Dr. Katie Kopp joins me for a second time on the podcast, this time we tackle suicide and turning our mental health around. Won't lie, had a really tough week. Someone who holds a place in my heart took his life, I haven't felt this level of loss in a very long time, so very fortunate to have Dr. Kopp available to come on and have a chat.

Opening things right up, Katie asked me when suicide first effected me. I have to say, two hours later and I feel really good about opening up, sharing my feelings on it and having her there to help me sift through things. Each of us have a had experience that we have a hard time getting around, opening up about these sticking points is clutch. If you're listening to yourself and you're not healing, then you need someone to help you out. 

From the point of hopelessness, we talk about not being able to find a way out of our situation, life, and how suicide feels like the only option. How do we gain a footing here and pull ourselves back from the brink? 

1) Take care of your personal hygiene and stay healthy.

2) Get a Veteran or 100 in YOUR LIFE! You are either helping or being helped, either way its a win-win for everyone. Everyone needs someone to call them out. This isn't a daily thing here, this is a check-in, get on in there.

3) Know yourself and seek self-improvement. Find out and understand what makes you who you are. Dive deep into what is bothering you, break it up into pieces and understand those little chunks. Stay in the zone of understanding it, gain full knowledge and understanding, move to the next chunk.

4) Don't get comfortable, our demons are waiting...keep your head on a swivel and keep moving!

5) Normalizing Trauma means that you have understanding of what makes you tick. Now its time to make it normal, this trauma is apart of you, your personality will always have elements of this trauma. Breaking the cycle of silence, opening up and getting sound advice from those you trust.

6) Build Compassion & Empathy for yourself, you've been through a lot, take credit for it. If it makes you sad then imagine how others feel, you showing that this too effects you, that is having compassion and empathy. This also helps others to normalize their trauma. A damn win-win again.

Everyone take it easy out there. Reach out to someone and have a meaningful conversation about life. Reach out to Dr. Kopp if you have questions or need guidance on getting plugged into a counselor, [email protected]. Any Veteran that would like to come on and have a chat on the show, email: [email protected]. Let's get it done.

Stay safe and blessed!

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