What happens when the questions never get answered? In this powerful episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery, author, mental health advocate, and suicide loss survivor Lisa Sugarman sits down to discuss her book, Surviving: Finding Hope After Suicide Loss. Lisa shares the deeply personal story behind the book, including the unique and meaningful role her mother played in helping bring the project to life. Together, they explore the complexities of grief after suicide, the search for answers that may never come, and the reality that healing is not about "moving on" but learning how to move forward while carrying loss with us. The conversation examines the unique challenges faced by those grieving a suicide, including guilt, shame, unanswered questions, and the ongoing struggle to find meaning after tragedy. Lisa discusses why she intentionally integrated practical tools, resources, and coping strategies throughout her book, providing readers with support alongside her personal story. Lisa challenges the common notion that time alone heals grief. Instead, she explores the value of community, connection, support groups, therapy, mindfulness, journaling, and other tools that can help individuals navigate loss and build resilience. The episode concludes with a discussion of Lisa's Help Hub, a free online resource directory designed to connect individuals, families, clinicians, and communities with trusted mental health, crisis, and grief-support resources. Whether you have experienced suicide loss personally, support someone who has, or work in the helping professions, this conversation offers compassion, practical guidance, and a reminder that hope can exist alongside grief. Healing from suicide loss is not about finding all the answers. It is about learning to live alongside grief, building support, accessing helpful tools, and discovering that hope can remain present even in the midst of profound loss. About the Guest Lisa Sugarman is a three-time suicide loss survivor, author, and leading mental health advocate. She’s a crisis counselor with The Trevor Project and a storyteller with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), using her lived experience to help others heal through connection and community. She’s also the Founder of The HelpHUB™, a free online platform offering inclusive mental health resources, crisis support, and treatment options for every community. Lisa cohosts The Survivors Podcast and is the author of Surviving: Finding Hope After Suicide Loss (2026) and three previous books on parenting and embracing our perfect imperfectness. A Safe Place facilitator and board member with Samaritans Southcoast, Lisa’s work has been featured on the Mental Health Television Network and on platforms like Calmerry, Recovery.com, Healthline Parenthood, Grown & Flown, TODAY Parents, The Washington Post, and Psychology Today. She lives and writes just north of Boston. Links: Facebook: facebook.com/thelisasugarmanYoutube: youtube.com/@thehelphubonyoutubeTikTok: tiktok.com/@thehelphubontiktokInstagram: instagram.com/thehelphub.coLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/lisa-sugarman-she-her-hers-16925b69/My book Surviving: https://a.co/d/0298h9gy Support the show Thank you for listening to this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast. To learn more about the podcast visit www.andrewjschreier.com To inquire being a guest on the podcast or sponsorship opportunities you can e-mail hello@andrewjschreier.com The podcast is also a platform for FREE continuing education. Licensed and certified professionals are able to listen to select episodes at no cost. Listen to an episode. Take a quiz. Complete an eval. Earn a certificate. Learn more at www.andrewjschreier.com/continuing-education Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.
