Leaving The Valley
Suicide isn’t often a conversation you want to have with your family, but with suicide on the rise, it’s a conversation you probably should be having. Join father and daughter team, Dr. Sam Buser and Kimi Buser-Clancy as they talk about that thing we all avoid discussing, suicide. Dr. Sam Buser is a psychologist and expert in the field of suicide and its treatment. Kimi Buser-Clancy is an actor, writer, and optimist who helps unpack this difficult subject. With hope, honesty, and humor we’ll explore what more people need to know about suicide.
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Ep. 068 : The Suicidal Thoughts Workbook w/ Dr. Gordon, Part II
12/15/2022
Ep. 068 : The Suicidal Thoughts Workbook w/ Dr. Gordon, Part II
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.
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Ep. 067 : The Suicidal Thoughts Workbook w/ Dr. Gordon, Part I
12/01/2022
Ep. 067 : The Suicidal Thoughts Workbook w/ Dr. Gordon, Part I
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.
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Ep. 066 : Challenges to Latin American Mental Health
11/17/2022
Ep. 066 : Challenges to Latin American Mental Health
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.
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Ep. 065 : Honoring the Dead – Dia de los Muertos & the Challenge of Suicide
11/03/2022
Ep. 065 : Honoring the Dead – Dia de los Muertos & the Challenge of Suicide
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.
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Ep. 064 : Showing Up to a Suicide, Part II
10/20/2022
Ep. 064 : Showing Up to a Suicide, Part II
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.
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Ep. 063 : Showing Up to a Suicide, Part I
10/06/2022
Ep. 063 : Showing Up to a Suicide, Part I
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.
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Ep. 062 : Myth BUSTED – No One Will Miss Me When I’m Gone
09/15/2022
Ep. 062 : Myth BUSTED – No One Will Miss Me When I’m Gone
"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.
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Ep. 061 : 988 – The Conversation Continues, Part II
09/01/2022
Ep. 061 : 988 – The Conversation Continues, Part II
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?
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Ep. 060 : 988 – The Conversation Continues, Part I
08/18/2022
Ep. 060 : 988 – The Conversation Continues, Part I
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.
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Ep. 059 : We Call 988
08/04/2022
Ep. 059 : We Call 988
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.”
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Ep. 058: Losing Two Brothers to Suicide, Part II
07/21/2022
Ep. 058: Losing Two Brothers to Suicide, Part II
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.
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Ep. 057: Losing Two Brothers to Suicide, Part I
07/07/2022
Ep. 057: Losing Two Brothers to Suicide, Part I
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.
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Ep. 056 : LGBTQ+ Youth & Suicide, Part II
06/16/2022
Ep. 056 : LGBTQ+ Youth & Suicide, Part II
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.
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Ep. 055: LGBTQ+ Youth & Suicide, Part I
06/02/2022
Ep. 055: LGBTQ+ Youth & Suicide, Part I
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.
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Ep. 054 : Jay’s Journey, Part II
05/19/2022
Ep. 054 : Jay’s Journey, Part II
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.
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Ep. 053 : Jay’s Journey, Part I
05/05/2022
Ep. 053 : Jay’s Journey, Part I
What happens if the medicines you're prescribed are actually making you worse, not better? What happens if the doctor you turn to for help isn't helping? Our guest, Jay Shifman, public speaker and host of the "Choose Your Struggle" podcast, shares his long journey back to himself. As an adolescent, Jay was diagnosed as bipolar. The medicines he was prescribed to treat his disease led him to years of prescription drug misuse, addiction, and two suicide attempts. Jay is not bipolar, but it took years of struggle and nearly dying for Jay to finally figure that out.
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Ep. 052 : The Science Behind Suicide
04/21/2022
Ep. 052 : The Science Behind Suicide
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?
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Ep. 051 : What Have We Learned About Suicide Prevention?
04/07/2022
Ep. 051 : What Have We Learned About Suicide Prevention?
Oh my, it’s episode 51! Wow! We have learned so much on suicide prevention that we wanted to pause for a moment and recap. Suicide is a taboo topic. Incredibly common, but rarely discussed openly. The goal of this show has been to raise the level of discourse on suicide. How can we prevent it, if we don’t know what we’re looking for? In this episode, we discuss what we’ve learned thus far and what some of the biggest revelations for us have been.
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Ep. 050 : Juvenile Justice & Suicide, Part II
03/17/2022
Ep. 050 : Juvenile Justice & Suicide, Part II
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.
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Ep. 049 : Juvenile Justice & Suicide, Part I
03/03/2022
Ep. 049 : Juvenile Justice & Suicide, Part I
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.
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Ep. 048 : Celebrity & Suicide
02/17/2022
Ep. 048 : Celebrity & Suicide
If rich, famous, beautiful people can die by suicide, what does that mean for the rest of us? The recent suicide of Cheslie Kryst, Miss USA 2019, was shocking. Research supports that after a high-profile person dies by suicide, rates of suicide also go up. Additionally, there is a cost to fame. It is harder for well-known figures to ask just anyone for support, even when they're in danger. There is enormous pressure to stay at the top and high levels of fame can be extremely isolating. Much of what we are taught is that if you work hard and are successful, then you will be happy. What does it mean when a celebrity like Ms. Kryst, who was so successful, was also so unhappy?
