I saw this tonight as I was walking the dog. As my flashlight hit the plastic garbage can, I caught this heart in a glimpse. Charles saw a lot of dark because he didn’t sleep well. So when I saw it I thought about all the times he spent in the dark alone as a result of his depression and sleep issue diagnosed as Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome.
As soon as I saw it, I felt a pang in my own heart. Lack of sleep makes depression so much worse and I know in his final hours he had not slept well for days which contributed to his depression and ultimately his suicide. It was so frustrating that after decades I was never able to help my son find a restful night’s sleep.
I am an emotionally naked TEDx speaker, and author of the Book, Diary of a Broken Mind. I raised two boys, Richard and Charles, and lost my youngest son, Charles to substance use disorder and suicide June 5, 2015. I help people foster a culture of connection to prevent suicide, reduce substance misuse and find life after loss. My motivational, training and workshop topics include suicide prevention, addiction, mental illness, and grief.
As talented and funny as Charles was, letting other people know they matter was his greatest gift. And now the legacy I try and carry forward in my son's memory.
Professional Speaker Website. Trained in ASIST and trainer for the evidence-based 4-hour training for everyone called safeTALK.
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One thought on “Night heart— #griefheart number 214”
Same. We tried Melatonin and all sorts of things for him.
Same. We tried Melatonin and all sorts of things for him.