Today I am sharing my guest appearance with host Mathew Blades & Dr. Frank Bevacqua on the "Learn from People Who Lived It" Podcast.
LISTEN to THIS EPISODE HERE
Below I have copied Mathew's show notes from this episode:
Putting the Pieces Back Together with Melissa Bottorff-Arey
In this episode, you'll hear:
How Melissa was able to make peace with the guilt she had over the incident
What she would have done differently and what it looks like to be a "safe person"
How she handled Alex’s death with her other two children
(I am omitting my Bio which was here because its already on my site)
In this episode, Mathew, Dr. Frank, and Melissa discuss how to carry grief and pain at the same time, factors that lead to increased suicidal ideation, and the impact people around you have on your mental health. Dr. Frank outlines the costs and benefits of mental health medication, what suicidal ideation is, and when it switches to becoming suicidal. What would Melissa have done differently if she knew Alex had made that switch? She tells us what she has learned over the years about how to be a safe person to talk to, why parent guilt is unique, and how knowledge has helped her deal with it. There is a balance between modeling behavior and grieving authentically that she has had to manage with her other two children and has gotten to a place now where she understands the difference between trauma and grief. She says finding a community is the most important thing to do after a loss, and she is doing her part to create one through her organization, The Leftover Pieces.
"I know I will always be a work in progress, but now I also know I can live a good life, right alongside my grief."
Again --LISTEN to THIS EPISODE HERE
PLEASE CHECK OUT HIS WHOLE PODCAST HERE -- link, rate & review if you would be so kind (please do this for e too if you haven't yet)
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PS....LAST SESSION of the Legacy Writing Project for 2023 began August 16 BUT you can get on the wait list for FEBRUARY 7, 2024 anytime!
For a way to leave a Legacy of your child - GO HERE
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My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" support central.
The latest Legacy projects are NOW published BOOKS -- GET THEM HERE!!!
ALSO, my first two books (tools I have created for you!) in the "Facing Life After Suicide" series are available on Amazon
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
CALL 988 OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA