This week, Lisa and Gretchen reflect on the journey through Season 2—15 powerful episodes filled with grief, advocacy, healing, and raw conversations around suicide, mental health, and support. From language shifts and identity to rituals and support systems, this finale is a heartfelt recap of the stories and lessons that have shaped this season.
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🎧 Episode Summary
Lisa and Gretchen close out Season 2 with deep reflections on every episode, highlighting how each conversation impacted them and their community. From powerful discussions about language, grief, guilt, and caregiver burnout to underrepresented topics like suicide in the workplace and reverse grieving, this recap offers a compassionate look at what it means to survive—and thrive—after loss.
✨ Lessons Learned
- Language matters: Say "died by suicide," not "committed."
- Grief has many faces—some look like guilt, others like rituals or silence.
- Mental health in the workplace is non-negotiable.
- Being a survivor isn't a destination—it’s a continual process of healing, connection, and advocacy.
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – Trigger Warning & Welcome
01:30 – Reflecting on Season 2
03:00 – LGBTQ+ Mental Health & Pride
06:00 – Stop Saying "Committed Suicide"
08:00 – Suicide in the Workplace
10:00 – Dealing with Trigger Days
12:00 – The Ripple Effect of Suicide on Families
14:00 – Reverse Grieving & Reframing Truth
17:00 – When Grief Feels Like Guilt
19:00 – National Wellness Month Reflections
20:30 – Therapy, Support Groups & Safe Spaces
23:00 – Creating Rituals to Honor Loss
25:00 – Suicide Prevention Month Impact
27:00 – World Suicide Prevention Day Global View
28:30 – The Role of Social Media in Prevention
29:30 – Caregiver Burnout & Compassion Fatigue
32:00 – Final Reflections, Gratitude & Season 3 Tease
📚 Resources for Mental Health & Support
🔹 The Survivors Podcast Website – https://thesurvivors.net/
🔹 The HelpHUB™ – Mental health resources, tools, and support networks – https://www.thehelphub.co/
🔹 Schoser Talent and Wellness Solutions – Mental wellness coaching & support – https://schosersolutions.com/
🔹 Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads – A raw, award-winning mental health podcast – https://goesoninourheads.net/
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🎙️ See You Next Week!
Stay strong, keep going, and remember: You are enough. 💜
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 This podcast mentions suicide, mental illness, grief, and loss,
00:00:04 --> 00:00:05 and may be triggering for some listeners.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:10 So please take care of your well-being by pausing or skipping any sections that
00:00:10 --> 00:00:11 feel uncomfortable to you.
00:00:11 --> 00:00:15 And if you or someone you know is struggling, please call 988 for support.
00:00:16 --> 00:00:21 Hi. Hi, welcome back. Welcome back. Feels like we never left.
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 No, I'm like glued to my seat now. I know, right?
00:00:25 --> 00:00:32 Can you believe, I can't, but can you believe that we are already at the end
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 of season two of The Survivors?
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 No. It kind of freaks me out a little bit.
00:00:40 --> 00:00:48 I mean, this is now the 30th episode that we have recorded since we started in March.
00:00:48 --> 00:00:54 And that it just, first of all, to me, I think it feels like a lot longer.
00:00:55 --> 00:01:01 How does it feel to you? It feels way, way longer. I feel like we've been doing this for a year.
00:01:02 --> 00:01:05 Easily. I would even feel like more than that.
00:01:05 --> 00:01:12 And I think that speaks to how quickly you and I connected and how quickly you
00:01:12 --> 00:01:17 and I became friends and because of everything that we talk about,
00:01:18 --> 00:01:24 like we share literally everything that we go through that is not.
00:01:24 --> 00:01:32 Sunshine and rainbows. Yeah, it's incredibly insane, but in such a good way.
00:01:32 --> 00:01:41 Yeah, yeah. I mean, this whole second season has been full of just so many raw
00:01:41 --> 00:01:46 stories, all this lived experience, so much honesty, vulnerability on both sides.
00:01:47 --> 00:01:53 And I think I think a lot of pretty powerful lessons about grief and healing
00:01:53 --> 00:01:58 and what that takes and what it means to be an advocate and things like connection
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 and the power that's found in connection.
00:02:00 --> 00:02:05 And so today we get to do the fun thing, which I had a blast doing this last season.
00:02:06 --> 00:02:14 We get to take like two minutes each to look back at all the episodes one through
00:02:14 --> 00:02:19 14 that we recorded this season and celebrate how far we've come, which I love doing.
00:02:19 --> 00:02:25 I love any kind of reflection exercise and share a little bit about what's coming
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 next for us in season three.
00:02:28 --> 00:02:32 So can I start? Can I start? Yes, you can start.
00:02:32 --> 00:02:40 So episode one, back in June, you remember how excited I was because we were
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 doing our Pride episode.
