Welcome to a new season of award-winning Hill Country Authors Podcast, sponsored by Stoney Creek Publishing. In this podcast, Hill Country resident Tom Fox visits with authors who live in and write in and about the Texas Hill Country. Host Tom Fox welcomes Liz Colvin, author of Moodshine: A Caregiver’s Journey.
Tom interviews retired insurance professional and NAMI family facilitator Liz Colvin about caregiving for a loved one with mental health challenges, framed by her book, “Moodshine: A Caregiver’s Journey.” Colvin describes how supporting her daughter’s recovery enabled her to become a grandmother and highlights the importance of caregiver self-care, therapy, confidentiality, and setting boundaries. She emphasizes education and cites resources including NAMI, the International Bipolar Foundation, and Central Texas’s Engage Foundation. Colvin outlines her “three C’s” of caregiving: change (listening and adjusting expectations), constructive criticism (positive communication, firm consequences, and avoiding enabling), and coping skills (adapting routines such as exercise). She explains schizoaffective disorder as chronic delusions/hallucinations combined with bipolar mania or depression, notes DSM-based diagnosis, encourages timely evaluation, safety-first escalation, and recommends medical/financial power of attorney at age 18.
Key Highlights
- Granddaughter and Caregiver Turning Point
- Caregiving Basics and Getting Educated
- Caregiver Balance Therapy and Boundaries
- Why She Wrote Moodshine
- Three Cs of Caregiving
- Understanding Schizoaffective Disorder
- Reducing Stigma and Seeking Treatment
Resources
- Liz Colvin Website:
- MoodShine: A Caregiver’s Journey
- Additional caregiving insights
Podcast Cover Art
Tom Fox