**TRIGGER WARNING** This episode will be talking directly about suicide, so this might not be for everyone to listen to right now. But we at Safe Home believe this is a very important topic so we hope you’ll listen when it’s safe for you to do so.

In this week’s Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Frank King, a comedian who wrote for The Tonight Show for over 20 years and who performs standup worldwide. Along the way, he focused his creative attention on the topic of mental health, and specifically suicidality. Now known as the Mental Health Comedian, he talks openly about his own suicidality and, using humor as a tool to open up the conversation, he informs people about suicide prevention, destigmatizes mental illness, and helps people feel seen and heard. He has a few wonderful TED Talks: including  A Matter of Laugh or Death, Mental with Benefits, and Born To Be Funny.

===============

💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX

===============

RESOURCES:

Frank’s information:

• Frank’s website: https://www.thementalhealthcomedian.com/
• Frank’s Tedx Talk “A Matter of Laugh or Death”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBUXND5BD4M&t=967s

Other resources mentioned in this episode:

• Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 988 - or text HELP to 741741 -https://988lifeline.org/
• The Message of You: Turn Your Life Story into a Money-Making Speaking Career by Judy Carter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250007100
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - free resources: https://www.nami.org/

===============

Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and Beth Syverson

Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao

Cover art by Joseph Nakao, photo by Beth Syverson

Email questions or comments to Safe Home at [email protected]

Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube

Support Safe Home on Patreon: Patreon.com/SafeHome

www.SafeHomeFamilies.com

===============

TIME STAMPS:

1:30 Frank explains creating a career from comedy about suicide

7:48 Vulnerability is Frank’s superpower

9:58 Dentists, veterinarians, and construction workers have the highest incidence of suicide deaths

11:17 Frank’s mental illnesses - Major Depressive Disorder and Chronic Suicidality

15:35 Mental with Benefits - what if mental illness is a desirable disadvantage?

17:30 Frank’s self-care plan - 5 daily requirements to maintain his mental health

20:40 Suicide prevention tips

22:20 Does talking about suicide make it more likely someone would attempt suicide?

23:48 We’re not saying “commit suicide” anymore - what do we call it now?

25:08 The new 988 suicide prevention lifeline

28:02 **TRIGGER WARNING** Frank’s intergenerational depression and suicide stories

32:09 Sugar addiction as a long-term death sentence

33:15 Ambivalence about suicide means most people can be saved from suicide; what are the warning signs?

36:33 Lock up your medications, parents!!

--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/safe-home-podcast/message