00:02:42 --> 00:02:48 And we were talking about what it feels like to be a part of,
00:02:48 --> 00:02:53 not just an ally of, but you and I are both members of the LGBTQ community.
00:02:53 --> 00:03:01 We talked a lot about how different mental health can feel when you're part
00:03:01 --> 00:03:02 of a marginalized community.
00:03:03 --> 00:03:06 And the queer community is most definitely a marginalized community,
00:03:06 --> 00:03:13 a heck of a lot more lately than it has been. And we just dug deep into the.
00:03:14 --> 00:03:21 Options to get mental health care and support and support groups and ways to
00:03:21 --> 00:03:26 be an advocate. And I talked a lot about my volunteer work with the Trevor Project.
00:03:27 --> 00:03:35 And we really, I feel, in the spirit of pride, offered people a lot of resources
00:03:35 --> 00:03:36 for the queer community.
00:03:37 --> 00:03:43 Oh, we did. Even resources that I'm part of the queer community and didn't realize.
00:03:44 --> 00:03:51 And I think that was what we provided our listeners with was really valuable information.
00:03:51 --> 00:03:58 The rules of the game are changing every day. And by us giving really good up-to-date
00:03:58 --> 00:04:06 resources was super beneficial. And we're all kind of struggling right now. The world is on fire.
00:04:06 --> 00:04:13 And my hope is that people that listen to that episode really got something out of it.
00:04:13 --> 00:04:17 Yeah, I think they did. I mean, I know the feedback that we got was overwhelmingly
00:04:17 --> 00:04:20 so positive about the conversation that we had.
00:04:20 --> 00:04:27 And I think that what stuck out the most to me is that we talked about how Pride
00:04:27 --> 00:04:33 Month is way more than just about rainbow and sunshine. Exactly.
00:04:33 --> 00:04:37 Rainbow flags. Yeah, that it's about visibility and it's about validation and
00:04:37 --> 00:04:41 it's about creating and offering life-saving support.
00:04:41 --> 00:04:48 So I do have to say that that was one of my favorite episodes from last season. Mine too.
00:05:08 --> 00:05:15 And I found that to be equally as powerful because so many people just don't
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 understand that stigma,
00:05:18 --> 00:05:25 whatever a stigma might relate to, generally comes from how we talk about that thing.
00:05:25 --> 00:05:31 And when we attach words like committed to an act like suicide,
00:05:31 --> 00:05:37 right away, it automatically gives suicide a negative connotation and makes
00:05:37 --> 00:05:41 it seem somehow illegal or immoral or inappropriate in some way.
00:05:42 --> 00:05:49 And we had the most beautiful conversation about how important it is to change
00:05:49 --> 00:05:54 the language before we can ever even hope to make a dent in the stigma because
00:05:54 --> 00:05:55 that's where it all comes from.
00:05:56 --> 00:06:01 Yeah, and since that conversation, even when you and I started talking,
00:06:01 --> 00:06:06 I've now started correcting people when they say committed suicide.
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 I'm like, no, you need to say they took their life by suicide.
00:06:09 --> 00:06:16 Don't say committed, because then I think about, like, if I had really gone
00:06:16 --> 00:06:21 through the act, like, would I have wanted people to say that I committed suicide?
00:06:22 --> 00:06:25 No, I attempted taking my life. Right.
00:06:26 --> 00:06:29 It unfairly stigmatizes someone.
00:06:30 --> 00:06:37 It unfairly puts someone in a bucket of shame, and it's just because they had
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 a mental illness and they couldn't go on.
00:06:39 --> 00:06:49 So they shouldn't be in any way thought of less than for making that decision
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 when they felt like they didn't have any options.
00:06:51 --> 00:06:56 So we gave people, I think, a lot of really valuable ways to say it another
00:06:56 --> 00:06:59 way, like died by suicide or ended their life or took their life.
00:06:59 --> 00:07:03 And I really think that that was a super powerful conversation that I think
00:07:03 --> 00:07:06 hopefully changed a lot of people's hearts and minds.
00:07:07 --> 00:07:12 Yeah, it was a really powerful conversation for me and super thankful that we
00:07:12 --> 00:07:14 got to have it. I know, me too, me too.
00:07:15 --> 00:07:20 And then we segued in episode three into talking about something that you and
00:07:20 --> 00:07:24 I have been doing a lot of talking about lately, which is suicide in the workplace.
00:07:24 --> 00:07:29 And we've been doing that with our shared partner at Calmarie,
00:07:29 --> 00:07:35 the online mental health platform, who's doing a lot of work trying to help
00:07:35 --> 00:07:38 companies create better,
00:07:38 --> 00:07:43 healthier environments in the workplace. And I know that's your sweet spot.
00:07:43 --> 00:07:50 You've been in the workplace for a long time. It is my sweet spot because I
00:07:50 --> 00:07:53 worked for Corporate America for 45 years.
00:07:53 --> 00:07:57 Out of all those years, only one company ever did it right.
