And the Emmy goes to…

When I first started sharing about my journey through mental illness 4 years ago, I never imagined that it would look like this.

My journey “officially” started when I was diagnosed with postpartum depression and anxiety when Charley was 11 months old after dealing with suicidal ideations. Fast forward 2 years and my mental health had sunk even lower... I was sitting in my car ready to end it all, but then I reached out for help.

Kori was a surprise to us, and I lovingly say she was my redemption to motherhood. She taught me how to advocate for my children and myself. I started sharing about the horrors of maternal mental illness. I didn’t have any anxiety or depression after she was born. So… we decided to try one more time.

Little did we know that mere hours after Lenny was born, my nephew would be called home to Jesus. I was beyond shaken and terrified something out of my control would happen to my kids. That coupled with the immense guilt I still carry over having 4 healthy babies ultimately led to a mental state worse than I could ever describe. I had 3-5 panic attacks daily. I could not function normally. This January I was diagnosed with bipolar type 2 disorder. It’s taken months but I’m finally feeling somewhat stable.

During this time, I leaned into my online community and shared more. I was granted opportunity after opportunity to speak about the importance of mental health across various demographics, most notably agriculture.

Imagine my shock, when tonight I received a call from Climate Fieldview informing that my episode was nominated for a Mid America Emmy. While I’m not sure exactly what that means, I do know that I’m so very thankful that I can help shed some of the stigma around mental illness.

If you missed the episode, you can catch it here ->