Wellness Action Recovery The W.A.R. Podcast with Fonda Bryant

I am BACK after two years!  I felt it was important to continue the conversation around mental health and suicide prevention.  However, more than the conversation, we as a community, a culture, and a society need to do BETTER when preventing suicide.

If you have listened to my podcast before or followed my work, you know I am very passionate about mental health as an advocate and a person who deals with clinical depression and anxiety.  You also know my deep-rooted passion comes from being a suicide survivor.  On February, 14th, of this year, it has now been 29 years.  I never take hitting my anniversary for granted.

I found my passion as an advocate for mental health and suicide prevention through a gentle kick in the pants from my son Wes, in 2014, when after contemplating suicide once more, he told me, "Mom you can help people I know you can."  I haven't looked back.

Suicide is the most preventable death of all deaths, and is EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS.   I hate to use the overused word, "CRISIS," but unfortunately when it comes to suicide, "Society is in CRISIS and it is a GLOBAL Health Crisis BUT there is Hope!  Become Someone's HERO through EDUCATION and simply CARING, WE can prevent suicide!

Take a listen!

#EducationIsTheKey  #AuntSpankie #BYU #QPRTraining #MentalHealth #SuicidePrevention

When it comes to suicide, isn't a warm and fuzzy subject to discuss BUT it is a subject that if not discussed, action will never come and change won't happen.  I should have been dead as a teenager but Jehovah God brought me through to be HERE to help others.  At times, my passion gets the best of me but my life was saved by my Aunt Spankie on Tuesday, February 14th, 1995, and saved again by my son Wesley in 2014, after a gentle kick in the butt, that I could help others.  It is draining work at times, people don't want to put in the work, and people sometimes think you are pushy, but at the end of the day, ALL that matters is helping someone get on the path of wellness and stopping suicide.  It is PRICELESS!!!

Whether it is natural causes, car deaths, or homicides, death hurts. However, suicide leaves a different kind of pain.  It leaves the WHY pain!  Why didn't I see the signs, why didn't I know, why didn't they reach out to me, WHY, WHY, WHY?  That WHY pain can eat you up for the rest of your life.  

You can help the WHY pain through EDUCATION like QPR (Question Persuade Refer) Suicide Prevention Training!  In the time you watch a movie, you can learn how to save a life.  The warning can be hard to see unless you know what to look for.

Make one of your New Year resolutions to learn how to save a life through QPR Suicide Prevention Training!  Become a certified Gatekeeper in 2023!  Did you know, suicide is EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS and ANYONE can prevent the tragedy and pain of suicide? FACT!!!!

EVERY 11-MINUTES someone dies by suicide in the U.S.
12th leading cause of death in the U.S.
2nd leading cause of death for young people 10-34 years of age
2nd leading cause of death on college campuses, over 1400 died by suicide YEARLY
24,000 College students attempt YEARLY
Black males have the highest rate of suicide among ANY ethnic group
White males 45-65 years and older have the highest rate of suicide out of any GROUP
More people die by suicide in the U.S. than car deaths and homicides COMBINED
WORLDWIDE, 2000, people DIE by suicide DAILY
WORLDWIDE 50,000, people ATTEMPT suicide DAILY
More people DIE by suicide WORLDWIDE than prostate and breast cancer COMBINED
#StopSuicide #AuntSpnkie #StephentWitchBoss #GlobalHealthCrisis #QPRTraining  #BeTheChange #Preventable 

I have been a certified QPR Suicide Prevention Instructor since 2018.  I had no idea when I became an instructor just how much it would mean to me and countless others.

The obvious with QPR is it will help you to recognize the warning signs of someone being in crisis or suicidal, talk and listen to them in a nonjudgmental way and help them to get the help they need to get on the path of wellness and recovery.  QPR training also helps you gauge your own mental health with both being a WIN-WIN situation.

The biggest reason why people don't feel comfortable helping someone in crisis or suicidal is due to the fear of saying or doing the wrong thing but if people get educated don't know what to say, knowing what to do, I have no doubt that they can and will save a life.

Action is key when it comes to stopping suicide.  Suicide nor mental health are warm and fuzzy subjects but if we are going to help those struggling with mental health issues and suicidal ideations, we have to be about ACTION through early detection, stomping out stigma, and most of all EDUCATION!!!

#CultureMatters #Racism #QPR #AnyoneCanSaveALife #HopewellHighSchool #StudentAthletes #CollegeCommissioners  #BYU #ChazAhYou #Twitter #AuntSpankie #QPRMandatory 

On Sunday's, CBS Face the Nation,  Senator Pat Toomey said, "We all agree, violent criminals and deranged,  dangerously mentally ill people shouldn't have firearms."  Before he got on TV talking about mental health, he should have checked with NAMI, MHA, or AFSP, who would have been more than happy to educate him on the fact,  "People with a mental health condition are MORE likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators of violence."