00:07:58 --> 00:08:05 And having those conversations at work around a colleague that took their life
00:08:05 --> 00:08:09 by suicide is a very delicate conversation.
00:08:09 --> 00:08:15 And it was one of, I really enjoyed that conversation that you and I had because
00:08:15 --> 00:08:20 it highlighted a lot of things that companies can do better when it comes to
00:08:20 --> 00:08:25 having those conversations and also identifying if somebody's at risk.
00:08:25 --> 00:08:28 In today's world people are
00:08:28 --> 00:08:34 suffering and a lot of people are suffering in silence so having more mental
00:08:34 --> 00:08:40 wellness tools within a company makes it easier for people to identify kind
00:08:40 --> 00:08:47 of what's going on yeah exactly and and we just it was a big reminder to everybody that.
00:08:48 --> 00:08:52 We don't put our mental health and wellness in a box every day when we go to work.
00:08:52 --> 00:08:56 It comes with us. And if things are not good there in a place where most of
00:08:56 --> 00:09:01 us spend a great majority of our time, well, then it's not going to be good anywhere.
00:09:01 --> 00:09:04 So I was really, really glad that we had that conversation because I think we
00:09:04 --> 00:09:09 gave people a lot of, especially companies and managers and C-suites and HR
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 directors, we gave them a lot to think about.
00:09:11 --> 00:09:17 We did. Yeah. And it was just, like I said, such a great conversation. Yeah, yeah.
00:09:18 --> 00:09:25 And then our fourth episode of the season, this was a hard one because for me
00:09:25 --> 00:09:29 it was right in the middle of, it was approaching my trigger days.
00:09:29 --> 00:09:33 We talked about trigger days and anniversaries and birthdays after we've lost someone.
00:09:33 --> 00:09:38 And I remember that episode was only a couple of weeks before the anniversary
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 of when my dad took his life.
00:09:40 --> 00:09:47 And that's always a really hard time for me. And I felt so empowered having that conversation.
00:09:49 --> 00:09:55 Because we really had the chance to really kind of pick it apart and dig into
00:09:55 --> 00:09:59 why that is so hard to deal with and things that we can do to make it easier
00:09:59 --> 00:10:04 and less triggering and how to prepare for them and kind of honor them all at the same time.
00:10:04 --> 00:10:09 And I know it helped me in that moment because it was right on the edge of me having to do that.
00:10:09 --> 00:10:12 So I loved that we got to have that conversation.
00:10:12 --> 00:10:17 And it helped me to remind me what I do differently on Christmas Day.
00:10:17 --> 00:10:24 What I do in the days and weeks prior to that, taking a look at my own healing
00:10:24 --> 00:10:30 journey and figuring out I turned all that horrible pain into purpose.
00:10:31 --> 00:10:37 And doing that with you. I do things a lot differently now. Like, I put up stuff.
00:10:37 --> 00:10:42 I put up decorations. I do things that make my heart feel good and remind me
00:10:42 --> 00:10:45 where I was and where I am now.
00:10:46 --> 00:10:51 Yeah, that's powerful stuff. That's really powerful stuff. And it came from
00:10:51 --> 00:10:52 that beautiful episode.
00:10:53 --> 00:10:58 And then from there, episode five, we jumped into, and this was a heavy topic,
00:10:58 --> 00:11:04 The impact of suicide on family and friends, which is a really,
00:11:05 --> 00:11:14 really big topic because suicide creates this enormous ripple effect that permeates
00:11:14 --> 00:11:16 families and communities.
00:11:17 --> 00:11:22 And we spent a lot of time talking about how does that impact everybody who's
00:11:22 --> 00:11:26 connected to a suicide loss and the person who died?
00:11:27 --> 00:11:30 And how do we support the people who are left behind?
00:11:30 --> 00:11:34 And, you know, in my case, I've lost three people that way. And I know you've
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 lost a bunch of people that way.
00:11:36 --> 00:11:40 And we're all still here grieving the people who we've lost.
00:11:40 --> 00:11:44 And that is a hard position to be in, whether you're a friend or a family member
00:11:44 --> 00:11:47 or a co-worker. It's a tough position to be in.
00:11:48 --> 00:11:52 And a lot of times suicide can rip a family apart.
00:11:54 --> 00:12:00 And trying to navigate all of that, it can rip apart friend groups.
00:12:02 --> 00:12:09 It was such a powerful episode because I remember I've had friends,
00:12:09 --> 00:12:13 I've had family members, I've even had coworkers that took their life.
00:12:13 --> 00:12:16 And it really there's like a clean
00:12:16 --> 00:12:20 line of delineation there and a
00:12:20 --> 00:12:24 lot of times people don't want to cross it and it just made it that conversation
00:12:24 --> 00:12:29 was really important to me glad it's it's one thing to create conversations
00:12:29 --> 00:12:34 and have conversations that hopefully inspire other people but what a lot of
00:12:34 --> 00:12:37 people i don't think realize when they listen to us or if.
