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 time
• Whether talking about suicide plants seeds in a person’s mind about killing themselves
• How her son Charles' battle with mental health showed up in the beginning and how it progressed
• The connection between self-harming behavior and suicide ideation
• How Anne Moss had to navigate her son’s immediate relapse after going to treatment
• The red flags to look for if someone you love is contemplating suicide
• What you can do if your son or daughter avoids engaging this topic with you

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Anne Moss Rodgers:
  • The Emotionally Naked Speaker
  • NAMI Virginia Board Member
  • Blog: EmotionallyNaked.com
  • Speaker Site: AnneMossRogers.com, My 6-minute TEDx
  • Diary 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 Box
• Crisis Text Line: 741-741
• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988
• Suicide Prevention: Website

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