In this episode of the Speak Out Loud podcast. Stacee and Doug share a vulnerable and powerful conversation with Bret and Anne about their family's journey of navigating a schizophrenia diagnosis for their young adult child.

Bret and Anne share a wealth of experience, compassion and hope for families who may be on a similar mental illness journey with a loved one or friend.

Bret and Anne share honestly about the lengthy process of coming to a clear diagnosis for their son through several years of struggle, signs and symptoms to look for, the challenge of developing a community of compassionate awareness and support, and their journey to their son's improved mental health.

While there is currently no cure for schizophrenia, throughout this conversation you'll hear and be inspired by the hope Bret and Anne and their family have for both the present and the future!

For families walking through a similar journey of schizophrenia or a unique mental illness journey of their own, this episode will encourage you, provide helpful insights and wisdom, and most of all share the gift of hope. Whatever you are facing, better and brighter days can be ahead!

Born of our Stacee's lengthy mental illness struggle, Speak Out Loud's mission is to share hope and encouragement for those who struggle with mental health and for those who love and support them.

Learn more about Speak Out Loud and the resources offered by Stacee and her husband, Doug, at speakoutloud.me.

You can follow Speak Out Loud on Instagram @speakoutloud.me. You can also find free devotional resources offered by Speak Out Loud on the YouVersion Bible app by searching for the Speak Out Loud page.

Stacee's two books, The Boat That Wouldn't Sink and You Are Worth Saving, Letters of Hope from a Desperate Heart are both available on Amazon.

To learn more about inviting Stacee and/or Doug to speak to your group, please connect with us through Speaking tab on the Speak Out Loud website.

Thank you for joining us for this episode and for helping build a community of hope for those who struggle with mental health - let's experience hope together!

On September 3, 2024 Rick Thompson suffered a massive stroke while traveling in Costa Rica. At his wife's urging, a 6 hour cab ride to the nearest hospital saved his life.

Following his stroke, Rick woke up the next morning blind and unable to move the left side of his body. The weeks and months ahead began an incredible journey of ongoing rehabilitation, returning to his role as senior Pastor of Council Road Baptist Church in metro Oklahoma City, and writing about this journey through his new book, Count if Joy: Lessons in Suffering.

Stacee and Doug share this conversation with their long-time pastor of how finding joy even through crisis, tremendous life change, and suffering is possible.

You can find Count it Joy and other books and resources from Rick at pastorrickthompson.com. Count it Joy can also be found in kindle format on Amazon at https://a.co/d/3aLIn4o

and also as an audio book on Audible.

The mission of Speak Out Loud is to share hope and encouragement for those struggling with mental health and for those who love and support them.

Learn more about Stacee and Doug and their family's mental illness journey and also access the library of resources offered by Speak Out Loud at www.speakoutloud.me.

We are so pleased to share this episode as Stacee interviews friend of Speak Out Loud, Brittany Tinsley, to talk about her new book coming out this fall - Stories Our Scars Tell: Hope, Healing, and Honesty about the Wounds We Carry.Stacee and Brittany share an honest an vulnerable conversation about their shared experience of struggling with self-harm and how they have found hope and live day to day in recovery. As Brittany shares, "to be healed is simply to live a life fully felt - not perfect and not pain-free, but beautiful anyway." Stacee and Brittany know the pain and struggle of self-harm and their conversation is an honest, transparent and hopeful resource of hope for others who struggle and for those who care for those struggling with self-harm.Brittany is a writer and speaker who shares her story of self-injury to offer hope to others. In addition to her new book, Brittany recently co-authored a chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury. Her work has also been featured by a variety of non-profits and publications, including Huffpost, To Write Love on Her Arms, and Fathom Magazine. You can pre-order Stories Our Scars Tell on Amazon at https://a.co/d/dzfeuwJLearn more about Brittany and subscribe to her Substack site, Braver on Paper, at https://www.brittanytinsley.com/ You can follow Brittany on Instagram at @brittanytinsleywrites.Learn more about Speak Out Loud and Stacee's mission to share hope for those who struggle with mental health at www.speakoutloud.me.You can follow Stacee and Speak Out Loud on social media @speakoutloud.me

We are so pleased to share this episode with our new friends, Pam Kanaly and Mel Hiett of Arise Single Moms! Born out of her own experience as a single mother, Pam founded Arise Single Moms over 20 years ago in Oklahoma and their influence has spread across the United States. After a career in youth ministry, Mel serves with Pam as the Project Development Director for Arise.

