A Raw Conversation About Suicide and Survival, with Chris Frederick

This episode of Mid-Life Men includes open and honest discussions about mental health challenges, including suicide. Some listeners may find this content distressing. In this frank and powerful episode, we hear from a man who has walked through unimaginable darkness and emerged not just surviving, but speaking with purpose and compassion. Through heartbreak, rejection, success, loss, and silence, Chris shares his lived experience of growing up as a Black British man navigating racism, identity, estrangement, and two suicide attempts. His voice is reflective, grounded, and unflinchingly open. He explores how trauma manifests over time, what it means to feel completely alone, and the moment he chose to live again. We talk about grief, masculinity, purpose, cultural silence, and what it really takes to start again, not just mentally, but spiritually and socially. Chris's recovery journey led to the creation of Project Soul Stride, a lived experience platform shedding light on suicidality for the black community and bridging conversations in mental health. What you’ll hear isn’t just a story. It’s someone choosing to speak so others might live.  You can find out more about Chris’s work, including Project Soul Stride on his All My Links page.If you or someone you know is struggling, please consider seeking support from a qualified professional or mental health service. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or experiencing a crisis, there are organisations you can call now. for example, in the UK, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123, and if you are in the US, you can call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Many organisations provide communities for men, including Men’s Sheds Association and Tough to Talk in the UK and, in the US, Face It Foundation and F3 Nation.