Margaret and I sat down to speak on a topic we rarely hear spoken plainly: suicide. We didn’t plan to tidy anything up or wrap it in easy language. Instead, we tried to sit with it—the fear, the responsibility, the human ache behind it all. We talk about how suicide shows up in our clinical work, how it’s shaped us personally, and why we both believe silence helps no one. This isn’t a “how-to” or a lecture. It’s a real conversation between two people trying to hold space for pain, and maybe offer a little hope in the process.
Takeaways:
Let’s Start with the Silence – We unpack why suicide feels unspeakable in both professional and personal spaces.
The Weight of the Question – Margaret and I talk about what it’s like when someone asks, “Are you thinking about hurting yourself?”
Clinician Meets Human – We explore the blurry line between being the helper and being the one in crisis.
Words That Don’t Fix But Still Matter – Sometimes just saying “I’ll sit with you” carries more power than advice.
Not a Lesson—A Lived Experience – This episode isn’t scripted or solved. It’s honest, messy, and real.
Citations:
Margaret’s Discussion portion and most referenced informed by review ch: Kaplan and Sadock’s Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, Volume 11, 2025 Published. Chapter 31.1: Psychiatric Emergencies: Suicide Overview, Risk and Protective Factors, Treatment, and Prevention
Suicide Crisis Syndrome Reference: Melzer, L., Forkmann, T., & Teismann, T. (2024). Suicide Crisis Syndrome: A systematic review. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 54, 556–574. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.13065
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Produced by Dr Glaucomflecken & Human Content
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