00:12:39 --> 00:12:44 These conversations are just as much for the two of us as they are for any of you listening.
00:12:45 --> 00:12:47 They are cathartic. They're healing.
00:12:49 --> 00:12:54 G and I have created such an incredible bond that I don't share with anybody
00:12:54 --> 00:12:57 else because of what we talk about.
00:12:57 --> 00:13:01 So there's power for you and there's power for us, too.
00:13:01 --> 00:13:05 So just worth mentioning that because it was on my mind.
00:13:06 --> 00:13:11 It was a super powerful conversation, and I'm glad we got to have it. I know, me too. Me too.
00:13:11 --> 00:13:17 So episode six, this was an interesting one that you don't hear an awful lot
00:13:17 --> 00:13:21 about in mainstream mental health media.
00:13:21 --> 00:13:26 And I actually have an awful lot of experience with this topic,
00:13:26 --> 00:13:28 and it was reverse grieving.
00:13:28 --> 00:13:35 Because I'm one of the people who has grieved for someone they've lost twice.
00:13:36 --> 00:13:40 So if you're just turning in now and you're only hearing us for the first time
00:13:40 --> 00:13:47 during our season two recap, and you don't know my story, I lost my father to
00:13:47 --> 00:13:49 what I was told was a heart attack when I was 10 years old.
00:13:49 --> 00:13:52 And 35 years later, I learned the truth that he had actually taken his life.
00:13:52 --> 00:13:57 So I have grieved my father twice now in my life, like fully,
00:13:57 --> 00:14:00 not Not that you're ever done, but I have grieved him twice.
00:14:01 --> 00:14:06 And the second time that I grieved my father, most of that grief was happening
00:14:06 --> 00:14:12 in reverse because finding out he died a different way meant that I then had
00:14:12 --> 00:14:17 to kind of reprocess everything that had happened growing up. Was that real?
00:14:17 --> 00:14:22 Did he really mean it when he said he loved me? Was he really happy?
00:14:22 --> 00:14:27 Was he not happy? Like all of these things that grieving backwards does to the
00:14:27 --> 00:14:34 brain. And what happens when you learn something new about somebody you lost. It's a big shift.
00:14:35 --> 00:14:41 Yeah, I learned a lot from you on that episode because that's not something that I have had to do.
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 I've never grieved in reverse.
00:14:44 --> 00:14:46 And I can only think how...
00:14:47 --> 00:14:50 Painful that was to find out the
00:14:50 --> 00:14:54 truth as you were older and such a
00:14:54 --> 00:14:57 good powerful episode and
00:14:57 --> 00:15:02 people you know you were able to touch people that I wouldn't be able to touch
00:15:02 --> 00:15:09 because I haven't had that type of scenario happen in my life well I appreciate
00:15:09 --> 00:15:13 that I appreciate that a lot and I really loved you for holding space for me
00:15:13 --> 00:15:15 that day that was it was just as powerful for me,
00:15:16 --> 00:15:19 And that's the beauty of you and I doing what we do the way we do it.
00:15:19 --> 00:15:26 We are the survivors, and we come at surviving suicide from two very different sides.
00:15:27 --> 00:15:30 And we have all this lived experience, and chances are, if one of us doesn't
00:15:30 --> 00:15:30 have it, the other one does.
00:15:31 --> 00:15:36 So it's a beautiful thing in a not-quite-beautiful space, if that makes sense.
00:15:36 --> 00:15:38 It does perfect sense. Yeah.
00:15:38 --> 00:15:41 So from there, we jumped to Episode 7.
00:15:41 --> 00:15:50 And we talked a lot about when the grief that we feel feels more like guilt than like grief.
00:15:50 --> 00:15:56 And that is a tough one. It was an honest look at the guilt that so often,
00:15:56 --> 00:15:58 most often, follows suicide loss.
00:15:59 --> 00:16:05 That was a hard conversation because I know I've had my own issues with kind
00:16:05 --> 00:16:08 of unusual types of survivor guilt.
00:16:09 --> 00:16:14 And it's a lot to untangle when you talk about those what-ifs and should-haves
00:16:14 --> 00:16:17 and why didn't I do the thing or say the thing.
00:16:17 --> 00:16:22 And it's not just the guilt that survivors feel. It's the guilt that suicide
00:16:22 --> 00:16:24 attempt survivors feel also.
00:16:25 --> 00:16:31 Like, that shoulda, woulda, coulda, didn't. And, you know, we were able to give
00:16:31 --> 00:16:36 two really great perspectives from a lost survivor and from an attempt survivor.
00:16:37 --> 00:16:40 Guilt is real. That's right. That's right.
00:16:40 --> 00:16:46 And it's challenging to navigate whichever side you're on.
