The truth is that we lose someone to suicide every 45 seconds. It impacts every community on the planet. Suicide isn’t a bad word. We can and should talk about it because talking about it is how we quell stigma and silence the shame that has latched on to it for ages. Suicide has impacted and will impact so many. There are those we’ve lost to suicide, there are those who are thinking about suicide, there are those who attempt and survive, there are those who are grieving because of suicide,...

Whether it’s our own perceptions or what the media has designated, when it comes to fashion and clothing choices, we make quick assumptions based on what someone is wearing. All black? You must be emotional or depressed or troubled. Bright and light? You must be carefree and happy. We see people’s mental well-being placed into boxes based on what’s in their closets and on their bodies. At the same time, there’s also space for our fashion choices to express who we are and what we like.    To...

The term “therapy desert” is relatively new. Or at least, many people are learning about it for the first time. Because while talking about and even going to therapy has become way less stigmatized over the course of the last three years, there are still places without the resources, necessary infrastructure (like internet access and public transportation), and even the language to be able to access it. Therapy costs money, a lot of money, but how can you address the financial barrier when...

Even before social media and influencers, celebrity culture has permeated our senses through magazines, billboards, advertisements, TV shows, and movies. We’re told what is and isn’t attractive or desired when it comes to the way we look on the outside. And now, with technology at our fingertips, with filters on nearly every image our eyes take in, and with products and routines that will supposedly transform us into the individual we’re admiring, it’s no wonder so many of us deal with...

Mental Health Month is upon us and we’re in the midst of our Show Up For Yourself campaign which focuses on finding 20 minutes a day to care for things that relate to your heart, mind, body, and community. This can look like gentle movement, calling a friend, journaling, and deep breathing. While we’re putting an emphasis on small, accessible, and tangible ways that we can all show up for ourselves, there’s obviously a bigger avenue for us, if we have the resources, to tend to our mental...

Burnout. You’ve probably heard the term over the course of the last few years in regard to work, the pandemic, and the general state of the world. According to Psychology Today, burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. Though it’s most often caused by things at work, it can also appear in other areas of life, such as parenting, caretaking, or romantic relationships. At the core of burnout, is stress. Stress can manifest...

Season six is officially upon us and we’re excited for a number of reasons. First, we’re going to have the joy of talking to more To Write Love folks and holding in-person conversations. Second, the topics we’re diving into might feel a bit more culturally relevant. We’ll get into the mental health assumptions made based on the way someone dresses, different types of counseling like art therapy or combining two forms into one, using bodies as fashion and how it hurts our well-being, and even...

Being vulnerable is no easy task. Sharing our pain and fears and struggles can make us feel exposed, weak, and susceptible to others’ criticisms. Add in our own personal stigmas against things like therapy and vulnerability, and getting honest ends up being one heck of a challenge. Today, we have the honor and pleasure of talking to singer-songwriter Andy Grammer about his experience with all of the above. Andy talks about the grief of losing his mother in 2009, but how caring for his own...

How we talk about, approach, and care for suicide is a pretty big deal. Suicide is a tragic and intense topic, and it’s also a very real and human-centered topic. That’s why we want to explore the ways in which we can reframe and change how we address it in a more compassionate sense—and how we, on a person-to-person level, can care for ourselves, friends, and loved ones who might be thinking about or considering suicide. So today, we have the honor of hearing and learning from suicide...

In 2018, after Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain died by suicide, Deanna Zandt felt compelled to address the words of encouragement others were offering those in the midst of a mental struggle. That piece is titled “Why ‘you are loved’ & ‘please reach out’ are crappy things to post after someone has died by suicide” and it explores the way in which our words and actions can help or hurt someone struggling. In today’s episode, we’re honored to be joined by Deanna to explore her perspective...

Just say no. Drugs are whack.  Recognize, Resist, Report.   These phrases stem from programs and campaigns and political agendas that ultimately hurt the United States and its people. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program or DARE filled schools in the 90s—and while overall being deemed ineffective, it continues today asking youth to take pledges to stay away from drugs and gangs. Then there’s the failed and heavily criticized War on Drugs that began in the 70s but really took off in...

Eating Disorders are a human experience. They don’t play favorites or stick to a certain stereotype. They are often ways a person seeks out safety or control amidst a traumatic or trying time. And they rarely begin straight out of the gate as a diagnosable eating disorder and rather a coping mechanism through which disordered eating and an ultimately harmful relationship with food or body image take hold. Some recurring themes throughout today’s episode will be empathy and connection.   To...

Maybe you look forward to the solitude that comes after a long day of work or spending the weekends in nature with your dog. Maybe you find energy and comfort in game nights with friends or love the opportunity to meet new people. Or, perhaps you find yourself best suited somewhere in the middle—reading books in the company of a loved one. But how do those varying preferences, those gages for recharging and feeling restored and rejuvenated, affect our mental health? Are they connected? Do...

  Borderline Personality Disorder. It has been deemed a heavy diagnosis. One that has been linked to characteristics such as manipulative, self-destructive, unstable, selfish, and untreatable. It is described as involving patterns of wavering interpersonal relationships, a distorted sense of self, and emotional reactions that are characterized as intense.    In this episode, we’re going to confront some truly harmful labels, reiterate that this diagnosis, contrary to popular belief, is...

In today’s episode, through a question and answer session, we dive into the topic of rest. Rest in the form of actual sleep, rest from our jobs, from school, from social interactions, and rest, even from the work that our healing and recovery requires of us.    In a heavily digitized world, we are often expected and asked to be engaged—or at least available—at all times. But as human beings who get tired and drained, being “always on” and “always accessible” is an expectation we can’t and...

Mindfulness. It’s become a bit of a buzzword. But boiling it down to a single word does it a bit of disservice. Mindfulness can take the shape of various forms of meditation, yoga practices, immersing ourselves in nature, noticing our breath, or tapping into our senses.    But how does mindfulness, and all the avenues it involves, intersect with mental health? How can our awareness of the present moment, of a tangible aspect of reality change or improve our inner world?    To help us...

Candance wrote, “Parts of my brain continually struggle for power while others retreat completely. But no matter what’s been taken—time, control, hope for the future—it’s never too late to start anew.”   Bianca said, “Every day I learn new things about how my OCD manifests, and I am figuring out in real-time what that means for my relationships, health, and job.”   And Kirsten shared, “OCD, contrary to popular belief, is not tidy or clean. It’s messy. Exhausting. Loud.”   These words...

The topic of this episode is rather specific. It’s something we haven’t addressed on the podcast until now and have only briefly explored elsewhere. It’s something that carries a heavy stigma and the weight of expectation. It’s something that impacts 20% of people who are pregnant or give birth. We’re talking about perinatal—that’s before, during, and after pregnancy—mood and anxiety disorders that include depression, irritability, and heightened anxiety.    To help us paint a picture of...

Self-injury appears in the TWLOHA mission statement. It’s something we work to destigmatize and to present hope and healing for those who struggle with it. But in today’s episode, we’re talking about what it means to be the parent, friend, partner, or loved one of someone who engages in non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors. What so many people need is a safe space to share without judgment and to explore their options when it comes to professional care.    To help us navigate and...

In the premiere episode of season five, we’re addressing the topic of grief. Contrary to popular belief, grief comes in many forms, it impacts people in varying ways, and it does not have to stem from the loss of a loved one. Grief is the thing that we feel and experience in the absence of something or someone we love—a pet, a relationship, a parent, a job, a home. To help us explore, identify, and even learn how to navigate grief through creativity, we’ll be joined by content creator Vivian...

In the final episode of season four and to close out the Another Day With You campaign, we talk to someone who attempted suicide at the age of 27 and went on to write a book inspired by his own experience. That person is author Bill Konigsberg and that book is The Bridge. In our conversation, you’ll hear about Bill’s chronic, untreated depression which led to an attempt, and how writing the book became a way to dispel the lies his brain was telling him while encouraging readers.

For today’s episode, instead of a one-on-one interview, we’re doing something a little different. We’ve invited an array of voices to share some heartfelt responses to some questions: 1. Who or what has helped you stay another day? And 2. What would you say to someone who is finding it difficult to stay another day? Their responses are honest and unique, but there is often, and perhaps unsurprisingly, a common occurrence of hope. If some responses don’t resonate with you, that’s OK.

Over the course of the next few episodes, in honor of TWLOHA’s Another Day With You campaign and World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, we want to use this space to have conversations that challenge the lie that says we can’t or shouldn’t talk about suicide. We want to share real-life experiences as they relate to suicide attempts, loss, and ideation. For today’s conversation, we’re chatting with and hearing from Carrie Thompson, who lost her son Ben to suicide two years ago. 

Over the course of the next few episodes, in honor of TWLOHA’s Another Day With You campaign and World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th, we want to use this space to have conversations that challenge the lie that says we can’t or shouldn’t talk about suicide. We want to share real-life experiences as they relate to suicide attempts, loss, and ideation. For today’s episode, we’re joined by Ashley Holstrom, who is talking about the latter: suicidal ideation.