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On my 100th episode celebration, I interviewed Dr. Kirk Honda, a therapist and host of the podcast Psychology in Seattle. He has a Doctorate in Psychology, a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy, has been working as a psychotherapist since 1996, and he’s been a professor since 1998. In the first part of this interview, Kirk talks about his experience with suicidal patients, as well as the theory he has developed over the years about self-inflicted death. In the second half of our conversation, Kirk and I get personal as he talks about his life, relationships, and the making of the podcast “Psychology in Seattle,” which by the way, is my favorite podcast. Find Dr. Kirk Honda: https://www.psychologyinseattle.com/ Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/3QYe0II Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com  Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

This interview was given to Georgena Grace, CEO of the Integrated Wellbeing Institute. Georgena knows suicide from a personal perspective: she lost both her brother and son to suicide. She currently works with grief patients and trains mental health professionals. Find the Integrated Wellbeing Institute: https://integratedwellbeinginstitute.com/ Watch this interview on Georgina’s YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3lD0K1n If you want to support my channel, buy me a coffee.  https://bit.ly/3whorPH Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/3XyxQwR Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com  Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

This is a quick request: Could you please go to YouTube and subscribe to my channel? It’s called Understand Suicide. This way I can maybe monetize the channel and pay someone to edit the videos and audios. It would mean a lot to me and I would be able to do more interviews. As you know, I don’t have ads, sponsors, or Patreon, because I just never found anything that would be suitable due to the topic that I cover. Thank you so much. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

When Dr. Aruna Tummala, MD, came to the United States, she quickly learned that being a doctor here meant something quite different from her experience in India, her country of origin. One of the first things she was told at the University was never to touch her patients, which was quite shocking to her. She looks at the patient in a holistic manner and avoids conventional medication, particularly when the patient comes in with psychiatric issues. In this interview, Dr. Tummala shares her wisdom and approach to medicine. One of the things she said was that the three root causes of any disease are: a bad diet, trauma (physical and mental), and toxins. That is where she focuses her attention. According to Dr. Tummala, only 1% to 2% of her patients take psychotropic medication. Dr. Tummala is a board-certified adult and geriatric psychiatrist and founder of Trinergy Health in New Berlin, Wisconsin. She is also board certified in Integrative and Holistic Medicine (by the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine) and has received training in Functional Medicine and Ayurveda, the oldest medical system in the world. Inspired by the realization that conventional psychiatry has become a linear, medication-dependent, symptoms-based model with little to offer the millions of people struggling with mental illness, Dr. Tummala turned to Integrative Psychiatry, fully embracing its patient-centered, collaborative care approach. Watch this interview on my YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3Jy8DPG Find Dr. Tummala Aruna: https://bit.ly/3Jyw2jV Dr. Tummala’s resources: https://bit.ly/3RrO49z If you want to support my channel, buy me a coffee. https://bit.ly/3whorPH Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/3DA3pz7 Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com  Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

In this episode, I talk to Stacey Freedenthal, who just came out with a wonderful new book entitled "Loving Someone with Suicidal Thoughts: What Family, Friends, and Partners Can Say and Do.” I’m sure this will be tremendously helpful to those who have loved ones struggling with suicidal thoughts and ideation. Watch this interview on my YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3whWdn6 Find Stacey’s book and take advantage of the promotion in January: https://bit.ly/3QN3bKk Find the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3QLCHJm Check Stacey’s website: https://staceyfreedenthal.com/ If you want to support my channel, buy me a coffee. https://bit.ly/3whorPH Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/3QSyiEn Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com  Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

In this conversation, Dr. Doreen Marshal, Ph.D., vice President of Mission Engagement at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, talks about how to avoid - or at least diminish - stress during the holiday season. Doreen has a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University and a master’s degree in Professional Counseling. If you want to support my channel, buy me a coffee. https://bit.ly/3whorPH Find out more about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at: https://afsp.org Watch this interview: https://youtu.be/ad1ZVqhpXlg Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/3hUWSXO Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com  Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

In this episode, Army Major General, Mark Graham talks to us about the loss of his two sons, Jeffrey and Kevin, one of them being of suicide. He tells us how his family dealt with the shock and pain brought up by Kevin’s suicide, how it affected each member of the family, and how they came together to heal from the compounded grief of losing both kids within a short period of one year. He also shares with us the beautiful work he does as a director of Vets4Warriors, a peer-to-peer support network for veterans and their families. Mark and his wife Carol have become mental health advocates; they want to make sure that their losses can be transformed into vessel of hope. If you want to support my channel, buy me a coffee. https://bit.ly/3whorPH Find out more about Vets4Warriors: https://www.vets4warriors.com/ Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/3hUWSXO Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com  Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

Send questions and comments to understandsuicide@gmail.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

We are reaching the 100th episode and instead of interviewing someone, you get to ask ME questions. Please send an audio recording with questions or maybe let me know how my podcast has touched your life. It would mean the world to me. The questions can be about the podcast (curiosities, specific interviews, etc), my life, the making of the podcast, or anything you want.  Send it to the email understandsuicide@gmail.com.  It can be audio or just a regular email. Please let me know if you want your name to be revealed. The deadline is October 20th. Thank you for participating, it's your chance to be part of this journey. Paula --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

When Lisa Klein was 18 years old, she had already lost her father and brother to suicide, and as it often happens, she felt that their deaths had to be related to who she was: “My thought was that it was a reflection on me, that I wasn’t good enough” she says. Her family shut down, suicide was not discussed. “We couldn’t talk about it and I had so many questions.” Years later, she started talking to loss survivors with the intent of producing a film about it. During the interviews, Lisa got in touch with people who had attempted suicide and decided that sharing their stories would be more beneficial. “I wanted to talk to people about being on the edge and what brought them back.” The result is a great documentary called “The S Word.” In this interview, the film director Lisa Klein shares some of the beautiful stories portrayed in the film and how it helped her understand her brother and father’s suicide. If you want to support my channel, buy me a coffee. https://bit.ly/3whorPH Learn about the film “The S Word:” https://bit.ly/3dLtDoO Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/3QYe0II Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com  Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

When her son CJ took his life at the age of 20, Hallie was numb, confused, and full of guilt. One day, she had an idea: Hallie put out an open call on Facebook asking people to help fulfill her son's wish to see the world by scattering some of his ashes in a place of beauty or special meaning. Her initiative touched the hearts of tens of thousands of people all over the world. To this day, over one thousand volunteers have taken CJ to over one hundred countries and out of space. While crisscrossing the globe, his ashes and his family’s story have given rise to a social media phenomenon — a worldwide community — that has congregated in solidarity and empathy in dealing with a still heavily stigmatized and misunderstood form of mental illness. In this interview, you will get to know CJ's story and hear about the overwhelming response Hallie received, which became the documentary “Scattering CJ.” The documentary has just been released on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). If you want to support my channel, buy me a coffee. https://bit.ly/3whorPH Watch " Scattering CJ:"  https://www.pbs.org/show/scattering-cj/ Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com  Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Find my book "Understanding suicide: living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/2ANczuR If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

The bestseller author Terri Cheney has struggled with bipolar disorder since childhood. In this amazing interview, she talks about decades of multiple misdiagnoses, which took a toll on her life and stopped her from receiving proper treatment, and her suicide attempts. One of the things I love about this conversation was her openness to sharing not only her grounded knowledge of the disease but also how destructive it has been on her relationships. For those who have to live through the challenges of bipolar disorder, Terri gives helpful tips on how to keep themselves safe when the disease is shouting “just do it.” The other interesting aspect of this interview is her ability to cross the road to the other side of bipolar disease and compassionately relate to the people who are in relationships with someone who has the condition. Some of the questions she answers are: What is the difference between hypomania and mania? What about bipolar one and two? Why are bipolar patients so often misdiagnosed with depression? Terry has been through it all but today she has found ways to live a full life. Better yet, she has decided to join us in the fight against the stigma that comes with mental illnesses. “Being able to put a name on my cluster of symptoms was such a turning point in my life because the first time in my life I didn’t feel guilty about my rather extreme thoughts and behavior. It also allowed me to get the kind of treatment I needed.” If you want to support my channel, buy me a coffee. https://bit.ly/3whorPH Find the book on Amazon, where I have an affiliate account. This means that I get a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. It’s a way to support my work: - Manic, a memoir: https://amzn.to/3Cqexie - Modern Madness: An Owner's Manual - https://amzn.to/3cmNWbf - The Dark Side of Innocence (Growing up Bipolar) - https://amzn.to/3R6VwFW Find Terri Cheney on Psychology Today - https://bit.ly/3QJJiTz Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/3QYe0II Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com  Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

Nikolaj Høier is a researcher at The Danish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention (DRISP) in Copenhagen and at The Chronopsychiatry Research Group at The University of Edinburgh. His study looked at the association between sleep disorders and the risk for suicide. In this interview, Nikolaj talks about the impact of sleep deprivation on mental health, the risks involved with medication, how sleep helps regulate your whole body and brain, how it impacts your mood and relationships, and he also gives us practical tips on improving sleep. The researcher gives us an overview of his research findings, which included over seven million people living in Denmark during 1980 and 2016. If you want to support my channel, buy me a coffee. https://bit.ly/3whorPH Find the Danish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention: https://bit.ly/3vI4SzF Read Nikolaj’s article “Association between hospital-diagnosed sleep disorders and suicide: a nationwide cohort study:” https://bit.ly/3StKv2P Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com  Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Find my book "Understanding suicide: living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/2ANczuR If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

In this interview, we discuss the many challenges couples face when dealing with this kind of loss. After the suicide of their son, Chris, in 2020, Kellie and her husband had to retrace their path forward. Through her story, she gives precious tips on how to work on the relationship and ways that help keep the family together after a tragic loss. Kellie is the author of the recently published novel, “Mount Hope,” which she describes as her ‘love letter to the LGBTQ+ community.’  Find Kellie here: https://kelliewoolf.com/ If you want to support my channel, buy me a coffee. https://bit.ly/3whorPH Find the book on Amazon, where I have an affiliate account. This means that I get a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. It’s a way to support my work: https://amzn.to/3uJU43n Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com  Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Find my book "Understanding suicide: living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/2ANczuR If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on their website or phone: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

Linda’s son, Mike, died of suicide in 2012 after years of struggling with addiction. As it’s often the case, his painful path affected the whole family, particularly the way they related to one another. Together, the family had to find a way to support Mike but also keep themselves healthy: "Ultimately, we came to understand that this was Mike’s problem and he needed to learn how to manage it. We identified what was our responsibility and what was his. I came away with one outstanding insight: I was just as “addicted” to Mike as he was to heroin. We came to understand it is a family disease because everyone in the family is affected by it.” Linda wrote about the family’s journey. Her book, “Dear Heroin: a memoir of goodness,” can be found here: https://www.dearheroinbook.com/ If you want to support my work, buy me a coffee. This will help me keep bringing hope to those touched by suicide:  https://bit.ly/3whorPH Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com  Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Find my book "Understanding suicide: living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/2ANczuR Read my blog on Psychology Today: https://bit.ly/2Y9WdID Exchange experiences on my Facebook page: https://bit.ly/3h8sIet If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on their website or phone:  https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

A few weeks ago, Thea contacted me asking to share her story: she had just lost her father to suicide and wanted to help families navigate this painful experience. Careful not to re-traumatize her, we agreed that it would be best if her mother participated because I wanted to add an extra layer of safety and protection for her. In this interview, mother and daughter talk about their different journeys and how they have been able to face this unfathomable pain as a family. This conversation is an invaluable testament to love: love for each other, for Brian’s memory, and for his life. If your family is going through suicide loss, I’m sure that Jeanne and Thea will help you find answers on how to move forward. If you want to support my work, consider buying me a coffee. This will help me keep bringing hope to those touched by suicide:  https://bit.ly/3whorPH Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com  Watch this interview on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/nCuiabZbVXk Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Find my book "Understanding suicide: living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/2ANczuR If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on their website or phone: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

After coming back from deployment to Iraq, Aaron Quinonez struggled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, but felt unsupported by the Veterans Administration. One of the questions he would ask himself was “Who am I now past this trauma? I had to understand that the person I was before didn’t exist anymore,” he shared. At the height of his helplessness, the thought of suicide crossed his mind, but something unexpected happened on the day he planned to take his life. Sitting in the car, he would watch kids playing in the playground and kept waiting for them to leave: “I didn’t want to inflict trauma on them,” but then, he fell asleep, and when he woke up, everything had changed. His interview is a beautiful example of resilience, compassion, and a reminder that there is always a chance to turn one’s life around. Today, Sgt Q helps veterans heal through the QMissions program, which shows “veterans how to replace the battle scars of their minds with the joy of serving.” His book “Healing thru Service” offers a candid look into Sgt Q’s journey, ways to create positive triggers, and a step-by-step award-winning process of healing through mission service. If you want to support my work, buy me a coffee. This will help me keep bringing hope to those touched by suicide:  https://bit.ly/3whorPH Find Sargent Q: https://sgtq.net/ Buy his book: https://amzn.to/37Cnich Watch this interview on my YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3OCle4p Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com  Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Find my book "Understanding suicide: living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/2ANczuR Read my blog on Psychology Today: https://bit.ly/2Y9WdID Exchange experiences on my Facebook page: https://bit.ly/3h8sIet If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on their website or phone: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

