Leaving The Valley

In the conclusion of our chat with Dr. Kathryn Hope Gordon, author of “The Suicidal Thoughts Workbook,” we examine one of the leading causes for suicidal thinking: the end of a relationship. It is well understood that people who perceive themselves as alone are at a higher risk for suicidal thinking. Dr. Gordon explains how the perception of “feeling isolated” can sometimes be different than outward appearance might suggest. Well-loved, highly popular people die by suicide. There is often a tendency for those close to an individual who is struggling to dismiss the risk of suicide. We explore why that can occur and some of the more empathetic ways to connect to a person in need.

We often discuss that the road to meaningful change involves putting one foot in front of the other day after day.  This is true for long term goals like learning a new language, for example. You practice a bit each day and gradually become better. This is especially true of mental health goals, like managing and even overcoming suicidal thoughts. In this episode we had the opportunity to chat with Dr. Kathryn Hope Gordon about “The Suicidal Thoughts Workbook." Dr. Gordon’s book creates practical tools for people to use on an “as needed” basis to develop more positive self-thinking.

We continue Part II of our conversation with Clara Rosenzweig, Director of Vecino Health Centers, a low cost/no cost mental health provider in Houston, Texas. Vecino Health emphasizes care in a person’s native language and serves a predominantly Latin American population. Clara describes the need for services like the one’s provided by Vecino Health and some of the cultural stigmas that may prevent LatinX individuals from asking for help.

We look at the Mexican tradition of Dia de los Muertos. Our special guest, Clara Rosenzweig, Licensed Professional Counselor and Director of Vecino Health Centers, shares memories of growing up in Mexico. Clara recalls the customs she participated in at that time of year. Dia de los Muertos is steeped in traditions around honoring loved ones who have passed. As a podcast about mental health, we couldn't help but reflect on how suicide often complicates the memory of our loved ones. How is honoring our lost loved ones changed by a suicide? Not just for Latin Americans, but for everyone grieving a self-inflicted loss.

In the conclusion of our talk with Fire Captain Scott Shaunfield, we zoom out and look at the broader effects of traumatic stress on First Responders. We ask Capt. Shaunfield to illuminate the damage this work-related condition creates, not just on himself, but on the men and women he serves with. We look at well-supported research that describes what exposure to suicide does to increase suicidal ideation. The number one cause of death for First Responders is not line of duty deaths. It's suicide.

In one of our most heartfelt and difficult conversations, we talk with Fire Captain Scott Shaunfield about what it's like to arrive on the scene of a suicide. First Responders’ jobs include responding to everything from burning buildings, car wrecks, and even suicide attempts. Responding to a suicide is a traumatic event for First Responders and often leaves a lasting effect. Additionally, there is a cumulative toll to experiencing so many different suicides and suicide attempts that puts First Responders at a greater risk for suicide themselves. The guilt and pain that occurs after losing someone to suicide affects First Responders too. Captain Shaunfield describes his own personal history with suicide.

"No one will miss me when I'm gone." This is absolutely FALSE. When someone dies, whether by suicide or other causes, we always mourn them. Grief, rage, sadness, etc. are incredibly common when there is a loss. In terms of suicide, it is categorically untrue to think that your death would somehow go unnoticed. Suicides bring on all the emotions associated with loss and have an extra helping of guilt. Perhaps when someone is saying, "no one will miss me," what they really are saying is "I am feeling so isolated." Another example of what "no one will miss me" could really mean is a feeling that you are a burden.

We continue our conversation about the purpose and function of 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. As with our prior episode, we take a hard look at some of the opinions shared in a post about 988. In exploring the ideas of this post, we hope to clarify some of the misconceptions expressed and also offer context. In this episode, we jump right in on a comment about psych wards. Lastly, we zoom in on the emphasis on asking “What does help look like for you?” When is it appropriate to focus on that question and when do you have to be more concerned about keeping someone alive?

One of our absolute favorite things is getting feedback from our audience. In today's episode, we discuss an online post that an audience member shared with us about 988, the new Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which we discussed in our last episode. In this post, there are a lot of statements about what 988 is and what will happen if you call it. Like any good social media content, there are some views we agree with and others that we find problematic. What's the internet for if not to stir the pot?! In this episode, we go on the record about the ideas in the post that we agree and disagree with.