Born out of their personal journeys as single mothers and also out of their years of experience, Pam and Mel in this episode share the 5 things single moms must know.

The stresses of single parenthood can be extreme and can impact mental health for both moms and their kids. Pam and Mel share resources to both support mental health and to also help single moms navigate the unique challenges they face.

Arise Single Moms offers support groups in multiple states, virtual connections and resources, opportunities for connection and community and so much more. Learn more about all the resources Arise Single Moms has to offer at https://www.arisesinglemoms.com/.

You can also check out their library of topics and content available on the Arise Single Momcast via their website or on your favorite podcast platform.

Check out Stacee and Doug's interviews with the Arise Single Momcast - May 9 2025 episode titled "Suffering Well - A True Story of Faith and Mental Illness" and their June 27, 2025 episode titled "When Mental Illness Hits Home."

Learn more about Stacee and Doug and the resources offered by Speak Out Loud at speakoutloud.me.

The mission of Speak Out Loud is to share hope and encouragement for those who struggle with mental health and for those who love and support the. Let's experience hope together!

It's no secret teenagers today are facing a mental health crisis. Anxiety, depression, self-harming behaviors and other difficult mental health challenges are now part of the minefield tweens and teens and their parents have to navigate almost daily in the teenage experience.We are so grateful for long-time friend Amanda Wright and her daughter, Kinzley, joining us today to talk about these mental health challenges for teen girls often brought on by experiencing adolescence in the world of social media, smart phones and constant connectedness. Amanda shares great insights and encouragement for parents of teens, and Kinzley brings her unique perspective as a middle schooler encountering these challenges. Amanda and Kinzley's depth, wisdom and most of all hope for tweens and teens and their parents will encourage you and your family. This episode is for parents, teens and anyone who cares about teenagers and helping them navigate these years that are filled with epidemic levels of anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges for so many young women. Speak Out Loud is committed to sharing hope and encouragement for those who struggle with mental health and for those who love and support them. Through the Speak Out Loud platform, Stacee and her husband, Doug, share out of the middle of Stacee's lengthy mental illness recovery journey through numerous platforms - including our new Youtube platform - subscribe to the Speak Out Loud channel today @speakoutloudme .To hear more of Amanda's incredible story shared on the Messy Table podcast, click the link below or search for episode 129 on the Messy Table podcast on your favorite podcast platform.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-129-amanda-wright-unplanned-mercies/id1210604687?i=1000586273400Amanda also shared this beautiful reading of 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 from the Message translation - we hope you are encouraged by this like we were:"So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, MSG)To learn more about the resources offered by Speak Out Loud, please visit speakoutloud.me.You can also follow Speak Out Loud on social media @speakoutloud.me.You can purchase Stacee's books at the following links below:The Boat that Wouldn't Sink: A Memoir https://a.co/d/9eY2WXgYou Are Worth Saving, Letters of Hope from a Desperate Heart https://a.co/d/b7KKNDICheck out Speak Out Loud's free devotional resource on the YouVersion Bible App titled "Hope for those Struggling with Mental Health." We invite you to follow Speak Out Loud - let's experience hope together!

In April of 2025, we launched the Speak Out Loud YouTube Channel, and as part of introducing ourself to a new audience on this platform, we've gone back to share our story and the story of Speak Out Loud.

We are not therapists of doctors, but we do feel like we are experts in authentically sharing our story and the hard-learned lessons of living many years in the ups and downs of our mental illness recovery journey.

This episode is part 2 of our story, picking up with the mental health crisis that changed the trajectory of our lives and has shaped much of our years since then.

In this episode, we share about our first experience with a mental hospital, the early seasons of outpatient treatment and seasons of what felt at best like "treading water." Stacee shares the transformational conversation and story which led to her 4 month inpatient treatment program for anorexia at the Laureate Eating Disorder program. This conversation also became the title of her first book, You Are Worth Saving.

We share lessons learned such as recovery is not linear, denial is the opposite of hope, and resilience is the master skill.

We also share about the founding of Speak Out Loud and how Speak Out Loud has continued to expand its platform to share hope with wider audiences around the world.

As you listen to our story, we think you may find pieces of your own, and our purpose is for you to know you are not alone in your or your loved one's mental illness struggle.

Psalm 118:17 says, "I will not die but live and will proclaim what the Lord has done." This is Stacee's life verse and the heart of Speak Out Loud. Let's experience hope together!

