After my son died by suicide, I kept telling myself I would survive.
I took deep breaths and repeated it to myself several times a day at first. I had no idea how, or when, or what that journey looked like. I honestly didn’t even know if it was true but invested in blind faith that I would. Others had. Why couldn’t I?
That simple phrase was the single most important thing I told myself.
It was a way to offer myself hope at a time when my future looked like it was paved with broken glass and razor wire.
It worked. I did survive. And whatever you are facing, you can, too.
I am an emotionally naked mental health speaker, and author of the Book, Diary of a Broken Mind and co-author with Kim O'Brien PhD, LICSW of Emotionally Naked: A Teacher's Guide to Preventing Suicide and Recognizing Students at Risk. I raised two boys, Richard and Charles, and lost my younger son, Charles to addiction and suicide on June 5, 2015. I help people foster a culture of connection to prevent suicide, reduce substance misuse and find life after loss. My motivational mental health keynotes, training and workshop topics include suicide prevention, addiction, mental illness, anxiety, coping strategies/resilience, 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.
Mental Health Speakers Website. Trained in ASIST and trainer for the evidence-based 4-hour training for everyone called safeTALK.
View all posts by Anne Moss Rogers
4 thoughts on “What did I say to myself to keep going?”
Thank you. I say the same every day…I’m actually writing this am about the question: “how are you doing” … I find that difficult to answer at times…and I write for the Highly Sensitive Persons living with grief/loss of any sort…Hugs to you…you’re opening such need dialog for addiction/suicide/etc…and I’m trying to do the same to open dialog for loss/grief of any sort…we need to support each other through life…
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Thank you. I say the same every day…I’m actually writing this am about the question: “how are you doing” … I find that difficult to answer at times…and I write for the Highly Sensitive Persons living with grief/loss of any sort…Hugs to you…you’re opening such need dialog for addiction/suicide/etc…and I’m trying to do the same to open dialog for loss/grief of any sort…we need to support each other through life…
We do need to acknowledge grief and not hide it. It is difficult to answer that question sometimes. But we tend to go for the default answer.
Thanks for those encouraging words, Anne Moss.
You are welcome, Leigh