Early Homecoming: Insights from Missionaries who Returned Early
64 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 months ago - ★★★★★ - 10 ratingsKristen Reber, author of Early Homecoming: A Resource for Early-Returned Missionaries, their Church Leaders, and Family, shares stories and insights from returning home early from her Latter-day Saint mission that provide healing and hope to those experiencing the myriad of emotions that come from an early return. Also included in this podcast are interviews with other missionaries who have returned home early, parents, church leaders, and experts.
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Episodes
061: Josie shares her raw feelings about returning home early due to a difficult adjustment and stress hives
July 23, 2023 06:00 - 49 minutes - 33.9 MBAt the time of this recording, Josie had been home from her mission for only eight months. Her feelings are raw and poignant as she shares the ups and downs of her mission. She struggled adjusting to mission life and would frequently call her mom to connect and feel better (which wasn't allowed). She developed chronic stress hives and frequently felt like she wasn't a successful missionary despite all the service she was doing. Josie eventually decided to go home which was another adjustment...
060: Amanda shares her story of hope and healing after having her leg amputated below the knee after getting hit by a car on her mission
July 09, 2023 06:00 - 39 minutes - 27.1 MBAmanda Evergreen--also known as the One-Footed Phoenix--joined me to share her story of hope and healing after having her leg amputated below the knee after getting hit by a car on her mission. Amanda walks me through her struggles with mental illness on her mission before getting hit by the car, the negative response she received while on her mission when she couldn't continue to work, and then a 3.5 year struggle with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome before the decision to amputate was made....
059: Cody shares his story of healing from narcissistic abuse while on his mission
June 25, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 41.7 MBCody endured bullying in childhood and in his teenage years at school and at church. Despite this, he has a deep love for the gospel and still desired to serve a mission. He served in the south and it was a very difficult mission--not only because he was serving in the Bible belt of America, but because he dealt with narcissistic abuse from many that he worked with. He was sent home after dealing with a lot of gaslighting, fear tactics, and demands of "perfect obedience." Upon returning hom...
058: Edina shares her story of returning home early to help her mom with depression
June 11, 2023 06:00 - 37 minutes - 26 MBEdina lives in Hungary and was 27 years old when she joined the church. Eight years later, at the age of 35, she decided to serve a mission. It was not an easy decision for her, but she chose to do it because of her love and trust in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. After a short time, she returned early because her mother was very depressed. She chose to come home to help her mom. Mental health is not well understood in Hungary (or anywhere, really), and she had a hard time finding suppo...
057: Brady shares his story of returning home early due to anxiety and depression
May 28, 2023 06:00 - 44 minutes - 30.9 MBHaving been born and raised in the church, Brady was excited to serve a mission. He had a bit of anxiety in the beginning as he adjusted to Brazilian culture and the language. After he became a district leader, his anxiety increased quite a bit and depression came along for the ride. It was so confusing and frustrating to sort out what was happening to him. He had a great mission president, but unfortunately some other missionaries said some hurtful and unhelpful things. Upon returning home ...
056: Wallis shares her story of returning home early to her dad declining from ALS after suffering from depression and self-harming on her mission
April 30, 2023 06:00 - 48 minutes - 33.2 MBWallis served for four months in Calgary before coming home due to depression and self-harming. She had an amazing support group--including her companions, mission president, and parents (so if you fit any of these categories and want to know how to help your missionary, this is a GREAT episode for you!), but also came home to a heartbreaking situation with her dad being newly diagnosed with ALS. Wallis walks us through her journey of depression, self-harm, adjusting to her dad's declining s...
055: Haley shares her story of choosing to return home after four weeks due to physical illness
March 26, 2023 06:00 - 36 minutes - 25.5 MBHaley served for a total of four weeks--three in the MTC and one in the field--before choosing to return home early due to physical illness. While she had support at home, Haley still struggled with feelings of shame and loss, as well as anger towards God. In this episode she tells me her story of repairing her relationship with God, owning her decision to come home early, and working through the emotions of an early return. She also talks about how she recognized that returning to the field...
054: Psychologist and Life Coach, Cortland Watson, discusses the psychological and emotional aspects involved in returning home early from a mission
March 05, 2023 07:00 - 57 minutes - 39.2 MBPsychologist and Life Coach, Cortland Watson, joined me on the podcast to discuss many of the psychological and emotional aspects involved in returning home early from a mission. Using personal stories and insights from his life, his career, and his education, Cortland guides the listener through learning more about emotions, identity, expectations, failure, shame, growth vs. fixed mindset, and so much more. He offers strategies for moving forward in life with connection. Cortland also addr...