00:16:46 --> 00:16:54 It is, and it was a powerful reminder to me of if this was to ever happen to
00:16:54 --> 00:17:00 me again, and I mean if, because you never know, life throws horrible curveballs,
00:17:01 --> 00:17:05 but I would be a lot more open about what I was going through,
00:17:05 --> 00:17:08 so I wouldn't hold on to all that guilt.
00:17:08 --> 00:17:10 Yeah, that's an important takeaway.
00:17:11 --> 00:17:15 And it's also, I think, probably got to be a little reassuring for you now,
00:17:15 --> 00:17:17 now that you have tools that you didn't have before.
00:17:17 --> 00:17:22 Yeah, love my tools. They're like, I want to carry that little tool chest with
00:17:22 --> 00:17:24 me like a lunch pail every day.
00:17:24 --> 00:17:27 You should get like a, you should go to Home Depot and get one of the work belts.
00:17:27 --> 00:17:34 Do that. Anyway, moving on, moving on to episode eight. That was a smooth segue, right?
00:17:35 --> 00:17:39 To episode eight, National Wellness Month. That was in the middle of August
00:17:39 --> 00:17:41 and that was National Wellness Month.
00:17:41 --> 00:17:46 And we talked a lot about mental health. We talked about physical health.
00:17:46 --> 00:17:51 We talked about emotional wellness and how they're all so deeply connected.
00:17:52 --> 00:17:58 And we, you know, explored a lot of meaningful habits, big habits,
00:17:58 --> 00:18:03 small habits that help to keep us grounded, especially when we're grieving.
00:18:03 --> 00:18:08 Yeah, I mean, you've got to keep those habits.
00:18:08 --> 00:18:15 Healthy habits are so important. Take care of you. Mm-hmm. Isn't that the truth?
00:18:16 --> 00:18:19 So from there, we rolled into the end of August,
00:18:19 --> 00:18:26 and we talked a lot about the role of therapy and support groups in grieving suicide loss,
00:18:26 --> 00:18:31 which is something both of us have had a lot of experience with in terms of
00:18:31 --> 00:18:34 being parts of support groups.
00:18:34 --> 00:18:41 And I'm a facilitator of a support group and we both are such incredible advocates
00:18:41 --> 00:18:47 for therapy because we both absolutely love and adore our therapists.
00:18:48 --> 00:18:53 And we talked a lot, I remember we talked a lot in that episode about how grieving suicide is different.
00:18:53 --> 00:19:00 It hits different, it feels different and it's because of the nuances that exist
00:19:00 --> 00:19:05 in suicide loss, like the guilt and the shame and the why and the what ifs.
00:19:05 --> 00:19:09 And we talked about how having the right, any support really,
00:19:09 --> 00:19:12 but the right kind of support in particular can really make all the difference.
00:19:13 --> 00:19:20 It can. And for me, therapy was a game changer, both professionally and personally.
00:19:20 --> 00:19:26 And it helped me to recognize things in myself that I didn't really realize.
00:19:26 --> 00:19:29 I also attended a couple of support groups.
00:19:30 --> 00:19:35 And nothing better than being around people that are dealing with something
00:19:35 --> 00:19:37 similar to what you're dealing with.
00:19:37 --> 00:19:41 And I didn't have to talk. I did talk because we all know I can't be quiet anymore.
00:19:42 --> 00:19:46 But it was, it made my heart feel good.
00:19:47 --> 00:19:51 Struggling with your mental health, feeling lost, overwhelmed, or just alone?
00:19:52 --> 00:19:56 Well, you're not. Welcome to the Help Hub, your online destination for mental
00:19:56 --> 00:20:01 health resources, content, and tools to help you navigate whatever mental health
00:20:01 --> 00:20:03 challenges you're facing in the moment.
00:20:03 --> 00:20:08 At the Help Hub, We offer individualized resources tailored to your unique needs
00:20:08 --> 00:20:13 and community with over 16 different categories to find exactly the kind of
00:20:13 --> 00:20:16 personalized help you need when you need it most.
00:20:16 --> 00:20:19 Because even though we all deal with many of the same challenges,
00:20:19 --> 00:20:22 we don't always experience those challenges the same way.
00:20:23 --> 00:20:27 So whether you're looking for crisis support, downloadable resources,
00:20:27 --> 00:20:31 or an extensive archive of mental health related articles and videos, we've got you.
00:20:31 --> 00:20:37 From episodes of the Survivors Podcast for suicide law survivors and lived experience
00:20:37 --> 00:20:42 blogs to interactive tools and professional connections, The Help Hub meets
00:20:42 --> 00:20:45 you where you are and helps you move forward with strength and support.
00:20:46 --> 00:20:48 Remember, you don't have to do this alone.
00:20:49 --> 00:20:51 Visit thehelphub.co today.
