Stick Around - A Suicide Discussion

Steven is married, has 2 kids, and has lived in Spokane, WA for almost 10 years. He works as a CPA at  CliftonLarsonAllen and as an adjunct professor at Whitworth University in their MBA program. He loves being outdoors, spending time with family,  reading and being active. One great resource Steven mentioned in the episode was the book “Extreme Ownership” by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin.

Judi  Van Eperen is a wife to Ray and mother to 5 children and one angel.   She lost her middle son to suicide in December 2017.  Her family, her  life, and her outlook have changed forever.  In honor of her son Chris  she strives to promote mental health and suicide awareness, perform  daily acts of kindness as he did, and encourage others to do the same.

Judi  Van Eperen is a wife to Ray and mother to 5 children and one angel.   She lost her middle son to suicide in December 2017.  Her family, her  life, and her outlook have changed forever.  In honor of her son Chris she strives to promote mental health and suicide awareness, perform  daily acts of kindness as he did, and encourage others to do the same.

On October 31, 2001, William took his 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass out on an open highway and crashed head on into an oncoming semi truck. He was in a coma for 2 months and rehabilitation for another 2 months after his miraculous survival. William had to relearn everything over again; from how to use his muscles, how to read and write, how to speak, and every other day-to-day task most of us take for granted. 

Now, he is an author and speaker focusing his efforts toward others who are struggling in life. William's book can be found on Amazon here:

Jason Webb is a LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) and ASUDC (Advanced Substance Use Disorder Counselor). He has been working in the addiction field for 21 years. Jason has seen a lot of suicides in that time including close friends and neighbors. He currently works at the Phoenix recovery center and often times sees suicide and drugs as people’s solution and not the actual problem.

Jason is also the author of a book titled “The Reality of Perception” which can be found on Amazon here: The Reality of Perception.

During this episode, Jason recommended the book, "Feeling Good" by David Burns. 

He also referenced the National Suicide Hope Line: 1-800-784-2433.

This is an introductory episode describing my background and why I  believe the conversation of suicide and mental health needs to be more  open. I'm obviously not a professional by any means on this topic but  I'm passionate and curious and look forward to learning from others in  this journey.