Episode 003 - Suicide and Those Left Behind w/ Jessica Sidener

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On the Third episode of Shit We Don’t Talk About; Mia chats with Jessica Sidener, the creator of a Night Out with the Girls (that you heard about in episode two), and the new topic of the day is suicide. Mia invited Jessica to join her again to talk about the flip side of her story surrounding breast cancer when she lost her husband, Tylor, to suicide just six months before receiving her diagnosis. As she describes it, she had to wake up from the nightmare that was her life.

Click to Read: Podcast Transcript

It’s no surprise that people shy away from talking about suicide and depression, which is why we need so much to talk about it! Jessica has turned talking about it into a tribute to her late husband, and she wants to see the conversation continue. People are suffering by themselves, and that’s why we HAVE to keep talking about it.

Jessica’s husband had always battled depression, but in the last years of their marriage, he started isolating himself more. Jessica attributed this change to his introverted personality. She can look back on the month when he took his life and note one moment in particular, when he blew up and had an extreme reaction to an event. So now she can see it. And she can also see that

Three takeaways from this episode of the Shit We Don’t Talk About podcast.

Say the name of the person who has been lost to suicide. Keep them alive.
Never stop talking about mental illness so we can shatter the stigma.
People who are depressed and contemplating suicide can be surrounded by tons of friends and family who care about them, but they won’t feel it.
Even with the loss of a loved one from suicide, there is the gift of the appreciation of life and what really matters.

Today, people are struggling with their mental health more than ever since COVID and the mounting pressures on social media—where everyone’s life looks perfect. This episode doesn’t dig into the usual talk that follows the subject of suicide. Mia and Jessica simply talk about how to love people just as they are, without trying to fix anything.

That’s why you need to listen to this episode of the Shit We Don’t Talk About podcast. We really don’t talk about what we feel is off-limits and painful because we don’t know how. Jessica covers this a lot in her blog, Own My Today, so make sure you follow her and read it.

The plain truth is that we don’t know what other people are going through. So lighten the fuck up! Be kind and don’t judge.

About Jessica

Jessica Sidener is a widow sharing her story about her late husband who passed away in June 2016 as a result of suicide. She is passionate about using the crazy hard times in her life to serve and inspire others. She enjoys creating opportunities that allow people to tackle tough topics that life can throw our way.

https://ownmytoday.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ownmytoday/