The more mental health is blamed for gun violence and mass shootings, the less likely people will be to get the help they need resorting to self-medication and suicide.  The stigma that surrounds mental health continues to be one of the biggest hurdles to deal with.

A mental health condition has no face and doesn't discriminate.  How would you even know who has a mental health condition?  Everyone, including Senators, has someone in their family that deals with a mental health condition, including them.

Join me for this very passionate conversation!

#Stigma #Columbine #MassShootings #Brooklyn #ConcordMills #TopGun #200Plus #StopBlamingMentalHealth #SenatorPatToomey #FaceTheNation #CBS #GunViolence

It's been a minute since I have done a podcast but I am BACK!  In this podcast, I talk about my journey with past mistakes and setting boundaries, and how being accountable is a part of recovery.  Making excuses and not being accountable for your life and mental wellness rests solely on the person dealing with a mental health issue.

Henry Miller an OL at Ohio State announced he is walking away from college football for his mental health!  Bravo young man!  In a very long tweet last week, he went into detail addressing his mental health and the fact he was suicidal.  Thank goodness he went to his head coach, Coach Day, who had lost his dad to suicide when he was six years old.  The great thing about this young man besides being aware of his mental health, he also is doing well in school and will leave with a degree in engineering.

Kobe Young, Towson University, and Katie Meyer both died by suicide and both were student-athletes.  Both were great athletes and students but both were struggling.  Only 10% of student-athletes get the help they need when they go to college.  ALL student-athletes need to be trained in QPR Suicide Prevention Training.

Walking 27-miles to bring awareness to Suicide and Mental Health on Saturday, April 30th, from 8:00 a.m. until finished.  You can join me, or donate to my nonprofit.

#HenryMiller #KatieMeyer #KobeYoung #ChazAhYou #Stanford #TowsonUniversity #BYU #PierreEasley #CheslieKryst #IzzyTichenor #Zy'onnaPhifer #BryceGowdy #AdamBuckley #StopSuicide #DoBetter #Stigma #Shame

Since the death of Cheslie Kryst, there has been a lot of conversation around suicide.  It is a tragedy that happened to her but at the same time, it is a tragedy that so many people in the United States and WORLDWIDE die by suicide DAILY.  

The same day that Cheslie the former Ms. USA died by suicide, she was a part of 125 Americans and 17 veterans that died by suicide.  She was also a part of 2000 people WORLDWIDE that died by suicide.  The same empathy and compassion shown to her and her family should be shown to ALL of the families that died by suicide that day and beyond.

Suicide is a GLOBAL Health CRISIS.  It isn't a character flaw, nor is it a personal matter.  If people got educated on the warning signs and learned what to look out for, they could save a life.  The QPR (Question Persuade Refer) Suicide Prevention Training.  In 2-hours, the time you take to watch a movie, you can be trained in how to save a life.

QPR Training helped me save the life of a total stranger in Provo, Utah, Chaz Ah You.  When I heard of Cheslie's death and how she posted, "May you REST and PEACE," I wish I would have been following her and got to her like I did Chaz.  In the QPR Training, I teach you, about "Cryptic messaging."  As a suicide survivor, I know we don't always come out and tell you, "We are suicidal."

Episode 3 of my podcast talks about Cheslie Kryst but it also talks about how you can save a life through education, what to look out for and how I was able to stop a total stranger from taking his own life.  Education and caring are key in stopping suicide.

Join me Saturday, February 19th, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. EST (Sharp) online for QPR (Question Persuade Refer Suicide Prevention) Training ([email protected])

#QPR #CheslieKryst #MissUSA #GlobalHealthCrisis #SuicideIsPreventable #BeLikeAuntSpankie #NoShame #StompOutStigma

Join me for a very passionate and heartfelt conversation about suicide as a survivor and as an advocate.  We are a reactive society and continue to sweep suicide off to the wayside, that is until someone famous either dies by suicide, a relative of someone famous dies by suicide, or they came close and got the help they needed, like AJ Brown with the Tennessee Titans.  He talked about a few weeks ago on the NFL Today, that in 2020, he contemplated suicide.

There should be no shame around suicide or a suicide attempt,  just like it should be no shame around mental health.  When we talk about both,  it can help someone struggling to get the help they need to get better.

In this episode, I talk about the shame around suicide, the ways you can help those that are suicidal, how simply caring can save a life, and taking the FREE QPR Suicide Prevention Training.  I also address two celebrities that through their pain are helping others, Regina King and Chris Daughtry.

