Stories about Lived Experience

AFSP Volunteer Advocate Terri Lavely smiling in a white cardigan.

Training to Become a Volunteer Advocate for Suicide Prevention Felt Like a Gift

In January of 2016, I lost my 18-year-old nephew to suicide. The loss was devastating. Being an AFSP Volunteer Advocate has helped me process my own personal experiences, and be braver in standing up for my own needs, those of my family, our community, and all humans. We’re all in this together.

Masako, Naomi, and Ethan Sacks standing together outside for a family photo. By Takako Harkness

A Haunted Girl: A Father and Daughter Collaborate on a Horror Comic Miniseries That Reflects Their Own Scary — but Ultimately Hopeful — Journey With Mental Health

A Haunted Girl is a four-issue graphic novel horror miniseries written by acclaimed comics writer Ethan Sacks, alongside his daughter Naomi. The main character’s inner journey deeply involves mental health, as she returns to high school after a stay in a psychiatric hospital.

Group of people gathered outside in matching t-shirts at the Construction Hike for Hope.

Acknowledging My Dark Night: My Mission to Support Suicide Prevention in the Construction Industry

Construction has the second highest rate of suicide in the U.S. While we have not historically discussed mental health in construction, we are an industry that truly cares about our employees, and we must create an environment where they can share their emotions and struggles.

AFSP North Texas chapter volunteer William Floyd wearing a dark blue t-shirt and looking at the camera.

Navigating Out of the Darkness

I think a big misconception is that those with lived experience are selfish or weak. We are neither. Mental health can be like a labyrinth, and it takes a lot to navigate out of the darkness.

Does Everything Really Happen for a Reason?

While I still struggle with the concept of whether everything happens for a reason, my own experiences have led me to this conclusion: that while we cannot ever fully control the negative experiences that happen in our lives, we can use them to shape our lives and paths for the better.

I Walk Because My Life is Worth Living

I walk because suicide prevention matters to me and isn’t spoken about enough. No one should suffer alone or in silence. I walk because my passion in life is to share my experiences in hopes that they can help someone else.

Removing the Shame from Eating Disorders and Suicide

I’d love to share with you a bit about my story and my recovery from shame, suicidal ideation, and my eating disorder – in hopes that it will help someone else find life beyond their eating disorder.

Taryn Hiatt, AFSP Utah and Nevada Area Director

Facing the Pain

My first suicide attempt happened at age 13. When I left the hospital, I told my parents about the sexual abuse. I was asked to “pretend it didn’t happen.” Drugs and alcohol became my solution, and – in a way – kept me alive for many, many years.

The Other Side of Hospitalization

When I was 17-years-old, I was diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder. I’d been battling with depression since early middle school, but had tell-tale signs of hypomania by my junior year of high school. My depression getting worse was what ultimately led me to seek out a psychiatrist, and learning of my new diagnosis.

Being Who I Needed When I Was Younger

There is no community or school district that doesn’t have people needing to hear the specific message that it is okay to be who they are, and have that be backed up by a willingness to connect them to truly affirming services that meet their needs for mental health care, medical care, housing, advocacy, and more.

I Want to Grow Up: Seeing a Future After Attempting Suicide in Grade-School

For as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with anxiety. My earliest memory of it was in the first grade. I talked in class, trying to make a friend – unfortunately, I did it while the teacher was speaking. She got angry, and made me walk to the front of the class. I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

Jon Ganues, Survivor Care Team Associate, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)

Mental Health and the Military: Asking for Help When You Need It

I am a survivor of suicide loss, having lost a first cousin, a second cousin, and an Air Force son to suicide. I am also a survivor of suicide ideation.