American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Transforming Medical Culture: Dr. Christine Yu Moutier's Mission for Mental Health and Self-Care | Ep. 135

Transforming Medical Culture: Dr. Christine Yu Moutier's Mission for Mental Health and Self-Care | Ep. 135

I had the profound honor of sitting down with Dr. Christine Moutier, the Chief Medical Officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Dr. Moutier's journey, deeply rooted in a culture of achievement and stoicism, stands as a testament to the transformative power of vulnerability. During our conversation, she shared the unique challenges she faced in medical school, encountering a severe mental health crisis that forced her to take a leave of absence. This pivotal period not only reshaped her approach to self-care but also ignited her passion for advocating mental health awareness within the medical profession. Dr. Moutier's story brings to light the urgent necessity of recognizing and treating mental health just as seriously as physical health, encouraging medical professionals to embrace openness about their own struggles.

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Teacher Burnout is a Mental Health Crisis: Interview with Dr. Natalya Bogopolskaya & Dr. Kendrea Hart | Episode 115

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Teacher Burnout is a Mental Health Crisis: Interview with Dr. Natalya Bogopolskaya & Dr. Kendrea Hart | Episode 115

Anyone who has been a teacher knows the work is hard, and at the same time — when work is working well — immensely rewarding. The work can be purposeful and filled with close relationships a vibrant communities.

No one enters the teaching profession to become rich and famous — they enter for the difference they will make.

And yet, our nation is facing a mental health crisis among our educators; one of burnout and demoralization. Many are operating in survival mode due to complete emotional exhaustion. The stressors they face are significant:

  • Safety concerns related to mass school shootings and drug use

  • Funding deficits

  • Labor shortage

  • Meeting escalating physical and emotional needs of students

  • Unrealistic expectations from districts and parents

  • Just to name a few…

Teachers’ well-being is something most communities overlook in their intention to always put students first. In this episode I speak with two school psychologists who express grave concern about educators’ psychological health and safety — and also make concrete suggestions on what we can do to help them.

Suicide is the Untold Story of Gun Violence in the US -- Why Gun Safety is Suicide Prevention: Interview with Dr. Michael Anestis | Episode 82

Suicide is the Untold Story of Gun Violence in the US -- Why Gun Safety is Suicide Prevention: Interview with Dr. Michael Anestis | Episode 82

According to Everytown for Gun Safety, nearly 2/3 of all gun deaths in the US are suicide fatalities. A surge in firearm purchases during the last year have many in the suicide prevention field concerned about increasing suicide rates long term, because the research is clear — easy access to lethal means for suicide increases risk for people when suicidal intensity surges.

In this podcast, I speak with one of the worlds leading experts on guns and suicide. Dr. Mike Anestis shares concrete action steps we can take as we work toward a collaborative solution to keep our homes safer from suicide.

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Healing after Murder-Suicide -- Mother of Columbine Shooter Shares Grief Journey: Interview with Sue Klebold | Episode 26

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Healing after Murder-Suicide -- Mother of Columbine Shooter Shares Grief Journey: Interview with Sue Klebold | Episode 26

While only 2% of suicides are murder-suicides, the narrative of this tragedy dominates public consciousness. Due to the fact that the circumstances are horrific, and the media reports on these stories more frequently and with more details than most other community tragedies, it’s not surprising that we feel overwhelmed. What is often not discussed is the unimaginable grief and trauma left behind in the families of the perpetrators. In my interview with Sue Klebold, mother of Columbine shooter Dylan Klebold, we learn more about why she spent many years in hiding and what she is doing now so that other families don’t have to experience what hers did.

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A Journey from Suicide Bereavement to Action -- Peer Support and the Warrior Ethos: Interview with Master Sergeant Christopher D. Jachimiec | Episode 25

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A Journey from Suicide Bereavement to Action -- Peer Support and the Warrior Ethos: Interview with Master Sergeant Christopher D. Jachimiec | Episode 25

In this podcast, Master Sergeant Christopher D. Jachimiec shares the tragedy of losing his brother Adam to suicide. We explore our shared grief experiences as sibling survivors of suicide loss and the making meaning process. Out of catastrophe we have options — to get buried under, to gloss over or to go through. Chris found his higher purpose was “honoring the dash” — our lives are not about the start date or end date, but what happens in between.

During the interview, Chris shares so many resources (many listed below), key steps in the journey of healing, and lessons learned from Viktor Frankl.

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The New "Stop, Drop and Roll" - 3 Ways to Extinguish the Fire of Suicidal Intensity: Interview with Dr. Ursula Whiteside | Episode 16

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The New "Stop, Drop and Roll" - 3 Ways to Extinguish the Fire of Suicidal Intensity: Interview with Dr. Ursula Whiteside | Episode 16

Sometimes, however, despite our best efforts to escape emotional pain, we may find ourselves "on fire." And in these instances of the most extreme forms of suicidal intensity, we need a different set of survival behaviors. We need to extinguish the "oxygen" that is feeding the crisis by quickly resetting the emotional state. In this episode, Dr. Whiteside shares three important steps that can help people reset their emotional system; the suicide crisis equivalent of "stop, drop and roll."