00:20:54 --> 00:21:02 Well, I know as someone who talks to people all the time who are survivors of suicide loss,
00:21:03 --> 00:21:09 I have this instant connection with someone, whether we do a lot of deep talking
00:21:09 --> 00:21:13 or not, whether I'm just sitting there listening to them or they're listening
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 to me, it's a back and forth.
00:21:15 --> 00:21:22 There is something so different. It's a next level feeling when you know the
00:21:22 --> 00:21:26 person you're either in a support group with or maybe you've got a trauma informed
00:21:26 --> 00:21:30 therapist who perhaps they've experienced suicide loss.
00:21:30 --> 00:21:36 Like I know with the group that I moderate for Samaritans, the Safe Place Support
00:21:36 --> 00:21:37 Group for Suicide Loss Survivors,
00:21:38 --> 00:21:43 one of the criteria to be a facilitator for that group is obviously we get trained,
00:21:44 --> 00:21:46 but we have to be survivors.
00:21:46 --> 00:21:51 So every time I'm there in that group, I may not be doing a lot of the talking.
00:21:51 --> 00:21:55 I'm just facilitating, but I'm getting a lot out of it because I'm in a virtual
00:21:55 --> 00:21:57 room with a whole bunch of people who understand that kind of loss.
00:21:57 --> 00:21:58 So it's really powerful.
00:21:59 --> 00:22:02 It was very powerful. Yeah. I love that. Yeah, me too.
00:22:02 --> 00:22:11 And then we ended August talking about creating rituals and how to do that and
00:22:11 --> 00:22:14 how important that is when you're grieving.
00:22:15 --> 00:22:21 And I know that both of us have a lot of our own unique rituals.
00:22:21 --> 00:22:26 Some things you and I do that are similar and some things are definitely very unique to each one of us.
00:22:26 --> 00:22:30 But whatever they are they show us
00:22:30 --> 00:22:33 help us stay connected
00:22:33 --> 00:22:36 to the people that we've lost whether it's
00:22:36 --> 00:22:39 as simple as lighting a candle or it's it's writing
00:22:39 --> 00:22:42 a letter like i've been writing letters to my dad more recently
00:22:42 --> 00:22:45 or it's visiting that meaningful
00:22:45 --> 00:22:48 place that you did the things that you loved together whatever
00:22:48 --> 00:22:51 it is we're talking about how to create those
00:22:51 --> 00:22:54 healing touch points through rituals and i
00:22:54 --> 00:22:57 loved that conversation i really did i do too and one
00:22:57 --> 00:23:00 of the things that like i do for myself every
00:23:00 --> 00:23:04 year at christmas is i write a letter to my
00:23:04 --> 00:23:07 you know myself that from two years ago to let
00:23:07 --> 00:23:12 to see what my growth has been and what i've been doing and i have found it
00:23:12 --> 00:23:18 to be very very cathartic for me yeah see and that's something that someone
00:23:18 --> 00:23:24 might not even consider unless they've heard our episode and hopefully we've
00:23:24 --> 00:23:27 we've given people different,
00:23:28 --> 00:23:31 things to think about that maybe they didn't think about before and i know that
00:23:31 --> 00:23:34 was something that i hadn't thought about before so it was something i appreciated
00:23:34 --> 00:23:40 that you offer to the conversation i thank you look at you offering such valuable
00:23:40 --> 00:23:43 insight so then we hit september.
00:23:44 --> 00:23:47 And that, of course, as most people know in this mental health space,
00:23:48 --> 00:23:50 is National Suicide Prevention Month.
00:23:50 --> 00:23:56 I guess you could say it's our month because this is the majority of the work
00:23:56 --> 00:24:00 that we do that's focused on mental illness and suicide and depression and this
00:24:00 --> 00:24:02 particular kind of grief and loss.
00:24:02 --> 00:24:08 And we hit it from all sides. That was a really diverse conversation.
00:24:08 --> 00:24:13 We talked about prevention. We talked about awareness. We talked about how to
00:24:13 --> 00:24:19 create a culture of connection and compassion and why it's so important to keep
00:24:19 --> 00:24:25 the conversation going long after the month of September into all the other months.
00:24:25 --> 00:24:27 It's our obligation. It's our responsibility.
00:24:27 --> 00:24:34 And I loved what we brought to Suicide Prevention Month with that conversation.
00:24:34 --> 00:24:41 I loved it, too. And it was a powerful episode for me because I remember the
00:24:41 --> 00:24:44 healing journey I've been on now for two years, going on three.
00:24:45 --> 00:24:51 And I hope that, you know, suicide attempt survivors out there can find that
00:24:51 --> 00:24:57 one thing, that one ritual that helps you remember how far you've come.
00:24:58 --> 00:25:02 Because it is such a powerful reminder that you're still living,
00:25:03 --> 00:25:05 you're still breathing, you're still loving.
00:25:06 --> 00:25:10 And you went through some really hard stuff, but you didn't stop.
