What Does Homeschooling Isolation Do To Your Mental Health?

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*Trigger Warning:* This episode contains discussions of suicide, depression, trauma, and mental health.

What happens when homeschooling, isolation, and identity all collide? In this episode, I sit down with Beau to talk about growing up homeschooled in a deeply religious environment, navigating gender identity, struggling with severe mental health challenges, and ultimately finding purpose through helping others heal. Beau shares an incredibly honest story about the realities of loneliness, recovery, and becoming a Recovery Support Specialist after surviving some of life's darkest moments.

*Connect with Beau* • Substack: https://substack.com/@healingkind • Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/healingkind.bsky.social

*Resources Mentioned* • CRHE: https://crhe.org • Homeschool Alumni Group Sessions: https://crhe.org/homeschool-alumni-groups/

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*Connect with me* • BuyMeACoffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/exhsclub • Email me at [email protected] • Listen on Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/exhsclub/ • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exhsclub/ • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@exhsclub • Newsletter: https://exhsclub.beehiiv.com/ • Substack: https://exhsclub.substack.com

*Chapters* 00:00 Welcome Back to the Ex-Homeschoolers Club 00:57 Let's Meet Beau 02:17 Was Homeschooling Structured For You? 05:58 How Much Responsibility Did You Hold At Home? 08:38 Where Did You Grow Up? 10:06 The Push To Get Into College Early 12:59 Socializing As A Homeschooler 17:17 What Was Making You Feel Out Of Place In School? 22:06 When Did You Know You We're Trans? 27:26 What Did Early Adulthood Look Like? 30:45 Why Is Mental Health So Stigmatized In The Homeschool World? 32:26 Trigger Warning: We're Talking About Suicide 41:08 What Did It Take To Become A Recovery Support Specialist? 51:06 How To Connect With Other Homeschool Alumni? 58:06 What Do You Think About The Current State Of Homeschooling? 01:01:35 It's Always Ok To Change Your Mind 01:02:42 Don't Be Afraid To Share Your Story 01:05:44 Taking Care Of Yourself After Being Vulnerable 01:10:04 Connect with Beau 01:11:16 Do All The Internet Things