Welcome back to part 2 of our episode topic. In this episode I continue my conversation with Jesse Mercury, host of the Major Pain Podcast on chronic illness, mental health, and the stigma surrounding men's emotional expression. Jesse shares his experience navigating an undiagnosed chronic illness throughout his thirties, the emotional and physical challenges that came with it, and the eventual gratitude he developed in learning to manage his condition.

He speaks openly about anger, fear, depression, and the importance of developing coping tools and support systems. The conversation shifts toward men’s mental health and the societal pressure placed on men to remain stoic and suppress emotional needs. Jesse reflects on how harmful messaging including being told to “tough it out” or being dismissed by doctors impacts the journey of seeking help. He emphasizes the importance of therapy, self-advocacy, and redefining strength as vulnerability and honesty.

In this episode we talk about:

● Living with chronic illness: losing years (the “lost 30s”) and learning to play catch-up

● Stigma around men expressing emotions and the damage of “tough it out” messaging

● Importance of therapy (finding a therapist who understands chronic illness; CBT tools)

● Gratitude that emerged from surviving/learning to manage illness

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

● Connect with Jesse Mercury on ⁠INSTAGRAM⁠!

● Find out more about Jesse’s Creative website ⁠HERE⁠!

● Leave a review ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠if anything in today’s episode resonated with you!

● Connect with us on Instagram! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rough.edges.podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

● Connect with us on YouTube! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@roughedgeswithsarah⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

● Connect with us on Facebook! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rough.edges.podcast)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

● Follow us on TikTok! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@roughedgeswithsarah⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

● Want to be a guest on our show? Send us an email at rough.edges.podcast@gmail.com

Hi everyone! In this episode of Rough Edges, I sit down with my uncle, Dr. Stephen Fox, to talk about his journey of faith, military service, education, and mental health. Dr. Fox shares how he first came to faith as a child, how his walk with God shifted during his military service, and how prayer and spiritual community kept him grounded over the years. He also opens up about traumatic experiences he encountered during his time in the Army including the aftermath of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and surviving a serious car accident that resulted in post-traumatic stress.

Dr. Fox discusses how counseling, grounding strategies, and leaning into his faith helped him process trauma and continue serving others, particularly children, through his work in early childhood education and instructional leadership. This conversation highlights the importance of support systems, faith, mental health resources, and representation in education and sheds light on the often-overlooked emotional realities faced by veterans.

In this episode we talk about:

● Why Dr. Stephen Fox chose to pursue elementary education especially as a male educator

● Understanding the mental health challenges and suicide risks among veterans

● How Dr. Fox approached earning his doctoral degree and contributing to curriculum development

● The importance of faith, therapy, and emotional support in healing

Mental Health Topics Mentioned:

● Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

● Trauma processing and triggers

● Veterans’ mental health challenges

● The role of counseling and coping strategies

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

● Check out our faith based women of color ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here where you can get a variety of products from T shirts, tote bags, crewnecks, journals and many more

● Leave a review ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠if anything in today’s episode resonated with you!

● Connect with us on Instagram! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rough.edges.podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

● Connect with us on YouTube! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@roughedgeswithsarah⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

● Connect with us on Facebook! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rough.edges.podcast)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

● Follow us on TikTok! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@roughedgeswithsarah⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

● Want to be a guest on our show? Send us an email at rough.edges.podcast@gmail.com

Today is the fourth anniversary of the podcast, and I'm so excited because this not only marks a very grand milestone of four years of podcasting, but it also shows that Rough Edges is valuable and that my voice does matter in the long run. So for this episode, I'm going to do four different chapters of the podcast. I'm going to talk about how Rough Edges started, and I'm also going to talk about how I found my voice, and I'm also going to go over the why of Rough Edges.

I also share how my journey with bipolar 1 disorder and my walk with faith led me to create a space where mental health can be spoken about honestly, especially within communities of color and faith-based circles. This episode explores the evolution of Rough Edges from an idea meant for a written blog to a podcast that has reached listeners around the world, supported healing conversations, and encouraged others to embrace their stories.

Finally, I share what’s ahead and how I plan to expand and strengthen my voice in future seasons. This episode honors growth, healing, and the courage to speak openly about mental health within faith-based spaces.

In this episode I cover:

● Why Rough Edges was created

● How my bipolar 1 diagnosis shaped my calling to share my story

● How I transitioned from a blog idea to full podcast

● How community support helped me find confidence in my voice

● Plans for the next chapter, including collaboration and new platforms

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

● Leave a review ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠if anything in today’s episode resonated with you!

● Connect with us on Instagram! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rough.edges.podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

● Connect with us on YouTube! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@roughedgeswithsarah⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

● Connect with us on Facebook! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rough.edges.podcast)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

● Follow us on TikTok! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@roughedgeswithsarah⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

● Want to be a guest on our show? Send us an email at rough.edges.podcast@gmail.com