“No one wants to end their life. They want to end the pain, and we can’t end the pain if we don’t talk about the pain,” said Lt. Governor Cox. “There are messages that need to be shared. There are conversations that need to be had. We need to remove the stigma that comes with mental health discussions, and especially the stigma that comes around discussions of suicide and suicide prevention.”

I gave a talk one year ago and encouraged parents to create a safe place for their teens to express themselves–to give their teens permission to at least write out all of the ugly, negative thoughts in their heads. We need to stop believing that it’s not okay to feel anger, betrayal, frustration, resentment, etc… Let’s show how to express in appropriate ways. My Write, Burn, and Learn skill is a great way!

And then add the body component to link body, mind, and spirit to find hope for mental wellness.

It matters!

(first published Feb 2018)