Whenever we discuss gun violence in the United States, the conversation usually revolves around homicide, but here is a side of this important topic that goes untouched: 60% of deaths by guns are actually suicide, not homicide. Again, we chose to ignore the majority due to the stigma associated with it. In this episode, I talk to Linda Cavazos and Andrew Rose; both lost loved ones to suicide by firearm. They are part of those who are kept hidden when we explore the topic of gun violence. Linda lost her younger brother, Louie Pacheco, in 1980. He was 27 years old. Andrew lost his older brother, Ben, in October of 2013. By talking to them, my goal is to give voice to the thousands of people who die by gun suicide around the world and to the families that stay behind. My guests came to the podcast through the organization Everytown for gun safety: a movement of moms, dads, students, survivors, educators, gun owners, and concerned citizens working together to fight for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence. If you want to support my work, buy me a coffee. This will help me keep bringing hope to those touched by suicide:  https://bit.ly/3whorPH Find Everytown for gun safety: https://www.everytown.org/ Watch this interview on my YouTube channel "Understand Suicide:" https://bit.ly/3DgL5d7 Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com  Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Find my book "Understanding suicide: living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/2ANczuR Read my blog on Psychology Today: https://bit.ly/2Y9WdID Exchange experiences on my Facebook page: https://bit.ly/3h8sIet If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on their website or phone: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

Two years after the loss of her husband to suicide, the award-winning journalist, Lori Prichard says she still experiences confusion; At times, life feels overwhelming. In this honest interview, she tells us about Travis, his gentleness and generosity, as well as his history of depression, which had never been shared with her. “He wouldn’t let me in,” she says. Days after his death, Lori found a journal kept by Travis. His lines revealed a tortured soul who used to write that he had a “bully in his brain” and who struggled, in silence, to search for meaning and purpose so that he would stay alive. Our conversation reveals a compassionate woman who chooses to come forward so that she can help others start the painful, difficult conversation about suicidal ideation with their loved ones. If you want to support my work, buy me a coffee. This will help me keep bringing hope to those touched by suicide:  https://bit.ly/3whorPH Find Lori on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoriPrichardKSL Watch her TED Talk “What I’ve learned from my husband’s suicide:” https://bit.ly/3tfGvak Watch this interview on my YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3tl311F Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com  Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Find my book "Understanding suicide: living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/2ANczuR Read my blog on Psychology Today: https://bit.ly/2Y9WdID Exchange experiences on my Facebook page: https://bit.ly/3h8sIet If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on their website or phone: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message

Despite the sharp rise of mental health issues and many other risk factors during the onset of COVID-19, the number of suicides in the United States decreased in 2020. Not only that but the most significant drop (14%) happened in April of 2020 when most of the country was in lockdown. In an effort to understand this phenomenon, I invited two American leading suicide prevention experts: clinical psychologist John Sommers-Flanagan and the clinical social worker Stacey Freedenthal. Both of them are authors in the field of Suicidology and have been working with suicidal patients for decades. They are also professors: John teaches at the University of Montana and Stacey, at the University of Denver. What can possibly explain these puzzling numbers? Is this really surprising or does it follow a trend that had already started in 2019? What’s hidden behind the US statistics? These and many other questions are discussed in this episode. If you want to support my work, buy me a coffee. This will help me keep bringing hope to those touched by suicide:  https://bit.ly/3whorPH Find John Flanagan: https://johnsommersflanagan.com/ His “dancing" video: https://bit.ly/3GL2USx Find Stacey Freedenthal: http://staceyfreedenthal.com/ Watch this discussion on my YouTube Channel "Understand Suicide:"  https://youtu.be/fPrDdQg7G_E Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n  Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com   Find my book "Understanding suicide: living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/2ANczuR   Read my blog on Psychology Today: https://bit.ly/2Y9WdID Exchange experiences on my Facebook page: https://bit.ly/3h8sIet  If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on their website or phone: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paula-fontenelle/message