Cultivating Community with the Complexities of Chronic Illness and Stress with Steph Fowler, LCPC, CADC

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 7 of A Friend for the Long Haul - A Long Covid Podcast! In this week's conversation, I am joined by Steph Fowler, LCPC, CADC, who you may remember from Season 1, Episode 11. I love this description from the bio on Steph's website: "Other things to know: among my many identities, I am multiply-neurodivergent, chronically ill and disabled (Long COVID ‘20), an INFJ, ex-vangelical, and recovering perfectionist. In The Before Times, I enjoyed kickboxing, running, cosplay, karaoke, travel, cat cafes, and live lit/storytelling. Nowadays I enjoy gardening, nature, writing, photography, LEGO, subversion, and all things macabre." Steph is one of those people who always makes me things about things in a different way, and we wanted to chat about the challenges of building and sustaining community when everyone is navigating different levels of stress, grief, and physical limitations.

You'll hear us discuss:

• The emotional toll of community splintering within the COVID-conscious and long COVID communities.

• Practical strategies for emotional management, including the importance of practicing pauses and asking for consent before unloading stress.

• How to build trust and safety in groups by establishing clear shared values and embracing compassion for others’ different experiences.

• Navigating relationships and setting boundaries around personal COVID-19 risk and accommodations.

• Personal reflections on shifting identities, redefining determination, and coping with the profound grief of loss—both of health and relationships.

Places to find Steph!

Substack: https://misfitmentalhealth.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misfit.mental.healthTime Magazine: What to Do if Your Doctor Doesn't Take Your Symptoms Seriously

PBS News Weekend: The COVID pandemic's lingering physical and mental toll, five years later

If you'd like to support this one-disabled-woman-produced podcast, check out my Bonfire shop. Items bought in the shop support the renewal of my Zoom license for recording. Many items co-support other chronically ill friends. I also have an Amazon Storefront and I'll get a few pennies if you purchase your everyday items through the links in my storefront. I also have an Amazon Wishlist of fun treats and practical needs for our family this autumn.

Don't forget to like, subscribe, follow, and share A Friend for the Long Haul! And if you're feeling extra generous, leave a review. Your support helps get this in front of more earballs and helps me bring more episodes. You can listen to the Long Covid Theme Songs playlist on Spotify. Thank you!