00:25:11 --> 00:25:15 Yeah, well, rituals are anchors. They keep us tethered.
00:25:16 --> 00:25:25 So from there, we segued right from that episode directly into World Suicide Prevention Day.
00:25:25 --> 00:25:30 And we were very lucky because our episode happened to drop on World Suicide Prevention Day.
00:25:30 --> 00:25:35 So we talked about what you just said, which is that suicide is not a regional
00:25:35 --> 00:25:37 issue. It's not a national issue.
00:25:37 --> 00:25:42 It is a global issue that impacts, in some way or another,
00:25:43 --> 00:25:47 over 94 million people a year, whether you were the one who took your life,
00:25:47 --> 00:25:51 whether you were the one who touched by the suicide, whatever it might be,
00:25:51 --> 00:25:57 that whatever way you might be involved, it is a global issue.
00:25:57 --> 00:26:04 And we looked at what we can do both within our own communities and beyond in
00:26:04 --> 00:26:11 the greater, bigger world to change some of these outcomes. Yes.
00:26:12 --> 00:26:18 And by having this conversation here, like you said, ripple effect.
00:26:19 --> 00:26:23 The more we talk about it, the less stigma there is, less shame,
00:26:23 --> 00:26:28 the less weakness. Because there's no weakness or shame in talking about it.
00:26:28 --> 00:26:32 And when we don't talk about it, it just increases the stigma. So...
00:26:34 --> 00:26:39 Yeah, I think we talked about it in all the right ways. And then we talked about
00:26:39 --> 00:26:43 something that both of us were really excited to talk about,
00:26:43 --> 00:26:46 which is the role of social media in suicide prevention.
00:26:46 --> 00:26:51 We talked about this from so many different angles. We unpacked it in so many ways,
00:26:51 --> 00:26:55 like the way that it can be used for good or for evil,
00:26:56 --> 00:26:59 you know, it's good or bad, and how it can be harmful,
00:26:59 --> 00:27:06 how it can be helpful, how to be able to filter what we see and hear so that
00:27:06 --> 00:27:11 it doesn't have an adverse effect on our mental health and wellness.
00:27:11 --> 00:27:16 So if you haven't listened to that episode, go back, listen to episode 13 from
00:27:16 --> 00:27:21 September 17th and really dig into that conversation,
00:27:21 --> 00:27:27 especially if you're a parent talking about how you really need to filter what
00:27:27 --> 00:27:30 not only you yourself watch and listen to, but what your kids consume to.
00:27:31 --> 00:27:35 Also, making sure that you're not getting compassion fatigue.
00:27:36 --> 00:27:40 You know, walking away from social media when you need to.
00:27:41 --> 00:27:44 There is a lot of good content out there.
00:27:45 --> 00:27:47 There's also a lot of horrible content out there.
00:27:48 --> 00:27:53 So being mindful of what you're looking at online, being mindful of,
00:27:54 --> 00:27:56 yes, it's okay to snooze people. It's okay to block people.
00:27:57 --> 00:28:02 It's not a contest. It's all about your mental health. or making sure you're keeping it in check.
00:28:02 --> 00:28:06 Absolutely. And from there,
00:28:06 --> 00:28:10 we went right straight into episode 14,
00:28:10 --> 00:28:15 and that was all about caregiver burnout and what to do when you're the one
00:28:15 --> 00:28:19 supporting someone who is either mentally unwell or physically unwell and how
00:28:19 --> 00:28:24 being that caregiver can be so depleting, so exhausting.
00:28:24 --> 00:28:28 We talked about how to take care of yourself, why it's important to prioritize
00:28:28 --> 00:28:32 yourself, how to ask for help, why it's important to ask for help.
00:28:33 --> 00:28:39 And it, I think, became one of my favorite conversations of the season because
00:28:39 --> 00:28:46 we really dug deep into why we need to be putting the oxygen mask on ourself
00:28:46 --> 00:28:48 before we try to help other people.
00:28:49 --> 00:28:56 For sure. I mean, in that episode, I talked a lot about the compassion fatigue I had for my wife.
00:28:56 --> 00:28:59 But I'm sure she had some compassion fatigue, too,
00:29:00 --> 00:29:05 with just helping me deal with all my mental health issues and my depression
00:29:05 --> 00:29:11 and reminding each other that we need to take care of our own mental health first.
00:29:11 --> 00:29:14 Exactly. It's so important.
00:29:16 --> 00:29:17 Couldn't agree more. So, and
00:29:17 --> 00:29:21 then here we are. And episode 15 is the one you're listening to right now.
00:29:21 --> 00:29:25 And that is a recap of season two of The Survivors.
00:29:25 --> 00:29:29 So I know this is a bit longer, a few minutes longer than our typical episode.
00:29:29 --> 00:29:32 So thanks for hanging in if you've hung in this long.
00:29:32 --> 00:29:38 And here are a few little things that we want to leave you with before we go.
