Caroline Roodhouse - surviving and thriving after loss by suicide

"I never got to say goodbye, and he never said it to me, so our relationship, albeit in different forms, goes on" Key takeaways from this podcastReframing our language to acknowledge that grief is a 'living' experience rather than a past-tense 'lived one' can be really helpfulRelationships don't necessarily end with deathframing helpful and courageous questions which can be answered, rather than one's without an answer, can help us to move forwardHeather lost her brother Martin to suicide in 2011, a bereavement which has had a profound impact on the course and focus of her life and career in the years since. She talks about how her grief and loss of her brother isn’t a ‘lived’ experience but a ‘living’ one. Now a lecturer in the ‘school of education, language and psychology’ at St John’s University in York, Heather’s research and work focusses on better understanding the issues around student mental health and mental health more widely across academic institutions. A rich, honest and thought-provoking conversation about Heather’s experiences and research which will linger long in your memory. Student Minds: https://www.studentminds.org.uk/Advance HE - Education for Mental Health Toolkit - Staff Wellbeing: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/teaching-and-learning/curricula-development/education-mental-health-toolkit/underpinning-infrastructure/staff-wellbeingAn article Heather wrote for BACP University and College Counselling journal: https://www.bacp.co.uk/bacp-journals/university-and-college-counselling/2024/articles-may/distinctions-and-visibilities/SRHE post on academic mental health: https://srheblog.com/2024/04/10/the-importance-of-academic-mental-health/Heather's Blog: https://sibsas.blogspot.com/?m=1Martin's Music Site: https://www.martinsutherlandmusic.co.uk/Heather's PhD research: https://researchportal.northumbria.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/thinking-differently-about-student-mental-health-and-wellbeing-le-3If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Or come and visit at 4 Strothers Lane, Inverness IV1 1LR, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Follow Mikeysline on socials XFacebookInstagramSpeaking of Suicide hosting is supported by D and D Paving Ltd. Speaking of Suicide is produced and presented by <a href="https://www.adventurousaudio.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

9 Jun 45min

“The anticipation of putting money on and the build-up of thinking you’d get something back”Key takeaways from this podcastYou can be vulnerable, upset and angry, its about dealing with themGambling will eat you alive until you get out of itRecovery lies in honesty, with yourself and then othersRoss Kemp discovered the thrill of gambling from a young age. He traces it back to the amusement arcades as a child, the excitement of the flashing lights and noise, the joy of winning a toy. As he grew, so his interest in gambling grew and by the time he was in his early 20s he was gambling online, spending every penny he could. His addiction spiralled until he was taking out payday loans and bank loans to fund his habit, eventually leading to theft. In this hugely inspirational insight into the life of a gambling addict, Ross shares honestly and openly about the grip gambling had on his life, the impact it had on his relationships, work life and mental health and how he finally managed to turn his life around, getting help for his addiction from Gordon MoodyIf you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Or come and visit at 4 Strothers Lane, Inverness IV1 1LR, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Follow Mikeysline on socials XFacebookInstagramSpeaking of Suicide hosting is supported by D and D Paving Ltd. Speaking of Suicide is produced and presented by Adventurous Audio

26 Mai 47min

"I'm a nurse of nearly 40 years and I didn't realise that after Ian's death that both myself and our children, Beth and all the children, were at higher risk of dying to suicide. That never actually entered my head."Key takeaways from this episode:If you lose a loved one to suicide that puts you at significant risk of suicide yourself and other mental health problems, particularly in the first year after losing them.Don't be afraid of that vulnerability but use that knowledge of risk to protect yourself by seeking out the right kind of support to help you.Karen lost her husband, Ian, to suicide very suddenly in October 2015 then the unimaginable happened and her daughter, Beth, took her own life just 4 years later. In this heart-breaking episode Karen celebrates and remembers just what Ian and Beth brought to her life and shares with incredibly clarity and honesty how difficult it has been to cope with losing them.She admits how difficult it has been to deal with the grief and shares the incredible support and value she's found by seeking out other people who have lived experience of losing loved ones to suicide."the judgment wasn't there, there was no judgment. It was safe. You were with people who just got it...and that permission to be sad if you want to be sad but also that permission to laugh as well and to have good days and and to enjoy life...just made such a big difference"She also talks about the origins of speaktheirname.org, an organisation created to help those bereaved by suicide, initially through the collaborative creation of a memorial quilt but now by offering up a shared space on their website where loved ones who took their own life can be remembered, commemorated and celebrated. It also provides resources to help those bereaved by suicide. If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Or come and visit at 4 Strothers Lane, Inverness IV1 1LR, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Follow Mikeysline on socials XFacebookInstagramSpeaking of Suicide hosting is supported by D and D Paving Ltd. Speaking of Suicide is produced and presented by Adventurous AudioFind out more about Speak Their Name