053: Meg shares her story of deep depression due to hiding her sexuality and experiencing chronic pain
February 26, 2023 07:00 - 38 minutes - 26.4 MBMeg returned home early after three months of service in Fresno, California. She spiraled into a deep depression due to hiding her sexuality and experiencing chronic pain. Her mission president and his wife did the best with the information that they had but left her with trauma because they didn’t understand how to address mental health. In this episode, Meg talks about her journey of self-acceptance, better understanding the Atonement, helping others on their journeys, and the importance o...
052: Nicholas shares his story of returning home early due to trauma caused by abuse from a member
May 01, 2022 06:00 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MBGrowing up in the church, Nicholas never knew if the gospel was for him and he struggled to go to church because of his anxiety and lack of desire. After receiving his patriarchal blessing, and being amazed by the things stated in his blessing, he developed a testimony of the church and decided for himself to serve a mission. He served in Denver, Colorado but soon suffered from pain and verbal abuse, which caused him to suffer from mental health issues. He also suffered some verbal abuse fro...
051: Brandon's story of serving at the Utah Salt Lake Headquarters mission after a short call to a proselyting mission ended
March 04, 2022 00:00 - 1 hour - 41.4 MBBrandon was about to attempt suicide when the thought came to his mind to "Give God one more chance." Brandon decided to act on that thought and prayed mightily. This decision to pause and act on a prompting began his long journey of repenting of past transgressions and resolving his concerns with the church. Brandon wanted to serve a mission, but he wanted to do it right, and make sure all things were resolved before he went and served--both his former transgressions and his faith crisis--w...
050: A chat with author Destiny Yarbro who returned home early twice for physical and mental health reasons, and now helps early-returned missionaries all over the world
January 02, 2022 07:00 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MBDestiny Yarbro returned home early twice. The first time she returned home early from the MTC for physical health reasons. The second time, she went to the mission field and then returned early for mental health reasons. She not only felt like she had failed the Lord upon this second return, but she truly felt like she had committed a transgression (even though she hadn't) because the Lord didn't heal her and so must not want her in the field anymore. Destiny experienced a chronic illness ...
049: Addie shares the many emotional, mental, and physical health trials she experienced on her mission before ultimately being sent home due to COVID-19
December 19, 2021 07:00 - 44 minutes - 30.4 MBAddie had always desired to serve a mission and when her call came, she was excited to go! However, a few months into her mission, she was emotionally abused by her companion and housemates. It was a very isolating experience for her. She also began having some physical health problems due to allergies. And, to top it off, she suffered a lot from OCD as well. Despite these things, Addie did manage to continue on until the COVID-19 pandemic struck and she was sent home along with thousands of...
048: Jackson shares his story of returning from his mission early twice for physical health reasons
December 05, 2021 07:00 - 39 minutes - 27.2 MBIn this episode, Jackson shares his story of returning home early twice. The first time, he served for eight months before physical health problems required that he come home. The second time, he served for seven months (in the same mission) before a different set of physical health struggles struck him and he again needed to return home early. Through all of this, Jackson had an amazing support system who helped him to talk kindly to himself and put things in their proper perspective. He te...
047: Jacob shares his story of returning home early for physical health reasons, dealing with judgement, and ceasing his habit of seeking validation from others.
November 21, 2021 07:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBJacob started his mission journey long before he even got his mission call. Overweight and insecure, Jacob decided to make some changes. He got into body-building and realized it was a way from him to grow and push himself. He decided to apply this new mentality to all areas of his life, including spirituality, and eventually decided to serve a mission. However, as soon as he arrived in his mission, he began experiencing breathing problems, possibly due to the recurrence of a childhood ill...
046: Violet tells her story of returning home early due to depression and anxiety and then serving a service mission in the San Jose area
November 07, 2021 06:00 - 45 minutes - 31.2 MBViolet was born deaf and wears two cochlear implants. She served a mission to Washington D.C. speaking ASL. She came home early due to depression and anxiety after much consideration, prayer, and counseling with her mission president. She later served a service mission in her hometown area of San Jose. She shares with me her strong testimony and faith in God despite her trials (including the depression and anxiety that still plague her). She is a bright beacon of hope for anyone else struggl...
