1:31

Welcome to another episode of War of the Mind

1:33

, where we tackle challenging mental health

1:35

issues and highlight the power

1:37

of resilience and redemption , a

1:39

deep dive into addiction , recovery , self-discovery

1:42

and overcoming adversity . Today's

1:45

topic , although heavy , is

1:47

quite crucial understanding suicide

1:50

, its connection with the ongoing pandemic

1:52

and addiction . First

2:06

off , I'd like to share a quote by

2:08

author Atticus , who said

2:10

it's okay to feel unstable , it's

2:12

okay to disassociate , it's okay

2:14

to hide from the world , it's okay

2:17

to need help , it's okay

2:19

not to be okay . Your

2:22

mental illness is not a personal

2:24

failure . Let's

2:27

set the stage with some statistics

2:30

. The

2:32

World Health Organization reports approximately

2:35

800,000 suicides every year . That's

2:38

one person every 40 seconds . Disturbing

2:40

, yes . Hence why discussing

2:43

suicide and suicide prevention

2:45

is important , more

2:51

so during what happened

2:53

during COVID-19 pandemic . So

3:00

that brings us to our first segment

3:03

Suicide and COVID-19

3:05

. The

3:10

pandemic has amplified mental health

3:12

conditions across the globe . There's

3:15

fear of social isolation , economic

3:17

uncertainty . People worry

3:19

about the virus itself , losing loved

3:21

ones to it , but

3:24

they're also concerned

3:26

about job security , although

3:31

life stresses brought into sharp focus have potentially escalated the risk of suicide

3:33

. To

3:38

quote Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

3:41

, the

3:43

most beautiful people we have known are

3:46

those who have known defeat , known

3:48

suffering , known struggle , known

3:50

loss and have found their way

3:53

out of the depths . Remember

3:59

, we're all treading uncharted waters

4:01

, grappling with heightened insecurities

4:04

, so please reach out to someone if

4:06

you find yourself struggling

4:08

. Self-validation in these unwieldy

4:10

times is key . For

4:21

our next segment , we'll

4:23

delve in deeper into the

4:25

intricate link between addiction and

4:27

suicide . Addiction

4:47

can make an individual six

4:49

times more susceptible to suicide . Persistent substance

4:51

abuse can exacerbate mental health conditions

4:53

or highlight hidden

4:56

issues like depression , anxiety , influencing

4:59

these unfavorable odds . On

5:08

top of that , characteristics of addiction , such

5:10

as impulsivity , hopelessness

5:12

or guilt could turn you towards dire outcomes

5:14

. And

5:18

another quote from Trent Reznor

5:20

I've struggled with depression and

5:22

addiction and if you're out there

5:24

wrestling those demons as well , know

5:26

this it can get better . Now

5:30

for our final segment . When

5:42

dealing with suicidal tendencies , early

5:45

intervention is paramount . Prevention

5:48

strategies must take a multi-pronged

5:52

approach , integrating individual

5:55

care with community-focused efforts

5:57

, all by

6:00

digital platforms for widespread

6:02

accessibility . Amid

6:15

this panic pandemic

6:19

, online

6:22

addiction support groups have been

6:24

invaluable . Platforms

6:37

such as Alcoholics Anonymous

6:39

and Narcotics Anonymous continue to operate

6:41

virtually , providing several individuals with crucial lifeline . One

6:44

quote that comes to mind from Christopher Reeve once you choose hope , anything's

6:47

possible . And I believe that , no

6:49

matter how much darkness we face , there's

6:52

always a light at the end of the tunnel . To

6:57

reduce feelings of

6:59

isolation during lockdowns , building

7:03

robust online communities

7:05

can work wonders . Digital

7:07

platforms could serve as an emotional tether

7:09

, reducing feelings

7:12

of loneliness and disconnectedness

7:16

during social distancing

7:18

and quarantine measures . Let's

7:37

not forget amidst all these challenges , circumstances

7:39

lies an opportunity for us all to grow with crisis . With crisis comes

7:41

adapt , adaption , adaptation

7:44

and resilience . It

7:46

might seem insurmountable now

7:48

, but remember Carl Rogers' words

7:51

the good life is a process , not

7:53

a state of being . It is a direction

7:55

, not a destination . Now

8:13

, wrapping up our show today , I'd like

8:15

to emphasize that mental health

8:17

matters now more than

8:19

ever . Crisis

8:22

has shown us in no

8:24

uncertain time , in

8:27

no certain time terms , that

8:31

even amidst it , amidst

8:33

all of the scientific advancements , there's

8:35

urgent need for mental

8:38

health care to move front

8:40

and center in our health care

8:42

responses . So

8:59

, as we , I leave you with

9:01

another quote from Carl Jung I

9:03

am not what happened to you , to

9:05

me , I am what I choose to become . Remember

9:07

suicide is aware . Suicide awareness is not just

9:10

about understanding its cause or

9:12

just statistics . It's

9:14

about real people , countless

9:18

lives impacting families and communities

9:20

. Let's ensure they get

9:22

help and the support they deserve . Remember

9:36

, it's okay not to be okay . Seek help

9:38

if you need it and let's help each other

9:41

find the strength . Even in

9:44

times of crisis , you are not alone . Remember

9:53

, if you or anyone else may be at risk , seek

9:56

immediate professional help . In the US , contact National Suicide

9:58

Prevention Lifeline

10:00

at 1-800-273-TALK

10:03

. That's 1-800-273-TALK

10:06

, that's 1-800-273-8255

10:08

. Or use the Crisis Text

10:10

Line by texting

10:12

HOME to 741741

10:16

. Final

10:25

thought In the middle of all

10:28

of a difficulty lies

10:30

opportunity . That's

10:33

a quote from Albert Einstein . Again

10:36

, it's in the middle of a difficulty lies

10:38

opportunity . And yes , we

10:40

are in the throes of global pandemic

10:43

, but it also is an opportunity

10:45

, a chance to highlight mental

10:48

health , the silent crisis

10:50

we often push

10:52

aside . In

11:08

our next episode , we will dive deeper

11:10

into strategies and tools that

11:13

help us build resilience during

11:15

challenging times . We'll talk

11:17

more about the importance of self-care

11:19

, strong support systems and how

11:21

taking one day at a time can make

11:23

a massive difference . But

11:27

until then , stay kind of your

11:30

own words to

11:32

your own words , look out for each other

11:34

and remember every storm eventually

11:37

runs out of rain . This

11:46

is war of the mind , where the fate we face mental health challenges head on and addiction

11:48

, self-discovery , powers

11:51

of aliens and adversity .

11:53

Don't forget to subscribe wherever

11:55

you get your podcasts , so you never

11:58

miss an episode and

12:01

before we go , I'll repeat once again if

12:03

you are in the house , maybe

12:06

at rest . Seek immediate professional

12:08

help In

12:11

the US . Contact National Suicide Prevention

12:13

Hotline 1-800-273-TALK

12:16

. That's 1-800-273-8255

12:21

. That's 1-800-273-8255

12:24

. Or

12:29

use the Crisis Text Line by texting CALL

12:31

to 741741

12:33

. Mental health is not a personal failure . This

12:40

episode was produced by Lauren Johnson

12:43

and edited by Lauren Johnson . If you love this

12:45

episode , leave us a review on the podcast platform

12:47

and join the conversation with Montel

12:49

Health awareness on our social

12:51

media pages and the suicide prevention

12:54

on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter . Thanks

12:57

again for joining us today . See

12:59

you again in the next episode .