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Ep. 047 : Anger & Suicide, Part II
02/03/2022
Ep. 047 : Anger & Suicide, Part II
In part two of our conversation, we look at how anger may be a part of the grieving process when we lose someone to suicide. Anger is a normal stage in processing loss. When suicide is involved, anger may be directed at the individual who died, or at another friend or family member, and even at yourself for failing to prevent the death. Additionally, we discuss considerations for how anger may affect some of our most vulnerable groups. What should we be aware of in terms of red flags for anger in groups that already have high levels of suicidal thoughts? Lastly, we talk about the term "anger management." What does that really mean?
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Ep. 046 : Anger & Suicide, Part I
01/20/2022
Ep. 046 : Anger & Suicide, Part I
We often think of depression as a possible symptom for suicide, but anger can also become lethal. Excessive anger is often a sign of depression. In fact, anger is usually a mask we wear to hide how sad or disappointed we feel. Most of us are more comfortable sharing that we are mad rather than sharing that we have become depressed. These stigmas about anger and sadness often prevent us from properly assessing when someone is at risk for suicide. If we are unaware of the relationship between anger and suicide, we may miss the signals that someone we love is hurting.
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Ep. 045 : You Say You Want a Resolution?
01/05/2022
Ep. 045 : You Say You Want a Resolution?
It’s a new year…again?! So why does it feel a little like nothing’s changed? The idea of “resolution” means that something has ended, but for many of us the reality of COVID-19 is still not over. In that case, does it even make sense to make a resolution?
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Ep. 044 : Avoid Harmful Therapy
12/16/2021
Ep. 044 : Avoid Harmful Therapy
Can therapy ever be harmful? That's the question that sprang to mind when talking with an acquaintance about her problematic experiences in counseling. Asking for help is hard. There is a tremendous stigma that surrounds speaking with a therapist. In some examples, working with a therapist who is a bad fit for you can even be harmful. It can inflict new psychological damage and be re-traumatizing. If your counselor is judgmental, unavailable, or a bad listener, perhaps it is time to work with someone else.
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Ep. 043 : Surviving the Holidays
12/02/2021
Ep. 043 : Surviving the Holidays
It's the most wonderful time of the year... or is it? There is so much to do and so little time to do it. Let's face it, the holidays are tough. Whether you're navigating tricky family dynamics or simply feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of finding the perfect gift, many of us experience the holiday blues. What are some ways we can cope with the stresses of this time of year?
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Ep. 042 : A Warrior’s Journey: Overcoming PTSD and Suicidal Thoughts, Part II
11/18/2021
Ep. 042 : A Warrior’s Journey: Overcoming PTSD and Suicidal Thoughts, Part II
In the conclusion of our conversation with Sergeant Aaron Quinonez (Sgt. Q), we learn about his long road towards getting diagnosed with PTSD and his advice for anyone dealing with a mental health crisis. Additionally, Sgt. Q shares his insights on how the faith-based community can better support those struggling with mental health issues. Also, we ask Sgt. Q for his list of things NOT to do when going through a hard time.
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Ep. 041 : A Warrior’s Journey: Overcoming PTSD and Suicidal Thoughts
11/04/2021
Ep. 041 : A Warrior’s Journey: Overcoming PTSD and Suicidal Thoughts
We talk with Sergeant Aaron Quinonez (Sgt. Q) about his journey in overcoming childhood trauma, homelessness, two tours of duty in Iraq, PTSD, and suicidal ideation to living a life of service and mental health advocacy. Sgt. Q recalls his childhood trauma and how it impacted his time serving in Iraq. He discusses what it is like to suffer from PTSD. He explains the feeling of inadequacy that led him to becoming suicidal and how a small action by a friend served as the intervention in suicidal thoughts.
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Ep. 040 : Shame & Suicide
10/21/2021
Ep. 040 : Shame & Suicide
Shame around suicide is pervasive and exists in many different forms. We may feel ashamed if we lost someone to suicide. We may feel shame if we've ever had suicidal thoughts. We sometimes even use shame as a tactic to try and stop someone from taking their own life. We talk with Dr. Jana Tran, psychologist, about shame. Dr. Tran examines the message "suicide is selfish." It is harder to seek help when there is no safe space to talk about how badly you feel without getting shamed.
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Ep. 039 : Why Won’t Therapy Work? Part II- Opening Up
10/07/2021
Ep. 039 : Why Won’t Therapy Work? Part II- Opening Up
Why do some people claim, "Therapy didn't work for me"? In part two of our series, we discuss some of the issues that stand in the way of success in therapy. Some quit before they've really given the process a chance. Others are reluctant to seek help, believing they can relying on friends and family for support. If you are suicidal, it's unlikely that your loved ones know enough about mental health to provide the exact support you need.
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