045: Summer shares her story of returning home early from the MTC due to depression and anxiety
October 24, 2021 06:00 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MBAfter a period of inactivity, Summer returned to church and began receiving promptings and dreams about serving a mission. She followed these promptings, but upon entering the MTC she developed terrible anxiety, including panic attacks, and depression. Her mental health became so bad that her physical health began to decline as well. She returned home from the MTC feeling confused and defeated. She soon discovered the reason for her early return though when she was able to help a friend embr...
044: Jake shares his story of growing up with cerebral palsy, becoming inactive, discovering himself as an LGBTQ+ individual, returning to church, serving a mission, and returning home early due to belated confession
August 01, 2021 06:00 - 56 minutes - 38.5 MBJake was born with cerebral palsy and as a result was often excluded from activities as a youth in the church. As a result of this exclusion, and a falling out with a friend, Jake became inactive during his later teen and young adult years. He is part of the LGBTQ+ community and identifies most closely as queer. While he was away from the Church, Jake had a close brush with suicide and felt the Spirit tell him to "come home." Jake contacted the missionaries who helped reignite his testimony ...
044: Jake shares his story of growing up with cerebral palsy, becoming inactive, discovering himself as an LGBTQ+ individual, returning to church, serving a mission, and returning home early due to belated confession
August 01, 2021 06:00 - 56 minutes - 38.5 MBJake was born with cerebral palsy and as a result was often excluded from activities as a youth in the church. As a result of this exclusion, and a falling out with a friend, Jake became inactive during his later teen and young adult years. He is part of the LGBTQ+ community and identifies most closely as queer. While he was away from the Church, Jake had a close brush with suicide and felt the Spirit tell him to "come home." Jake contacted the missionaries who helped reignite his testimony ...
043: Kate returns home early due to emotional and physical abuse from companions
July 18, 2021 06:00 - 53 minutes - 36.9 MBThroughout her childhood, Kate was emotionally and physically abused by her father, and then later by her stepmother. While on her mission, Kate experienced anxiety and undiagnosed ADHD. These mental health struggles were not understood by her companions and they became exasperated with her and abused her emotionally and even physically as well. This re-traumatized Kate and brought up a lot of PTSD. She was given a sedative to calm her, but eventually things came to a head and she decided to...
042: Genisse's story of coming home early due to depression and anxiety and then returning to her mission
July 04, 2021 06:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBGenisse is the first missionary I have spoken with who came home early due to mental health reasons and then returned to her mission. In this episode, she shares with me her journey of choosing to come home and then choosing to return which includes the ups and downs of therapy, moving forward with life during the 16 months she was home, keeping the desire to return to her mission alive, and going through the required process to return. She also shares what it was like to return to a missio...
041: Pascal Friedmann shares his story of returning home early due to severe thyroid dysfunction
June 20, 2021 06:00 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MBIn this episode, Pascal tells me his story about returning home early due to a prolonged illness that started about a month after he arrived in the field. It was misdiagnosed as depression and homesickness, but turned out to be severe thyroid dysfunction. Pascal shares how he was ostracized by many in his ward back home in Germany and how that led to a period of inactivity because he felt like he didn't belong. When he moved to Utah for school, he felt like he was able to start over with the...
040: What is the "rest" of a mission like?
June 06, 2021 06:00 - 1 hour - 60.8 MBThere are so many questions that run through the mind of an early-returned missionary, not least of which is questions along the line of "What is the rest of a mission like? Specifically, what is the rest of a proselyting mission like?" To answer this question, and several others, I have invited five missionaries who completed the expected amount of time on their missions to come on the podcast and answer questions from those who needed to return home early. These are people I've talked to b...
039: JT shares his experience of returning home early due to depression
May 23, 2021 06:00 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MBJT had never experienced depression before his mission. He recalls being bullied in the MTC by his companions for six weeks before finding relief in the field before the depression got worse. He stopped feeling his emotions, had bad insomnia, and eventually suicidal thinking. Upon returning home, he felt like such a failure. He was very confused about what had happened to his mental health as he began to experience panic attacks. He saw a therapist which was helpful and also eventually got i...
