When Mental Health Crisis Changes a Family Forever

EP:204 There are some conversations that are incredibly difficult for me to have.

This is one of them.

My children should not have had to grow up without their father. I should not have had to raise my children without him.

No family should have to experience the devastating loss of someone they love because of a mental health crisis. And yet, so many families are living with grief, trauma, and unanswered questions after losing someone they love.

As a parent and someone who supports parents every day, I see how much pressure we're carrying. We're expected to do more, be more, achieve more, parent perfectly, show up for everyone, and somehow keep it all together.

But our brains and nervous systems weren't designed to carry unlimited stress.

Eventually, something has to give.

And if you're struggling right now, please don't wait until things get worse to ask for help.

If you're feeling hopeless, isolated, overwhelmed, or like you can't keep going, reach out to someone. Talk to a trusted friend. Contact a mental health professional. Call a crisis line. Go to the hospital if you need immediate support.

You do not have to figure this out alone.

And if you're the person supporting someone who is struggling, I want you to hear this, too:

You can love someone deeply and still need support for yourself.