The impact of Youth Suicide/What YOU can do about it: s1 ep 9
September is Suicide Awareness Month and there is one suicide death every 10.9 minutes in the United States In today’s episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Michelle Anderson who witnessed the impact of suicide firsthand when she lost her son JJ to suicide. This led her to create the nonprofit organization JJ’s Hello which provides resources and assistance to those who are in her same or similar shoes.
In this episode we discussed the stunning impact that saying Hello can have on someone. In the prior episode, we discussed how easy it can be to get so wrapped in yourself that you forget other’s exist. But you could inspire someone to live another day by just saying hello and that is one of the powerful things we discussed in this episode.
We also addressed the pressure that is often put on black women to appear strong, even when going through a tragedy and learning to lay down this pressure and focus instead on being there for ourselves and others. My hope Is that you walk away from this episode with practical tips on how to manage your emotions better and how to support those who may be struggling.
You can support JJsHello and find resources by visiting hellofund.org.
Did you like this episode? Check out episode 12.