038: Richard Ostler, former YSA Bishop, shares what he has learned about helping those who feel marginalized in the Church
May 09, 2021 06:00 - 42 minutes - 29 MBIn this podcast episode, Richard Ostler (host of the podcast Listen, Learn, and Love) shares what he has learned about helping those who feel marginalized in the Church, including early-returned missionaries. Richard has served in multiple leadership positions, including as a YSA bishop for three years. Richard is also the parent of an early-returned missionary (due to COVID and OCD Scrupulosity) and shares his experience of going through that trial with his son. In addition to these things,...
037: Synne returns home early due to perfectionism and self-harming and becomes the first service missionary in Norway and Sweden
April 25, 2021 06:00 - 53 minutes - 36.9 MBIn this episode, Synne shares her story of returning home early from her mission in France due to perfectionism, anxiety, depression, and self-harming. She felt like she had failed Heavenly Father and was devastated. However, because of her desire to continue serving, Synne immediately requested to become a service missionary upon returning home, even though there had never been a service missionary in Norway before. Synne persisted despite this and with the help of her leaders, she became ...
036: Sarah shares her story of experiencing covert abuse from a companion and her dad while also returning home early for physical health reasons
April 11, 2021 06:00 - 47 minutes - 33 MBSarah was sent home during the COVID-19 pandemic because of physical health problems. She begged her mission president to stay, but he was concerned she wouldn't get the help she needed if an emergency happened and so after 15 months in the field, she went home. At the time, she was also experiencing covert abuse from her companion which brought up a PTSD response of abuse she had experienced from her dad. In this episode, she discusses that abuse, the trauma it inflicted, and what she has l...
035: Josie shares her story of coming home early after 15 months due to stress, anxiety, and panic attacks, and going through a faith crisis
March 21, 2021 06:00 - 40 minutes - 28.1 MBIn this episode, Josie shares her story of coming home early after 15 months due to stress, anxiety, and panic attacks that increased in severity. Gospel activities triggered large amounts of anxiety for her, leaving her scared and confused, and she began to abandon the truths she had always held dear. The gospel began to fuel her anxiety rather than soothe it. Through this trial, Josie is better able to help others who question their faith or leave the Church. Her testimony is stronger for...
034: Tyler talks about his journey of intense anxiety, leaving the church, and returning to full activity
March 07, 2021 07:00 - 43 minutes - 30 MBTyler came home early due to intense anxiety and panic attacks after serving in the Spokane Washington Mission for 3 months. He actually loved being out on his mission, but his mind would not let him be stable. The experience of returning home early challenged his relationship with God and he left the church for a short time. He tells me that it was easier to think that God wasn't real at all. He has since returned to full activity and he talks to me about what happened to get him to where h...
033: Ruby shares her story of extreme depression, self-harm, and suicidal thinking
February 21, 2021 07:00 - 53 minutes - 37.1 MBRuby began struggling right from the get-go on her mission during at-at home MTC (due to COVID-19 restrictions). Her struggle soon turned into extreme depression and shortly after arriving in the field, she began to self-harm . She recalls feeling temporary relief upon cutting herself, but then felt guilt and like she wasn't worthy and had failed God and her assignment as a missionary by self-harming. The depression continued though and soon she found herself making a suicide plan. She was s...
032: Jacob shares his story of returning home early due to belated confession
February 07, 2021 07:00 - 33 minutes - 23.3 MBJacob had always wanted to serve a mission, but due to some mistakes made before he left, he was unworthy to go. He lied to himself constantly to convince himself that he was okay, which led to him serving for 9 months before the guilt became too much and he had a powerful experience that helped him to seek repentance. Upon returning home, he intended to repent and return to his mission, but life began happening again and he soon found himself committing the same sins. It wasn't until after ...
031: Elizabeth discusses returning home early due to OCD Scrupulosity and creating BeyondMyBadge.org
July 19, 2020 06:00 - 40 minutes - 27.7 MBIn this episode, Elizabeth shares her struggle with OCD scrupulosity, which she describes best as "perfectionism." On her mission, Elizabeth was very focused on always doing things right (which caused her to constantly feel that she was doing things wrong.) This confusion led to her being very rigid and upset with her companions. She also felt unworthy to be a missionary because she wasn't perfect. After five months, she went home and began unpacking what had happened. As her healing began, ...
