about this page
Under construction. I share so many good resources in THE LATEST, and after a number of days, they fall off the first page and basically into oblivion. (OK, they’re still there somewhere, but even I can’t find some of the things I want to.) So on this page will be videos, links to the best articles, podcasts about mental health, etc.
urgent: for suicidal crisis
Ursula Whiteside of Now Matters Now: Stop, Drop, and Roll for Emotional Fires. In this video she walks you through specific actions to take if you are in crisis.
suicide prevention safety plans
Some of my favorite suicide prevention advocates explain this four-step L.I.F.E. safety plan, from Same Here Global. Eric Kussin’s intro is great, but to skip straight to the plan, start at 3:40.
suicide prevention music videos
Music video live from the 2017 MTV VMA’s: Logic’s 1-800-273-8255. Joining him on stage are suicide attempt survivors. Powerful!
Marshmello & Demi Lovato — OK Not To Be OK (official music video). For World Suicide Prevention Day 2020.
Jack’s Mannequin/Andrew McMahon, SWIM, from the album The Glass Passenger.
grief
Take an hour to view Speaking Grief. Visit their website for additional interviews and more grief support resources.
Speaking Grief explores the transformative experience of losing a family member in a grief-avoidant society. It validates grief as a normal, healthy part of the human experience rather than a problem that needs to be “fixed.” It also addresses the role that support from friends and family plays in a person’s grief experience, offering guidance on how to show up for people in their darkest moments.
In a 15-minute talk that's by turns heartbreaking and hilarious, writer and podcaster Nora McInerny shares her hard-earned wisdom about life and death.
Megan Devine from Refuge In Grief tells how to really help a grieving friend (4 minutes).
suicide prevention documentaries (full films)
Dark Cloud examines a growing epidemic seriously affecting young people's mental, emotional, and physical well-being: the toll of cyberbullying. With the Amanda Todd Legacy Society and Rise Against Bullying.
Trailer: Tell My Story. His son Ryan died by suicide. Now, Jason Reid is determined to reach every parent and every family about the conversation they need to be having with their kids. Watch the full film here.
There are more films available on the Well Beings mental health website, including the Out of the Dark series, featuring Hannah Lucas of notOK App, and Brad Hunstable’s Almost Thirteen, about the loss of his son, Hayden.
trailers for suicide prevention films
Most of these full films are now available to watch online, and I’ve included links in the captions. It may cost a few dollars each. Other than Mallory and The S Word, these films (and My Sister Liv, which doesn’t have a trailer) screened during the Hope Rising Suicide Prevention Virtual Summit in September 2020.
Trailer: A suicide attempt left 16-year-old varsity cheerleader, Emma Benoit, paralyzed, but propelled her on a mission to use her painful experience to help others.
Trailer from Kevin Hines for a film and a movement about hope and healing. Help draw more attention to this devastating health crisis, while helping people find the support they need. Rent or buy here.
Groundbreaking documentary that shatters the silence around suicide and reveals a movement of survivors, artists and activists fighting to change how we deal with our ultimate taboo. Watch on Amazon Prime.
recommended podcasts and individual audio episodes
Probably my favorite episode of Welcome to Night Vale, this one is about the grief we can’t admit. Enjoy the whole episode, or skip to 18:29 to hear just the concluding narrative. Here’s a blog post I wrote about it.
news articles and essays
I first read this 2013 article by Tony Dokoupil not long after Rader died in 2017, when I was in the early stages of learning all I could about suicide and its causes. It's still the deepest, best explanation I've encountered.