons they men clinics we didn't use it is because they're busy girl Like, when you can call on the phone, you can talk to someone right there and they were so great. However, they're like okay, in two months or in three months we got our first opening and I'm sorry I cannot. I need something right now.
Speaker 2:We had waited a month for the appointment and he had progressed so much by the time we got in for the appointment. It was like it was. It was useless at that point for the like I said like that wouldn't be the case for everybody but where he is or where he was with his journey, we weren't able to utilize that at that point. Like he just needed something, so much you know bigger.
Speaker 1:He needed an intervention coming in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean yeah, just kind of. But, that said, I know they work with. It can be something like ADHD, or it's not always just someone who's in a like crisis situation or a major trauma, Like they can work with things that are, you know, maybe not as urgent or like smaller scale, but they're important and they're life changing when somebody can get the right help you know, find it early to before it progresses.
Speaker 1:So how is everything today. How is he? How is he?
Speaker 2:doing he is doing amazing, very healthy. He honestly amazes me. Like I said, when he first came back, like it was, it was he was, he was. He was still a different person than what I had known before Because, too, I mean, he was on more medications at the time and that can just, you know, alter, like your energy level and just they're not the same. No, it was, he was different.
Speaker 2:And so, with time, though, like I mean, he's just so diligent to do the work and there were days where he was so tired and did not want to get out of bed, but he always did and he just kept. He was very driven to get better for us and to just return to feeling more normal and more like himself. So I will say, as he was able to, like take a little less medication and get some of that out of the system and his energy levels would come up, and I mean he's utilized you know testosterone supplements and you know he all types of different supplements that that he uses to just like you know he never misses his green juice. Now, yeah, but yeah, I mean he like he's probably as fit or more fit than he's been in like years. He feels good. Our marriage is amazing.
Speaker 2:And he, I think, if there's like, I think, probably the best change for us, like we are a beneficiary of the change, but just for him, like for so many years, because he was such a I mean, part of his diagnosis was OCD, and so he, it made a lot of sense to realize like, oh, that's, that's his consistency, like you know.
Speaker 2:But he's, he's been able to enjoy life and actually he still is. You know, he's still a routine person, he's still like functions well that way I mean, honestly, I do too. It just was never to an extreme degree, but he, it's so nice to see him like he still works so hard for our family and he, he, you know, takes good care of his body. He's like he keeps our yard in tip top shape, like he does all the things and he's very responsible. But it's been so nice to see him get to like live and enjoy and to be excited for life and not just feel like struggle, struggle, struggle, yes, like I've got to do XYZ and this, all you know. And so, as much as I don't like what he had to suffer through to get to that point, I'm so thankful that he gets to live in that state of being now and I know for sure it's definitely.
Speaker 2:I see that he's much more confident person too, like just he's a quieter person but he would really keep to himself a lot and I've just seen a real like. I think a lot of it comes from the, the compassion and the just wanting to see and care for others that he encounters, and so he's definitely I've seen him be more just connected and vocal and like reaching out to people and and that's that's been a blessing too like that I would have never known could come from, like what we went through.
Speaker 1:But yeah, so yeah, it makes all of you just see how great you you are together and then how easily it can be taken away and it makes you so grateful that you got that back.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and it really just as a as a wife like which I think this is potentially a maybe a chronic problem in America for women to I would never suggest that in a marriage you don't have expectation of each other. Obviously you do and you don't stay in hurtful, toxic situations by any means. But that said it's, it's easy in this age to be a woman who just wants a husband to just provide whatever everybody else has and to just it's almost like they're your little workhorse, you know, it's like just love me the right way and provide all the things I want and take us on these drips and do this and do that. And it's easy to to get in that mode of just expectation of this person as opposed to just really loving that person, and no matter what period, not for what they can give you or provide for you and and consequently, like as as our relationship has healed in that way and we've both. We've both been able to see each other better. He certainly loves me in a way that he didn't before and is very. When you go through hard things like that, you realize that you really you love each other in a deeper way than just a gift, a gift that someone can buy you
Speaker 2:or you know, like I've told him and I've told other people, when I said my vows for better, for worse, I mean, if we're all being honest when we're standing there, we're thinking not too worse.
