The Secret He Left Behind: My Mom Finally Speaks

*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering.   Episode Summary When Lisa was 10 her mother told her her father had died of a heart attack; 35 years later she discovered the truth — he died by suicide. In this episode Lisa and Natasha sit down with Lisa's 87-year-old mother, Sandy, to talk for the first time on the pod about loss, secrecy, and the silence around suicide in the 1970s. They explore why Sandy kept the secret to protect her daughter, how that secrecy shaped their grieving, and how learning the truth changed the course of Lisa’s life, inspiring this podcast and her new memoir Surviving: Finding Hope After Suicide Loss (Familius Books).   Episode Sponsored by The HelpHUB™  Struggling with your mental health? Feeling lost, overwhelmed, or just alone? Well, you're not. Welcome to The HelpHUB™—your online destination for mental health resources, treatment options, content, and tools to help meet you exactly where you are in the moment. Visit TheHelpHUB.co to get started.   Takeaways The impact of family secrets on mental health The importance of honesty in healing from grief How mental illness and suicide affect families The role of open conversations in reducing stigma Hope and resilience after loss   Chapters 00:00 The Collision of Truths 07:41 Unveiling the Past 12:23 The Impact of Secrets 18:57 Navigating Grief and Truth 19:23 The Moment of Clarity 22:36 The Weight of Truth 26:13 Processing the Past 27:07 Becoming Advocates for Mental Health 29:33 The Importance of Open Conversations 32:05 Finding Hope and Reasons to Stay 34:29 Reflections on Loss and Legacy   Mental Health Resources If you or someone you know is struggling, please call 988 for help. The Survivors Podcast Website – https://thesurvivors.net/ The HelpHUB™ – Mental health resources, tools, and support networks – https://www.thehelphub.co/ National Domestic Violence Hotline – Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7223)  Follow & Connect With Us 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_survivors_podcast 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-survivors-podcast 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSurvivorsPodcastChannel 🎵📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesurvivorspodcast   See you next week! In the meantime, keep surviving.