Original Air Date: June 6, 2021*

This is not a part of my life I open up about a lot.  Like most people who struggle with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, I keep that part of my life to myself because it's not something I feel like a lot of people struggle with or can understand.  I'm also a very independent person who doesn't like to burden other people and typically talking about how I thought about killing myself on a random Tuesday could really throw off someone else's day.

I've been really stressed out lately and uncomfortable at the idea of quitting my job.  It's triggering these thoughts more frequently and I feel like talking about them helps.  

Also, I have a lot of daily listeners and I feel like I share with you my day to day life and yet this is a pocket of my life I try to keep hidden.  

I'm often reminded after I talk about my challenges with mental health that this is precisely the reason I was gifted this challenge.

Because I will talk about it.

Depression, anxiety, and suicide are such silent diseases in our society.  It's silent because there is so much shame around feeling broken.

I've done more thought-work, yoga, and meditation than anyone you know. 

I don't have a problem being happy or being positive. 

This is just something that hits me when I feel overwhelmed and stressed.  When I feel overwhelmed and stress, my brain falls to a feeling of hopelessness that I often have to breathe through and wait for it to pass. 

I'm sharing this on the podcast because talking about it has saved my life.  And I hope sharing some of my current struggles could maybe help save someone else's.