The Leftover Pieces; Suicide Loss Conversations
You have found a podcast about surviving life after a suicide loss, which is nothing short of devastating, leaving you not knowing how to begin picking up the leftover pieces of your shattered heart. The host, Melissa Bottorff-Arey, who lost her 21-year-old son Alex to suicide on August 7, 2016, speaks to this from her own experiences. You will hear her have honest, hard conversations with other loss survivors, healers, and mental health experts on the podcast. She also produces shorter, solo episodes where she shares her own thoughts & experiences in this journey (thus far). She explores relevant topics and asks the hard questions. Nothing is 'off limit' as she delves into all areas of this grief, such as trauma, hope, healing, self-care, legacy & stigma. Melissa believes we learn to live alongside our grief, not get over it. We can make a difference only through authentic, meaningful connections and mindful choices. For a supporter or educator, these conversations hold nuggets of awareness and shine a spotlight on suicide and grief honestly and unapologetically. As a suicide loss griever, one can find the comfort of a community and hope for a little brighter tomorrow. Melissa wants to help others, like herself, go from surviving to finding a life with meaning, maybe even happiness, amid their own leftover pieces.
[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
BONUS! What is Clubhouse; Is it a 'Safe Space' for Grievers?
Today I take a 'mini-dive' into the new(ish) & super relevant social media app "Clubhouse" that is creating a lot of buzz out there in the social media world. Today I just give you some "basics" because IF you are going into ANY grief space we are already anxious enough & trying to "learn" a new things can just be TOO much! Listen to hear me weigh in, teach you a bit and give my OPINION of whether Clubhouse is a space for grievers...
I Co-Moderate (with my 2 other lovely moderators from the UK) a room called "Life After Suicide" EVERY Wednesday at 2:30PM Eastern USA / 7:30PM GMT or UK time. WE are part of the Evolving Through Grief Club.
Next week is BONUS EPISODE 2 (before Season 2 launches June 6) so stay tuned! I hope you found today helpful in some way. Talk soon! - Melissa
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AND ALWAYS ... THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! It means the WORLD to me ... we are in this together!
As with everything you hear on my podcasts, please take that which serves you & leave the rest. I hope you will find something of value & I am so sorry that you need to be here, but so honored you are here.
Please reach out to me if you know of someone that I should talk to or if you yourself would like to have a conversation around the suicide loss and grief space. Instagram is probably still the best way to contact me or directly through email. I am already scheduling people into this Spring so it's not too soon to reach out!
Let's have a conversation Let's keep talking Let's be there for each other. Let's make a change. TALK SOON!
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out & talk to someone
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you
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
And Grievers, I am always here. You can find me on Instagram at The Leftover Pieces