Major mental health news! The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has a new 3-digit phone number, 988. This is a huge victory for mental health advocates! This new number is much easier to remember than the previous 1-800 number. It also marks a tremendous influx of funding from the Biden administration to create and expand call centers and secondary call centers, call centers in Spanish, and improved website chat room functionality. In addition to a new number, even the name has changed. It’s now called “988 Suicide & Prevention Lifeline.”

We continue our heartfelt conversation in part II of our chat with special guest, Dennis Gillan. Dennis has the unfortunate distinction of having lost two brothers to suicide over the span of eleven years. Though Dennis has known true hardship, one thing that sticks out when you speak with him is that he still holds on to great hope. Dennis mentions time and again that he "had to keep living." In order to keep going, he had to find a way to live through his pain and regain joy.

Losing one brother to suicide is an unimaginable grief. Our guest today, Dennis Gillan, lost two brothers to suicide over the span of 11 years. Dennis has transformed his misery into his mission and now runs a suicide prevention organization called Half a Sorrow Foundation. As a junior in college, the last thing in the world that was on Dennis’ mind was death, but then he got a call from his sister to return home. Their eldest brother, Mark, had died by suicide. Eleven years after Mark died, Dennis’s younger brother, Matthew, also ended his life. Dennis describes the impossible task of trying to pick up the pieces, seeking professional mental healthcare for himself, and his decision to finally share his experience with others. 

In part two of our series on LGBTQ+ youth and their elevated risk for suicide, we finish our chat with Austin Davis Ruiz (he/him) of the Montrose Center. Austin shares both the hard hitting facts and his own personal experience with the challenges LGBTQ+ youth face today. From bullying, to the stresses of the pandemic, to homelessness, we explore what makes LGBTQ+ youth more at risk for depression and suicide. Importantly, we also discuss ways we can support this vulnerable population.

When we discuss groups that are more at risk for suicide, amongst the most vulnerable, are LGBTQ+ youth. LGBTQ+ young people are more than 4 times as likely to attempt suicide as their peers. We talk with Austin Davis Ruiz (he/him) of the Montrose Center about the myriad of reasons LGBTQ+ youth face such high risk of suicide.

What happens after you survive two suicide attempts? In part II of our chat with Jay Shifman, public speaker and host of the "Choose Your Struggle" podcast, we talk about his road to recovery. Jay describes the days after his unsuccessful attempts to end his life, the time he spent in a hospital, and then a very difficult stretch in a rehab facility. Today, Jay continues his work to raise awareness and end the stigma that surrounds mental health and addiction.

What does the research behind suicide help us understand about those who end their lives? In this episode, we discuss how isolation, feeling like you're a burden, and access to means overlap to become a lethal recipe for some people. We look at how impulsivity factors into suicidal ideation as well as things like substance misuse, mental illness, and trauma. Additionally, we discuss how in repeated studies, as countries modernize, rates of depression and suicide rise. What does living in a more industrialized world do to our mental health and why?

In part two of our conversation on suicide prevention in juvenile detention centers, Dr. Leah Saulter, describes the limited resources and high burnout rates of staff. Suicide alerts require extra attention. For some young people, manipulating the staff may be a cure for boredom or an opportunity for secondary gain. However, many of the threats are legitimate, and, even if the threat of suicide is a form of manipulation, it can still be a highly dangerous ploy. Additionally, you cannot talk about suicide rates in youth correctional institutions and not ask yourself, "How did these young people wind up in these spaces to begin with?" 47.4% of youth in the Texas Juvenile Justice System have had four or more Adverse Childhood Events. 

Suicide is the number one cause of death in the juvenile justice system. Though the numbers of completed suicides annually are relatively low, suicide attempts and threats of suicide in the juvenile justice system are high. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Leah Saulter, Psychologist, who specializes in trauma. Dr. Saulter has spent years working with young men in detention centers in Texas and Ohio. We ask Dr. Saulter about the mental health of young people in the justice system. We also discuss what has happened to these young people that would lead them to imprisonment at such a young age.