030: Drew Young shares his experience of coming home early from the MTC due to mental health struggles and talks about how he has since found purpose in his life's mission
July 05, 2020 06:00 - 51 minutes - 35.5 MBDrew Young, author of the new book The Meaning of Your Mission: Lessons and Principles to Know You Are Enough, shares with me his experience of returning home early from the MTC due to mental health struggles. He walks me through his journey of navigating years of lonely nights and suicidal thoughts to ultimately writing his book and sharing his story, and what he learned from it, with the world. Join me in listening to Drew as he discusses principles such as progress vs. perfection, exact o...
029: Lizzy tells her story of returning home early due to a dizziness that never stopped
June 21, 2020 06:00 - 37 minutes - 25.7 MBIn this episode, Lizzy shares her story of returning home early due to a dizziness that never stopped. Many people around her thought that anxiety was the cause of the dizziness and she struggled to find someone who would listen to her and give her the help she needed. After two and a half years, she finally received a diagnosis and was able to get the surgery she needed and begin the path to physical healing. She shares with me the anger and frustration she felt at others, herself, and God ...
028: Rian shares her story of returning home early due to toxic perfectionism
June 07, 2020 06:00 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MBIn this episode, Rian shares with me her story of returning home early due to toxic perfectionism, something that she didn't realize she struggled with until she was on her mission and her usual coping mechanisms were gone. She suffered from physical and mental symptoms of the perfectionism such as stomach aches, anxiety, and panic attacks. She often felt like a failure while on her mission and eventually realized she needed to return home to get the help she needed. Although she felt broken...
027: McKenzie discusses returning home early due to anxiety and homesickness
May 24, 2020 06:00 - 41 minutes - 28.7 MBMcKenzie has struggled with anxiety for most of her life, but when the prompting came to serve a mission, she faithfully accepted the call to serve. While she loved several parts of missionary work, she continued to struggle with anxiety and often felt overwhelmed and tired. She struggled to sleep for five months and her mental and physical health took a toll before she decided to return home early. She came home to supportive parents and leaders and a little more than a year later is doing ...
026: Bob and Elaine discuss, as parents, the effects of our culture on missionaries who return home early
May 10, 2020 06:00 - 41 minutes - 28.7 MBIn this episode, Bob and Elaine share their journey of navigating the culture of our Church that still surrounds missionaries who come home early as they experienced it with their son, who needed to return home early from the MTC. Their son was told terrible things about what would happen to him if he returned home early and Bob and Elaine had their work cut out for them in trying to undo the damage of the effects of cultural opinions about their son's struggles and need to return home early...
025: What can I expect if I stay home?
April 26, 2020 07:00 - 50 minutes - 34.8 MBIn this episode, five missionaries who came home early for various reasons, and chose to stay home, answer questions previously submitted via a questionnaire distributed on social media. They discuss their experiences with making the decision to stay home, moving forward with life, dealing with the guilt of not returning, whether or not they feel like "real returned missionaries," and how they talk about and feel about their missions now. If you are struggling with the decision to stay home ...
024: What can I expect if I return to the field?
April 26, 2020 06:00 - 46 minutes - 31.6 MBIn this episode, five missionaries who came home early for various reasons, and chose to return to the field either as proselyting missionaries or as service missionaries, answer questions previously submitted via a questionnaire distributed on social media. They discuss their experiences with making the decision to return to the field, choosing between a proselyting mission or a service mission, how they overcame the fear that the same issues that caused their early return would happen agai...
023: Layton returns home early due to a suicide threat after seeing a robber in his home
April 12, 2020 06:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MBIn this episode, Layton shares his story of the trauma he experienced on his mission from seeing a robber in his home and the suicide threat that resulted from his inability to cope with that trauma. Layton also discusses the homesickness he was already feeling and how the experience with the robber compounded that anxiety. However, despite these harrowing subjects, this podcast is filled with a message of hope from Layton as he discusses what helped him process these experiences and the imm...
022: Sophie Returns Home Early Due to COVID-19
April 05, 2020 06:00 - 25 minutes - 17.2 MBSophie served in the Washington D.C. North mission for 17 months before needing to return home early to Vienna, Austria due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though she nearly completed her intended amount of time on a mission, Sophie is still facing many of the same challenges as other missionaries who have needed to return home early due to the pandemic. She and I also discuss how Austria is handling the pandemic and the similarities and differences between Austria and the United States. Sinc...
022: Sophie Returns Home Early Due to COVID-19
April 05, 2020 06:00 - 25 minutes - 17.2 MBSophie served in the Washington D.C. North mission for 17 months before needing to return home early to Vienna, Austria due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though she nearly completed her intended amount of time on a mission, Sophie is still facing many of the same challenges as other missionaries who have needed to return home early due to the pandemic. She and I also discuss how Austria is handling the pandemic and the similarities and differences between Austria and the United States. Sinc...
021: Courtney's early return due to physical health, the mental toll it took on her, and her decision to return to the field
March 29, 2020 06:00 - 50 minutes - 34.8 MBWhile in the field, Courtney came down with dengue fever. She was given a shot for the fever, but likely got a pathogenic bacteria from the shot that caused her to need to go home after six months in the field. She is still figuring out her physical health problems to this day. Courtney speaks openly and candidly about her experiences, including the mental health struggles she has faced since coming home early. However, she also talks about the miracles that have happened that show her that ...
020: Early-Returned Missionaries and COVID-19
March 24, 2020 14:00 - 18 minutes - 12.4 MBIn light of the recent announcement from the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles regarding COVID-19 and missionary service, many missionaries are returning home early. There has been mixed reactions on social media to this announcement and impending homecomings, mostly supportive, but some apprehensive about how those who have not previously returned home early due to COVID-19 will be perceived. In this episode, I address the concerns of those who are feeling apprehensive for ...
019: Daniel Shares His Story of Returning Home Early Due to a Broken Ankle and then Returning to the Field
March 15, 2020 06:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MBWhile on his mission in Columbia, Daniel broke his ankle. He was able to serve for about six months before he realized he needed to go home and get it properly taken care of. He thought he'd only be home for a few weeks, but it ended up being 13 months as the surgery required for his ankle ended up being more complicated than anyone expected. Daniel felt a lot of failure for returning home early that also caused him to feel very anxious and depressed. He bears powerful testimony of the Atone...
018: Abi Shares Her Experience of Serving a Proselyting Mission and a Service Mission
March 01, 2020 07:00 - 35 minutes - 24.1 MBAfter twelve months in Germany, it became clear to Abi that her depression and anxiety had become too much and that she needed to go home. However, she still didn't feel that her mission was done and upon hearing about service missions decided that she wanted to finish her mission by "transferring" to this kind of a mission. In this episode, Abi shares her experience of serving at the Motion Picture Studio in Salt Lake City, discusses the schedule and expectations while on a service mission ...
017: Thea Shares What She Learned by Coming Home Early Twice for Worthiness Reasons
February 16, 2020 07:00 - 54 minutes - 37.6 MBIn this episode, Thea shares openly and candidly her two experiences of returning home early for worthiness reasons—the first time for belated confession and the second time for serious disobedience in the field. Thea shares with me what it was like to experience the stigma of returning home early for worthiness reasons, how she suffered from "crippling isolation," distrust, and self-hatred. However, she also shares a strong message of HOPE for anyone else going through a serious repentance ...
016: Ask a Therapist
February 02, 2020 07:00 - 43 minutes - 29.6 MBIn this episode, Harmony Packer, a therapist at Healthier You in Lindon, Utah who specializes in treating early-returned missionaries, joins me again to answer questions from those who came home from their missions early or from those who care about them. These questions were submitted in advance and were as follows: Was there no one left that could’ve benefited from me on the mission? If I had not been sent home would I have been able to help more people? How do you deal with feelings of ...
015: A Young Woman Shares Her Story of Struggling with Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, and a Lack of Parental Support
January 19, 2020 07:00 - 43 minutes - 30.2 MBIn this interview, a young woman who has chosen to remain anonymous, tells me about her struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts both while on her mission and after returning home early. She discusses the things that helped her—mainly therapy and a supportive bishop—and what wounded her further. She also discusses the rocky relationship that developed between her and her mom due to her mom's lack of understanding about the depression (discussed at about 21.5 minutes in). This intervie...
014: Austin Discusses Returning Home Early from the MTC
January 05, 2020 07:00 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MBIn this episode, Austin tells me about his experience of returning home after 10 days from the Provo MTC due to a sudden onset of severe anxiety and panic. He returned home to supportive family, friends, and leaders for the most part, but still struggled for several years to define his mission. Was it a mission? Could he say he had served a mission? What should he call that experience? Austin discusses how he has begun to make peace with those questions and also how he moved forward from the...