The Leftover Pieces; Suicide Loss Conversations
This podcast focuses on surviving life after a suicide loss, an experience that can be devastating and leave you feeling lost as you try to pick up the pieces of your shattered heart. The host, Melissa Bottorff-Arey, lost her 21-year-old son, Alex, to suicide on August 7, 2016, and brings (& often shares) her insights from her personal journey.
In each episode, Melissa engages in honest and challenging conversations with other survivors of loss, healers, and mental health experts. She also produces shorter solo episodes where she reflects on her own thoughts and experiences thus far. The podcast covers a wide range of relevant topics and addresses difficult questions. Melissa explores all aspects of grief, including trauma, hope, healing, self-care, legacy, and stigma. She believes that we learn to live alongside our grief rather than get ing over it. Actual change comes through authentic, meaningful connections and mindful choices.
For supporters or educators, these conversations provide valuable insights and shine a light on suicide and grief genuinely and unapologetically. Listeners who are grieving a suicide loss can find comfort in the community and hope for a better tomorrow. Melissa aims to help others, like herself, transition from merely surviving to discovering a life filled with meaning and, potentially, even happiness amid the leftover pieces around you.
[Please NOTE: This podcast is for only relational, informational, and entertainment purposes. It candidly and openly discusses sensitive and sometimes activating topics. There will be no in-depth or graphic descriptions of the method, but merely the possible mention of suicide, murder, rape, and the like. Be guided and care for yourself accordingly. Also, Melissa is not a doctor or licensed therapist, and nothing on this podcast should be taken in place of, or as, medical/mental health advice or recommendations.]
The Leftover Pieces; Suicide Loss Conversations
Author A.S.King Talks; Suicide IS Normal AND Tragic
Today I am sharing my thought-provoking conversation with mom and author A.S. King (aka Amy to friends). She shares about her daughter Gracie who died by suicide in Dec. of 2018. She openly talks about the duality of being a public speaker who advocates for teen mental health and is a champion for teens' voices in general AND that she is also a mom who lost her child amidst her advocacy and openness...because suicide happens,
Amy speaks her mind and this "tell-it-like-it-is" host thinks that is admirable. I wish more people were willing to have this type of unguarded, honest chat...there is a LOT to take away from today.
"A.S. King is an award-winning author for young people and is the recipient of the 2022 Margaret A Edwards award which recognizes an author's work in helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world. Amy is a faculty member of the Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts and spends many months of the year traveling the world speaking to high school and university students, educators, and humans who care about the mental health of young people. After more than a decade of living self-sufficiently and teaching literacy to adults in Ireland, she now lives in Pennsylvania."
You will hear Amy and I talk about:
- The loss of her daughter Gracie to suicide in Dec. 2018
- Our immense need for trauma-informed "everyone" in our world today
- Suicide is normal- how we create stigma where it needn't be
- From banned books to banned mental health care initiatives - where we are getting it all wrong & the current climate we have is only making it worse!
- Suicide prevention may be "sexy" but why do suicide loss survivors understand it's NOT where our attention should be - the real path forward to less suicide
- Teenagers are real people who deserve real respect & not just be labeled & dismissed (& are often mostly smarter than us so-called grown-ups)
- There is so much more trauma to deal with than most will admit - we need to start listening and healing
Learn more at www.as-king.com
(P.S... that award-winning author part is serious - go buy her books, she's amazing!)
Find her on Social media - Instagram and Twitter
Find other good stuff and links here--->>> Good Stuff and Links
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My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" support central - MY HUB - and that means my different SUPPORT GROUP Options are available. Go DIRECTLY to my SUPPORT page here where you will find ALL of the ways to connect and find support. My first two books (tools I am creating for you!) in the "Facing Life After Suicide" series are available on Amazon
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you OR CALL 988
In a crisis, you can also TEXT--->
TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA
in Canada TEXT 686868
in the UK TEXT 85258