#SucideIsPreventable #NoShame #ChrisDaughtry #ReginaKing #GlobalHealthCrisis #IanAlexander #HannahPrice #DCMayor #KevinWard #MichaelMadsen #HudsonMadsen #CharlieBrown #PeterRobbins #SuicideRate2019 #SuicideRates2020 #SuicideRatesDown #OneIsOneTooMany #SuicideIsEverybodysBusiness #8002738255 #TextHelpTo741741#EverybodyNeedsAnAuntSpankie  #IAmHereBecauseOfHer #OthersAreHereBecauseOfHer #OngoingJourney #MentalHealthIsNoQuickFix  #GetEducated #QPRSuicidePreventionTraining  #BePROactiveNotREactive 

When Antonio Brown, the wide receiver with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a meltdown on the field recently, removing his clothes and running into the dressing room, social media and the media alike had a field day.  From memes to comments, people thought his actions were funny or that he was just crazy.  I didn't.

Antonio Brown's issues have been documented, in detail from his days with the Pittsburgh Steelers to throwing a chair off a balcony and almost hitting a child below, to having a fake Covid card.  The list goes on and on.  He has needed help for a very long time and isn't the first NFL player to put their mental health issues out there for ALL the public to see.

Not long ago, Joseph Randle who used to play with the Dallas Cowboys went through the same public scrutiny and was made fun of, after stealing cologne and a pack of underwear from Dillards.  Joseph was the subject of many jokes and laughter but at the end of the day, Joesph Randle was and is dealing with mental health issues.  When did mental health become funny or should the question be, when did mental health become a joke?

Today in Episode 1 of the new year, I talk about that very subject. Plus, how can you be an advocate for mental health and suicide IF you make fun of someone else's struggles?

Join me for "Real Talk" as I kick off season 2 of my podcast.

#EarlyDetection #StompOutStigma #LawrencePhillips #JosephRandle #DallasCowboys #StudentAthletes #Coaches #Trauma #PTSD #CultureMatters  #AntonioBrown #QPRTraining #Crisis #SportsIllustrated #DanGreene #NAMIKansas 

What a year 2021 has been!!!  I picked right back up from 2021 and started QPR Suicide Prevention Training.  2021, had me winning several prestigious awards, I won the 2021 Nexstar Media Remarkable Woman of the Year Charlotte, and out of 10,000 REMARKABLE women and 6 semi-finalists, I won Nexstar Media National Remarkable Woman of the Year.  While out in LA, I learned I won the Black Mental Health Symposium Mental Health Advocate of the Year.  All were an honor.

However, with all the positive things going on in my life, I also suffered some heartbreak, disappointment, and pain.  The young man I helped and cared about, Chaz Ah You, his family and I parted way and not on good terms.  It hurt me but it also opened my eyes to better boundaries and knowing when to let people get on the path of their own mental wellness.

The summer was extremely rough.  I revisited trauma by going to my daughter's grave sight after 44 years in July, and one month later, I lose my extended son Pierre to suicide.  

In the world of sports and news, several high-profile athletes came out with their mental health issues, Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, and Sha'Carri Richardson,  We had Been Simmons being fined for his mental health issues, Calvin Ridley takes a break from the NFL due to his mental health and Everson Griffen with the Minnesota Vikings have a mental health crisis that included the police.

With the pandemic still raging and people still dealing with uncertainty, mental health will continue to be a conversation that is in the news daily.  Mental health doesn't take a break.

In 2022, I hope you will make YOUR  mental health a priority.  Mental Health Matters!  See you God willing in 2022.  Thanks for tuning in to my podcast!  #RealTalk #Honesty #WalkingInMyTruth #RemarkableWoman #LA #UT #ChazAhYou #BYUFootball #SuicidePrevention #ErversonGriffen #SimoneBiles #ShaCarriRichardson #NaomiOsaka #ESPN960 #QPR #WordsMatter  #PuttingInTheWork

Recently, Marcellus Wiley on the sports show, "Speak For Yourself" said of Calvin Ridley taking a break from the NFL to focus on his mental health, "The NFL isn't the place for the mentally weak nor the physically weak, but there is work at the post office."

As bad as it was to say that, "Why did FOX Sports1 call him out on what he said?  Why?  Because what he said is what society thinks and says every day when it comes to people dealing with mental health issues.  This is a societal issue because society has made it okay to make fun, talk bad about, and put down people who are dealing with mental health conditions.

People were roasting him on the internet but before people jump on those who speak about mental health in a negative way, think about what you say.  Do you use the words, "CRAZY, CRAY CRAY, NUTS, PSYCHO, DERRANGED, VIOLENT, LAZY, WEAK, etc?"  If you do, you are just as bad as Marcellus.  You can't bash him when you are doing the same thing, FUELING STIGMA with words.

I also will be discussing two suicides last week that garnered local and national attention.  We have to do BETTER!

#CalvinRidley #MarcellusWiley #Utah #Racism #WordsHurt #ThinkBeforeYouSpeak #HopewellHighSchool #MooresevilleHighSchool