*Content Warning: This episode contains sensitive topics like suicide and complex grief. * This month, we will further explore the theme of health, with a particular focus on various facets of mental health. Our conversations will include perspectives from different women, such as a daughter, a tattoo artist, and a therapist. In this week’s episode, I have an insightful discussion with my friend Emilie Jones, exploring her therapeutic journey through the intersections of suicide, complex grief, and mental health. Emilie shared that during her upbringing, mental health was rarely discussed. Tragically, her introduction to this topic came through the unexpected suicide of her father, a cherished physician in the Montreal community, which left everyone in shock. Compounding her experience, Emilie faced complex grief while managing her mental health away from her family due to work commitments. Fortunately, she found support through two counselors who had their own lived experiences with complex grief, suicide, and mental health. After moving to Sydney, Australia, Emilie sought a new therapist specializing in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). This therapist helped her uncover the underlying reasons for her geographical relocation and provided additional tools for navigating her complex grief. A year later, Emilie sought to connect with like-minded individuals by joining a support group for those who had experienced similar losses related to suicide. Although she initially felt hesitant, having ten years of lived experience compared to many participants who had recently lost someone, she gathered the courage to attend. In that safe space, Emilie was able to process her complex grief alongside a community that understood her journey, alleviating her feelings of isolation. Today, Emilie actively advocates for mental health awareness through New South Wales’s initiative, “R U OK?” She has furthered her understanding by completing mental health first aid training to better support individuals in crisis. Resources: If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide in Canada, immediate support is available 24/7 through the 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline. Immediate Crisis Support Call or text 9-8-8 for confidential, 24/7 support from trained responders anywhere in Canada www.canada.ca+3. Call 9-1-1 if you are in immediate danger or require urgent medical assistance www.canada.ca+1. Hope for Wellness Help Line: Call 1-855-242-3310 or use online chat for support tailored to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, available in English, French, Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut www.canada.ca. Kids Help Phone: Call 1-800-668-6868, text CONNECT to 686868, or access online chat for youth aged 5–29 seeking confidential support www.canada.ca+1. Support for former Indian Residential School students: Call 1-866-925-4419 for 24/7 crisis support www.canada.ca. Support for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals: Call 1-844-413-6649 www.canada.ca. How to communicate about suicide: https://mindframe.org.au/suicide/communicating-about-suicide Safe language (what to avoid): https://mindframe.org.au/suicide/communicating-about-suicide R U OK? is a suicide prevention charity and public health promotion campaign in Australia. Its mission is to give people the tools and confidence to have meaningful conversations and help protect people from suicide just by staying connected. More information at www.ruok.org.au
