AP 020: Becki and Kyle Jones || Fighting Mental Illness, Together

03/22/17 • 67 min

"This isn't something you chose. This is a disease your body has."

Kyle is a physician in Utah who is very open about his long history with anxiety and depression. These bouts started as a teen and came and went with intensity throughout his 14 year marriage to Becki, who has also dealt with circumstantial depression while they were in the stressful years of medical school.

Kyle speaks from both a doctor and patient's point of view, having the physiological know-how about what is happening with the brain when someone is under the grasps of depression/anxiety; but he also has intimate knowledge with what it feels like to be on the other side of the stethoscope. He does his best to empower both his patients who struggle with mental illness, but also with his fellow physicians, who carry even greater stigmas as a result of them trying to live up to their "superman" role.

Kyle and Becki both share how depression/anxiety can be so interwoven with guilt, shame, and perfectionism. Becki declares herself as a "non-perfectionist," so she lends a unique voice to this discussion for those like her, as loved ones who struggle to better support their partners in the trenches with mental illness. Becki especially highlights the importance of the supporter not getting sucked in so much that they can no longer care for themselves, in addition to their loved one.

This wonderful couple talks about how they dealt with their bouts both separately (which was wise, at times), together, and how they are in turn helping others. Kyle shares some of the important science behind mental illness, the importance of coupling both medication and cognitive therapy, and how depression/anxiety can display itself physiologically, or emotionally with feelings of sadness, anxiousness, or even anger. Oh, and you'll want to hear what Becki and Kyle's biggest tip is for couples.

Show Notes

Kyle's website and Twitter account

Kyle's article that he talked about

Monica's Instagram, Facebook, and Contact page

More on "Do Something" here and here (includes a short podcast episode that explains the series)

More episodes from the podcast

Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife's website if you're still considering her courses! (And her interview)

Song Credit: "Sweet Promise" by Nicolai Heidlas

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"This isn't something you chose. This is a disease your body has."

Show Notes

Kyle's website and Twitter account

Kyle's article that he talked about

Monica's Instagram, Facebook, and Contact page

More on "Do Something" here and here (includes a short podcast episode that explains the series)

More episodes from the podcast

Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife's website if you're still considering her courses! (And her interview)

Song Credit: "Sweet Promise" by Nicolai Heidlas

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Previous Episode

AP 019: Matt Davis || Speaking Up Against Stigmas

"Consider yourself a failure, and consider yourself in very good company [of people] who have done the same. But the difference between them and everyone else is that they learned from that failure and kept on going, one foot in front of the other."

Matt calls himself a "regular guy," but I'm telling you he is anything but. What makes him this way for me is his resilience and his refusal to play victim to the long fight he has had with anxiety and depression, as well as the huge trials he and his family have faced.

Matt talks about how for him anxiety started in high school and robbed him of important experiences and even friendships. For a long time, he feared that he would have to live life only minimally, just to get by. Six months after his depression and anxiety forced an early return from his LDS mission, Matt's father took his own life after suffering in silence with the same issues as Matt. This devastating time shifted Matt's mindset about how to deal with mental illness, namely by using the power of speaking up about what we are going through instead allowing stigmas to rule our lives. Matt eventually returned and completed his mission, and he used that experience as a touchstone that he could do more than live minimally, even with his "dragons" to slay.

Now as a successful business and family man, Matt still finds ways to speak up and help others who are going through similar issues. He carries an incredible perspective about doing what is right for him and his family, and he's not afraid to direct his choices accordingly (including within his career). He speaks about how fear of failure drives so much of what we do and how to instead turn that to your benefit, how we can make our "dragons" our friends, how he has learned to be happy even when he is sad, what he did to better focus on his priorities of family over work, and much much more.

I think everyone and their dog should listen to this interview. It's that good.

Within the next few months, Matt is going to launching Steelyard Academy with two other men, focusing on teaching primarily men how to have a balanced life. I will let you know when they have that up and running--I'll be following along, too!

Show Notes

Get in touch with Matt: steelyardacademy @ gmail . com (make sure you remove the spaces)

As soon as Matt's podcast is ready to go, you'll be the first to know!

Monica's Instagram, Facebook, and Contact page

More on "Do Something" here and here (includes a short podcast episode that explains the series)

More episodes from the podcast

Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife's website if you're still considering her courses! (And her interview)

Song Credit: "Sweet Promise" by Nicolai Heidlas

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next Episode

AP 021: The Power of Goals

The past year, I feel as though I have gone through a metamorphosis. The underlying factor? Goals!

I've been an OCD planner and extremely goal-oriented; and I've also gone years without making them. Fear drove both of those phases for me. I've learned better how to use goals without them using me.

In today's podcast, I speak about the power of goals, some stories of progress with my goals this year, and THREE TIPS on how to make your goals work for YOU, rather than the other way around.

This is an informal podcast, and you even get lots of sound effects from my 20 month old who was munching way on crackers, drawing (loudly, somehow), and playing with trains. I hope you enjoy it!

Show Notes