Speaker 1:Basically for better. You know, like when worse happens.
Speaker 2:I'm not gonna lie. I was like Did I mean that? Like can I, can I really be here for the worst? Can I do it? And the answer is yes, I can and I did, but I Not without question and not without going. This. This wasn't what I wanted, god, this wasn't what I planned. Like this, all of a sudden, everything that was maybe annoying to me about him, I was like I just want him back. I just want this person back. Like when you almost lose someone, you quit having so much expectation of what you wish they would be and you appreciate them for the things that drive you crazy.
Speaker 2:Yeah right, it's like you know what you know and most of the time the things that drive me crazy, or all they stem from the same thing that I Love the most you know, I love the, the consistency and the safety and the security the most, yeah, but also sometimes I'm like, can we not be on the schedule? Because I'm a spontaneous person and you know, so I.
Speaker 2:Think you just have to learn to like. You can't love it on one hand and hate it on the other. You just got to love the person for who they are and how they are and learn to work together.
Speaker 1:And Anyway, I just think that for us it was like we both realized we had more of a treasure in each other than we ever realized before, because yeah, well, I, I believe it's because of who you are, Because you know there are a lot of people that have been in that same situation and they leave because there's no hope and maybe there's a lack of they, and you use. You had hope in the Lord, you had faith that it was gonna work out, because it wasn't looking good. No, and you know, without the right help, people stay in that mindset for the rest of their life. Yeah, unfortunately, and with hope and your perseverance, I mean that's why, and God renewed it, renewed the marriage, all of it. I'm so happy. It's amazing. I'm so proud of you and him and the courage To be able to speak out. And you have your own thing even before all of this. Live well by Kerry Mm-hmm. And you are a health advocate, yogi, meditation girl, like all the things.
Speaker 2:It's really like again there's. There's never coincidences. I think it's so cool how God just works and he works in all these little details. But it's funny you mentioned that because today is actually kind of an official launch day of Me becoming a hundred percent a health coach and like full on Launching my business and no, no other side gigs. This is it.
Speaker 1:This is yeah, this is my, because Kerry is very talented and she's good at a lot of things. Her and I've always she's an instructor, I'm an instructor. She's always taught classes. She's always one-on-one trained people me too so we've always had each other to talk and courage, cry, complain, whatever we need to do. Yeah, and, and it's been a journey and this is just what I expect of you to do. So, if you're looking for a health coach, yeah, is your website. Your website is wwwlivewellbykarycom. Yep, so it's live, live. I Vee by, live well, live well. You did, you say it live well by b?
Speaker 2:y kary k?
Speaker 1:e r I dot com sweet so yeah so when I call you and book your services, what do you offer?
Speaker 2:so I kind of arrange Primarily If somebody wants to work one-on-one with me. It's gonna be a virtual session and it's gonna just honestly include there's nothing I do that's about a, a specific diet or Certainly won't have anything to do with a fad or or anything like that, but just Really like customize one-on-one coaching to get to the root of wherever you're stuck. If you're stuck in a Root of wherever you're stuck, if you're stuck in in Eating habits are just a certain way that you feel, then we'll look at that. If it is the consistency of being able to move your body, then we're gonna address that. If it's, if it's both of those, will do both. But it's Like the big thing for me is like what I'm, I love nutrition, period and food.
Speaker 2:I believe that food can heal the body and I think it's such an important piece of our life, both for our health and for Celebration. But also like nourishment is so much more than what we put in our body and it's eat your medicine. Yeah, it's your whole, it's your whole life. Like, yeah, are your finances out of whack? Are your relationships out of whack? Are you connecting with people? Are you getting sunshine? Like Just all the facets.
