We Have to Talk About It: Understanding the Link Between Mental Health, Substance Use and Suicide, with Anne Moss Rogers

ABOUT THE EPISODE:With well over a hundred episodes on Hopestream, I couldn’t believe we haven’t talked about the very common link between substance use and suicide rates. Since it was time, I’m honored to introduce you to mother, author, and mental health advocate, Anne Moss Rogers. She courageously shares her story of the loss of her son to suicide in hopes of spurring more honest conversations before it’s too late for other families. While this is another topic that’s messy and difficult to navigate, Anne Moss reminds us that patience and curiosity are the best tools we have for exposing the root of our kids’ pain. You’ll also hear practical ways to recognize signs that your child needs to talk about suicide and ways to work through what can be an overwhelming fear.In this episode, you’ll learn: Why Anne Moss left a corporate career she was highly passionate about to pursue advocacy for suicide prevention full timeWhether talking about suicide plants seeds in a person’s mind about killing themselvesHow her son Charles' battle with mental health showed up in the beginning and how it progressedThe connection between self-harming behavior and suicide ideationHow Anne Moss had to navigate her son’s immediate relapse after going to treatmentThe red flags to look for if someone you love is contemplating suicideWhat you can do if your son or daughter avoids engaging this topic with youEPISODE RESOURCES:Anne Moss Rodgers:The Emotionally Naked SpeakerNAMI Virginia Board MemberBlog: EmotionallyNaked.comSpeaker Site: AnneMossRogers.com, My 6-minute TEDxDiary of a Broken Mind: A Mother's Story, A Son's Suicide and the Haunting Lyrics He Left Behind (book)Emotionally Naked. A Teacher’s Guide to Preventing Suicide and Recognizing Students at Risk (book)Free Tools: Free Self-Harm Safety BoxCrisis Text Line: 741-741Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988Suicide Prevention: WebsiteThis podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream CommunityLearn about The Stream, our private online community for momsFind us on Instagram hereWatch the podcast on YouTube hereDownload a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and AlcoholHopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.