00:29:39 --> 00:29:45 First, revisit a past episode. If you haven't been listening to us all along, give us a shot.
00:29:46 --> 00:29:51 Just pick an episode that appeals to you, maybe something you've gone through,
00:29:51 --> 00:29:54 has a connection point, and give us a listen.
00:29:55 --> 00:29:58 And then share it with somebody who you think might meet it right now.
00:29:59 --> 00:30:04 Next thing is, and this is so unbelievably helpful, we don't ask for it a lot
00:30:04 --> 00:30:10 during each episode, but we're asking now, please, please leave us a review, share your feedback.
00:30:11 --> 00:30:14 Connect with us online. We'd love to hear your voice.
00:30:14 --> 00:30:18 But those reviews in particular are so incredibly valuable because they elevate
00:30:18 --> 00:30:23 our podcast and our message to people who really need it most.
00:30:23 --> 00:30:29 So if you haven't left us a review, please go to Apple. Please go to our website at thesurvivors.net.
00:30:29 --> 00:30:33 Find us wherever you find your podcasts and even just drop us a rating.
00:30:33 --> 00:30:36 We're happy with absolutely anything you want to give us.
00:30:36 --> 00:30:42 And the last thing is stay tuned for season three. Make sure you subscribe so
00:30:42 --> 00:30:43 that you can follow along with us.
00:30:44 --> 00:30:49 Hit that follow button on your favorite podcast app and be ready.
00:30:49 --> 00:30:56 Just be ready because we are definitely shoring up for our best season yet. We want to level up.
00:30:57 --> 00:31:02 We want to have even more raw, real conversations ahead because surviving is
00:31:02 --> 00:31:04 not something that we do alone. We don't.
00:31:04 --> 00:31:08 And it's so imperative that we do it together.
00:31:08 --> 00:31:15 So from me to you who are listening, thank you for being part of this season
00:31:15 --> 00:31:18 and season one, if you were.
00:31:18 --> 00:31:23 Can't wait for season three. And gee, I don't want to get emotional because
00:31:23 --> 00:31:24 it's creeping up. I can feel it.
00:31:25 --> 00:31:30 I have loved every second that I've gotten to share with you behind the mic these last two seasons.
00:31:31 --> 00:31:36 This truly is one of the most beautiful experiences of my life.
00:31:36 --> 00:31:39 I cherish every, okay, there it is. Now I'm getting emotional.
00:31:39 --> 00:31:49 I cherish every one of these conversations and you and your insights and your
00:31:49 --> 00:31:50 huge heart have helped me more than you know.
00:31:50 --> 00:31:55 So I love you so much and I appreciate you and the opportunity to do this thing that we do every week.
00:31:55 --> 00:31:59 Girl, you're going to make me cry. I've been really, really good this whole episode.
00:32:00 --> 00:32:05 But I get the same feelings. I just don't want people to get to where I got to.
00:32:06 --> 00:32:09 I don't. It is a terrifying place to be.
00:32:10 --> 00:32:14 On the other side of that, the world is a beautiful place.
00:32:14 --> 00:32:18 Even with all the crazy, I'm going to say the word, shit that's going on,
00:32:18 --> 00:32:20 it's still a beautiful place.
00:32:20 --> 00:32:23 And we want you here.
00:32:23 --> 00:32:28 And I couldn't have these conversations without anybody else besides Lisa.
00:32:28 --> 00:32:30 So thank you for putting up for which my crazy.
00:32:31 --> 00:32:33 It's a certain little blend of crazy.
00:32:33 --> 00:32:37 But hopefully we're out there changing the world. I hope so.
00:32:37 --> 00:32:42 One conversation at a time. And so from us to you, thanks for hanging in there.
00:32:42 --> 00:32:43 Let's keep surviving together.
00:32:44 --> 00:32:48 Thanks for joining us on The Survivors. Remember, no matter how tough things
00:32:48 --> 00:32:51 feel, you are enough. And the world needs you just the way you are.
00:32:52 --> 00:32:56 You're not alone in this journey. There's a community here, and every step forward counts.
00:32:56 --> 00:33:00 We're so grateful you took the time to listen, and we hope you'll take one day
00:33:00 --> 00:33:03 at a time. Just know there's always more light ahead.
00:33:04 --> 00:33:09 Thanks for being here, friends. Just remember, help is out there in so many different places.
00:33:09 --> 00:33:14 So if you or someone you know is struggling, please call 988 and a trained crisis
00:33:14 --> 00:33:16 counselor like me will be there to help.
00:33:16 --> 00:33:19 You can also find an inclusive and comprehensive directory of mental health
00:33:19 --> 00:33:23 resources, tools, and content at thehelphub.co.
00:33:23 --> 00:33:27 Just remember that help is always just a call or a click away.
00:33:27 --> 00:33:30 We'll catch you next week. In the meantime, keep surviving.