September is the month of Suicide Awareness. As I do honor my roots and where I come from, I want to speak about choosing to exit life and choosing life. Suicides are a heavy package we have been carrying in our family for generations. I am openly sharing my own experiences growing up with this topic openly on the table, shadowing my sense of safety and how this has been coloring the way I have navigated life. Suicides are very often a shameful trade that runs in families. While I want to highlight that the shame is as much a generational burden as the act of suicide itself. As I have been experiencing deep suicidal periods myself, I do want to share that the shame is not ours to carry, it is a shame that we lack the necessary support networks to lean into; that do not shame or gaslight. In the end of this episode, I share some of the tools that has been helpful for me and many of my peers struggling with deep levels of anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Please share this with others, we never know who needs to hear this. Much love and appreciation! email me to [email protected] website: karoliinahellen.com