{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Surviving Versus Enjoying the Holidays!","description":"Many times the holiday season brings with it a lot of additional stress to an already stress-filled daily life. In this episode of Fresh Hope Today Pastor Brad talks about how to enjoy the holiday season inspire of having a mental health diagnosis or mental illness.  \r\n \r\nSeveral years ago Brad decided to not just survive the holidays but, he determined he was going to start enjoying them instead of just trying to endure them without a bipolar episode.  Prior to being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Christmas time was always a time of escalation of mood with a period of depression through the rest of winter.  As Brad shares how he has come to not only surviving but actually enjoying very much the holiday season!  He hopes that these principles for enjoying the holidays might in fact translate for you within your life.\r\n \r\nPastor Brad Hoefs, host of Fresh Hope Today, is the founder of Fresh Hope Ministries, a network of Christian mental health support groups for those who have a diagnosis and their loved ones. In other words, Fresh Hope is a Christian mental health support group.\r\n \r\nBrad was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1995. He is a weekly blogger for www.bphope.us (Bipolar Magazine). He is also a certified peer specialist and has been doing pastoral counseling since 1985.\r\n \r\nBrad is also the author of Fresh Hope: Living Well in Spite of a Mental Health Diagnosis, which is a available on Amazon or at: www.FreshHopeBook.com\r\n \r\nIf you are interested in more information about Fresh Hope go to: www.FreshHope.us or email info@FreshHope.us or call 402.932.3089.\r\n \r\nFor a complete list of where Fresh Hope groups are presently meeting go to: www.FreshHope.us and click on “find a group“.\r\nIf you are interested in starting a Fresh Hope group within you faith-community setting contact Julie at: Julie@FreshHope.us\r\nFresh Hope Today is a production of Fresh Hope Ministries. Fresh Hope Ministries is a non-profit ministry.  \r\nThe copyrights of this program belong to Fresh Hope Ministries and may not be duplicated with out written permission.\r\n \r\nAll of the podcasts of Fresh Hope Today as well as numerous other videos are all available on our YouTube channel: FreshHopeNetwork.\r\n \r\nFresh Hope Today is also available on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.\r\n ","author_name":"Fresh Hope for Mental Health","author_url":"http:\/\/freshhopetoday.libsyn.com\/webpage","html":"