To find out more about Stacee and Doug and Speak Out Loud, please visit www.speakoutloud.me.

We invite you to visit and subscribe to our new YouTube Channel which can be found @speakoutloudme.

Follow Stacee and Speak Out Loud on both Instagram and Facebook @speakoutloud.me

Other resources offered by Speak Out Loud:

Find both of Stacee's books, You Are Worth Saving and The Boat that Wouldn't Sink on Amazon.

You can access our free 5-day devotional series in the YouVersion Bible app by searching in the app for the Bible Plan titled "Hope for those Struggling with Mental Health."

Thanks everyone for listening today!

In April of 2025, we launched the Speak Out Loud YouTube Channel, and as part of introducing ourself to a new audience on this platform, we've gone back to share our story and the story of Speak Out Loud.

We are not therapists of doctors, but we do feel like we are experts in authentically sharing our story and the hard-learned lessons of living many years in the ups and downs of our mental illness recovery journey.

In this episode, we go back and share again about the beginnings of Stacee's mental illness journey, how we came together as a couple in college, the many mistakes we've made along the way, and what led to a mental health crisis through which God thankfully rescued Stacee's life.

As you listen to our story, we think you may find pieces of your own, and our purpose is for you to know you are not alone in your or your loved one's mental illness struggle.

Psalm 118:17 says, "I will not die but live and will proclaim what the Lord has done." This is Stacee's life verse and the heart of Speak Out Loud. Let's experience hope together!

We wrap up today's episode by sharing the crisis events which we look back and realize were the beginning of our recovery journey. Next week's episode will share part 2 of our story and how that recovery journey has played out and led to the creation of Speak Out Loud.

To find out more about Stacee and Doug and Speak Out Loud, please visit www.speakoutloud.me.

We invite you to visit and subscribe to our new YouTube Channel which can be found @speakoutloudme.

Follow Stacee and Speak Out Loud on both Instagram and Facebook @speakoutloud.me

Other resources offered by Speak Out Loud:

Find both of Stacee's books, You Are Worth Saving and The Boat that Wouldn't Sink on Amazon.

You can access our free 5-day devotional series in the YouVersion Bible app by searching in the app for the Bible Plan titled "Hope for those Struggling with Mental Health."

Thanks everyone for listening today!

As part of the National Eating Disorders Awareness week (February 24-March 2), Stacee and Doug interview Rebel Buersmeyer, LMFT, therapist and current President of the Oklahoma Eating Disorders Association.

Eating Disorders are complex illnesses impacting over 28 million Americans and their families during the course of their lifetime. Eating disorders have the 2nd highest mortality rate of mental health conditions and affect people regardless of gender, race, body-style, age, or socio-economic background.

In this personal and vulnerable conversation, Rebel shares information, insights and guidance for those struggling or wondering if they are struggling with an eating disorder. For those battling eating disorders and/or disordered eating, Rebel's knowledge and insights provide both help and hope that recovery is possible!

Stacee transparently shares from her personal and ongoing anorexia recovery journey, connecting with listeners in the struggle and sharing about the hard and authentic work that can strengthen recovery.

Doug is also able to share some hard-learned lessons as the spouse of someone diagnosed with an eating disorder - if you love someone struggling with an eating disorder, this episode is an opportunity to grow your understanding, empathy and support for your loved one's battle.

Speak Out Loud exists to share hope and encouragement for those struggling with mental illness and for those who love and support them. There is hope for the eating disorder journey - we invite you to listen and join us in experiencing hope together!

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

• To access the Eating Disorder screening tool which Rebel mentions in this episode, please visit: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/screening-tool/

• To learn more about Eating Disorders and resources for finding help in Oklahoma, please visit the Oklahoma Eating Disorders Association website at https://www.okeatingdisorders.org/

• To learn more about or to contact Rebel and her practice, Family Solutions Counseling, located in Central Oklahoma please visit https://familysolutionsok.com/about/rebel-buersmeyer/

Resources from Speak Out Loud:

• You can learn more about Stacee and Doug and Speak Out Loud at www.speakoutloud.me

• Follow Stacee and Speak Out Loud on Instagram and Facebook @speakoutloud.me

• Order Stacee's latest book, The Boat That Wouldn't Sink on Amazon: https://a.co/d/cdhvMb6

• You can access Stacee and Doug's free 5-day devotional resource, "Hope for those Struggling with Mental Health," on the YouVersion Bible App at http://bible.com/r/AC8