Speaker 2:And and I I've been a person. I have been all about wellness since I can remember it's, it's ingrained in me, it's how God made me I. I couldn't continue to ignore it if I wanted to like. It just is there. That said, I Haven't had a perfect Health past or like I've been stuck in places like I am human and I have had spaces where I Felt stuck and that's just so normal. There's not I don't care who is out there on the internet that looks like they are the perfect picture of health like Even if they kind of are now they probably weren't always like. We all are kind of on these journeys of like. Maybe I always do well with eating, but you know, yeah, I really cannot, for whatever reason, I can't get myself, you know, to, to move my body, and so that's kind of what I. I help people dig deep and figure out what's going on and and then customize a plan and be that accountability and that Source of help.
Speaker 2:Sometimes I'm the source of help and I can and I can find the answer. Sometimes it's just I've got you know the connections, whether it's a functional medicine doctor or a thyroid specialist or you know whatever I'm seeing that's going on with somebody then, then sometimes I'm not the answer. You know like we work through what we can work through and then and then I'm going to connect you to the right resources. Yeah and sometimes it's a combination of both.
Speaker 1:So so what's a good email address? Because they could email you and then maybe you Do. You do like a 20-minute free Assessing or consultation. Yeah, so they can.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that way, you know we can kind of both see if it's, if it's, a good fit.
Speaker 2:And you know some people just you know I can, I am capable and and have the expertise to just write out an exact diet plan for you If you just wanted to lose 10 pounds, like I can do that and we could address that absolutely, like weight loss can be part of it, but my goal is to help people make lifelong change that they can implement consistently and not just feel like I'm just doing this diet of deprivation and so, yes, I lost weight, but it's not sustainable and I'm not really happy you know, so my goal is to Make all those things happen and make shifts happen so that People can get to where they feel great and yeah like.
Speaker 2:They look great and they feel happy and joyful and fun and you know not just like look at me, I have rock-hard abs, but the rest of my life sucks, you know?
Speaker 1:Yeah and the other thing is In training people for so many years, like you and I both have People think that it's the answer to happiness, literally, yeah, like they get so excited because they know in two months that they're gonna be feeling good and they're gonna be down Some way, feel stronger, and it's true and you are. But just because you reach that goal, that's not.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's a piece of the, it's just a small piece, yeah, but it's super important to to look at all those pieces and that's when I feel like Certainly there's an education piece there for me, but there's also just that is God's gift to me to use to help other people Dig deep and figure it out and get some answers for what's going on. And and that's not, like I said, disclaimer I'm not a doctor either and I don't have all the answers I do. I mean I just customized a eating plan for my daughter who suffers from PCOS and it totally helps it. I mean it radically changes like how she feels and how her body responds, and so there's definitely things like that I can do, but it's just not a like here's a four week diet and you're gonna have your ultimate body in four weeks and you know it's just a bit of a deeper dive.
Speaker 1:So yeah, and you can be that calm and accountability person Everybody needs that. Yeah, so I'll put all of this information in the show notes. Yeah, what is your?
Speaker 2:email is also live Well by Carrie mm-hmm at gmailcom. Okay, so, um, yeah, sweet, so pretty simple. And then my Instagram handle is live well by Carrie, so you can find me there too, and I'm just watching some stuff today and you are.
Speaker 1:It's gonna be amazing. Yeah, if you do it, I know it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's been a journey. I've started and stopped many times, and that's that's another part of my message. Is you just got to keep going? Just keep doing yeah and you're gonna have you know obstacles and and seasons that Could potentially stop you, but yeah, when you're meant to do something, you just got to do it, that's right, all right.
Speaker 1:Well, I can't wait to have you back on here and we can talk some hell stuff. Yeah, there's so much to talk about.
Speaker 2:You're one of my inspirations and I have people. That Gives me the courage to do what I'm supposed to do. I love that. Yeah, thank you for that.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you, you know, you're awesome.
Speaker 2:You've always been like so fit, so yeah, it's always inspiring. I love you.
Speaker 1:I mean you can have five kids.
Speaker 2:If someone can have five kids and look like this, I'm gonna listen but you're also joyful, Ah even through your pain.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah joy the Lord.
Speaker 2:That's what we hang on to sometimes Don't we and I get to interview Carrie your husband's probably sometime in August, so yeah, yeah, well, thanks so much for coming. Thank you.
Speaker 1:All right. Well, we'll see you again next time.