2 Jan 49min

"How was a nine-year-old supposed to feel? I didn't know what to say or think. I was emotionless at the time...everyone around me crumbled down in sadness, crying, deafening wailing, some pacing the floor, leaving the room. I thought I had to be like them. Am I supposed to cry? I'm not sure how long it took, but when it sunk in, I felt sad. Really, really sad. My mind couldn't understand what had happened to Callum, but I knew I'd never ever see him again"Key takeaways:Knowing what to say and when about suicide to young people is incredibly challenging but hearing this story show's a mum's trust in her daughter's ability to hear the truth was well founded.Hearing the truth was extremely valuable for Orlagh, she's certain if she didn't hear it from her mum then she would have heard it through other means which may have been much more troubling.Although Orlagh was only 9 when she lost her older cousin, Callum, to suicide, the impact of his death and particularly her trying to understand how his death came about and why, has rippled through her life. In this tender and thought-provoking conversation Orlagh (now 16) and her mum Sara talk incredibly honestly about the devastating impact suicide has had on the family but also how they have managed to gently navigate the challenges of discussing Callum's death with truth and clarity. If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Or come and visit at 4 Strothers Lane, Inverness IV1 1LR, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Follow Mikeysline on socials XFacebookInstagramSpeaking of Suicide hosting is supported by D and D Paving Ltd. Speaking of Suicide is produced and presented by Adventurous Audio

19 Des 202438min

"Everything came to a head one night, and fortunately, the right person asked me 'are you ok, what's wrong?' and I just broke down"Key takeaways from this podcast:Asking if someone is ok can literally save their life, never be afraid to ask.Don't be afraid to ask someone if they're feeling suicidal, it won't put the thought in their head, you won't make things worse by asking.After losing several important and close family members paramedic Mhairi went on a sharp decent into a crippling depression. Unable to share how she was feeling with anyone she hit crisis point. Fortunately the right person asked her if she was ok just at the right time and Mhairi was brave enough to admit that she wasn't. Fast forward 2.5 years and Mhairi, together with her partner Alan, found the mental and physical strength to take on an epic challenge, to row unsupported round the coast of the UK in an extraordinary and utterly gruelling world record attempt.So how do you go from rock bottom where you're contemplating suicide to pushing yourself to your limits? Mhairi talks with incredible candour and honesty about how difficult it was to work her way back to good mental health and about how the experience has changed the person she is today.You can follow Mhairi and Alan's journey on the Long Row Home podcast series.If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Or come and visit at 4 Strothers Lane, Inverness IV1 1LR, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Follow Mikeysline on socials XFacebookInstagramSpeaking of Suicide hosting is supported by D and D Paving Ltd. Speaking of Suicide is produced and presented by Adventurous Audio

5 Des 202436min

"I think about him all the time really. But it's not every minute of every day, it's not every hour every day."Key takeaways from this podcastThe perspective surrounding grief will evolve with time. Alex describes a hand in front of his face in the early stages of grief that slowly moves away allowing his perspective to change with time. The hand always remains there, but the picture around it fills up the space more with time.Don't harbour guilt. We hear from Alex how It can be a companion in the background but needn't be in the foreground if you lose someone close to you to suicide. Alex lost his younger brother, Will, to suicide in February 2021. One of four brothers, Will had a wonderful twinkling megawatt smile who loved his role as a primary school music teacher. But struggling with his mental health on the inside, his struggles were made worse by the restrictions of lockdown.It has taken Alex until recently to be able to speak about Will and his loss, but in this conversation he describes how the family have learnt more about the positive impact Will had on his pupils in life. Reflecting on his own grieving process, Alex describes how he now finds focus and perspective on the things that really matter in life much easier now. Although this makes life much healthier today for Alex it drives guilt in him. Alex says it honours his memory, celebrates the positives strengths Will had and he sees that as something good to come from his grief and how the family remember Will.If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Or come and visit at 4 Strothers Lane, Inverness IV1 1LR, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Follow Mikeysline on socials XFacebookInstagramSpeaking of Suicide hosting is supported by D and D Paving Ltd. Speaking of Suicide is produced and presented by Adventurous Audio

21 Nov 202439min

"The first thought that went through my head was that it was not meant to be... ...this is not the end of your story, you are still needed on this planet, in this life" Key takeaways from this podcastWe don't always have internal permission to do something, to open up. So by doing it slowly, gently and carefully Tom was building courage to remove stigma.Tom van den Hurk revealed his own suicide attempt in a previous episode of the podcast when he was talking about called A Little While Longer. The film told the story of three men who had survived and were rebuilding their lives.But Tom had his own story, that the film didn’t tell. He had attempted to take his own life when he was a teen, Tom joins Dan again to talk about the how the day he survived that attempt, age 16, turned his entire life around.Listen to the episode with Tom talking about his film: https://pod.fo/e/2591a5If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Or come and visit at 4 Strothers Lane, Inverness IV1 1LR, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.Follow Mikeysline on socials XFacebookInstagramSpeaking of Suicide hosting is supported by D and D Paving Ltd. Speaking of Suicide is produced and presented by Adventurous Audio

7 Nov 202432min