Bipolar Disorder and Marriage: Navigating Mania, Faith, and Family with Dave & Jess Quak Artwork

Sunburnt Souls: A Christian Mental Health Podcast

Sunburnt Souls is a Christian mental health podcast exploring faith, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and emotional resilience through honest conversations and biblical hope.

Hosted by Pastor Dave Quak, an Aussie pastor living with bipolar disorder, the podcast explores what it really looks like to follow Jesus through the highs, lows, and everything in between.

Each episode shares powerful stories, biblical encouragement, and practical tools for navigating anxiety, depression, burnout, and mental wellness as a follower of Christ.

Whether you’re battling darkness, searching for joy, or trying to make sense of faith and mental illness, you’re not alone. Sunburnt Souls is a safe, unfiltered space for honest conversations about Christian mental health.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. 🌐 Learn more at sunburntsouls.com

All Episodes

Sunburnt Souls: A Christian Mental Health Podcast

Bipolar Disorder and Marriage: Navigating Mania, Faith, and Family with Dave & Jess Quak

December 30, 2024 • Dave Quak

0:00 | 44:20

In this raw and deeply honest episode of Sunburnt Souls: A Christian Mental Health Podcast, Dave Quak (who lives with bipolar disorder) and his wife, Jess Quak, sit down for a candid conversation about the highs and lows of the past year together. They open up about faith, resilience, and the messy beauty of marriage when one partner faces mental illness.

This discussion covers the real challenges of navigating the whirlwind of mania alongside the daily realities of family life and the pursuit of mental well-being within their Christian marriage.

A Year of Challenges and Growth

In this heartfelt reflection, Dave and Jess offer honest insights into:

The unpredictability of bipolar mania and its practical impact on their daily life and roles as husband and wife.
The realities of marriage when one partner is walking through intense mental health struggles, including communication and boundary-setting.
Moments of spiritual breakthrough, healing, and leaning completely on faith as their anchor.

Faith, Resilience, and the Journey Forward

This episode offers:

Honest insights into managing mental health and marriage simultaneously.
Practical encouragement for Christian couples navigating their own challenges.
A reminder that even in the hardest seasons, God’s grace sustains the relationship and the individual.

For anyone facing mental health battles, marriage struggles, or simply searching for hope and real-life examples of faith in action, this episode is a must-listen.

If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health.

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls

🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

A 28-day, FREE journey to help you: