Who does the Second Amendment protect? In this episode, we trace its racist roots and learn why a former firearms executive blames the gun industry for sowing fear, division, and maybe even anarchy in our country. Resources: To learn more about the people and organizations featured in this episode and access critical information about suicide and violence prevention visit: https://lastdayresources.simvoly.com/ . Stephanie Wittels Wachs is the host. Jackie Danziger is our supervising producer. Ou...
May 25, 2022•48 min
Suicide contagion, secure storage, and breakfast meats. This week, we figure out how to get cowboys to talk about their feelings with help from experts on the ground and suicide prevention advocates. Resources: Take the Man Therapy Head Inspection Check out the Gun Shop Project To learn more about the people and organizations featured in this episode and access critical information about suicide and violence prevention visit: https://lastdayresources.simvoly.com/ . Stephanie Wittels Wachs is the...
May 18, 2022•48 min
Who’s to blame in the aftermath of a tragedy? This week, we meet a family asking that question after their beloved son died when his college failed to intervene. Resources: To learn more about the people and organizations featured in this episode and access critical information about suicide and violence prevention visit: https://lastdayresources.simvoly.com/ . Stephanie Wittels Wachs is the host. Jackie Danziger is our supervising producer. Our producers are Kegan Zema and Giulia Hjort. Hannah ...
May 11, 2022•44 min
Violent crime is up in American cities. Does that mean it’s time to return to the aggressive policing of the 90s? Not exactly. How can we make our cities safer and empower communities with the tools they need to save more lives? This week, we travel from Atlanta to Los Angeles to Chicago to meet seasoned leaders who are taking an innovative approach to harm reduction, violence interruption, and violence prevention. Plus, we explore where police fit into all of this. Resources: To learn more abou...
May 04, 2022•52 min
Growing up in an Atlanta neighborhood that’s been “thrown away” and “forgotten,” Derriontae’s survival hinged on joining a gang and packing heat, so you might be surprised to also find him practicing yoga and tending to a vegetable garden. In this episode, we get our hands dirty at an urban farm dedicated to tackling the root causes of gun violence and poverty. It has all the signs of a feel-good story, but things aren’t as simple as they seem. Resources: Support Gangstas to Growers Pick up a bo...
Apr 27, 2022•56 min
This week, we’re pulling apart the idea of a “bad neighborhood” and learning about community trauma. We travel to Southwest Atlanta, where Sharmaine Brown’s son, Jared, was killed after being struck by a stray bullet. We dig into deescalation, changing identities, and old school parenting. Resources: To learn more about the people and organizations featured in this episode and access critical information about suicide and violence prevention visit: https://lastdayresources.simvoly.com/ . Stephan...
Apr 20, 2022•43 min
What do you do when the thing that makes your kid the happiest is also putting him in danger? Larry and Shannon Martell took the guns away after their son Austen suffered a traumatic brain injury - but you have to go back to normal eventually, right? In this episode, we travel to a Montana town of 272 people, sit down with a dad who wouldn’t have talked to us a year ago, and cry harder than we ever have before. Resources: To learn more about the people and organizations featured in this episode ...
Apr 13, 2022•1 hr 1 min
In episode 1, our team travels to Montana, where cowboy culture reigns supreme, everyone is armed, and 86% of firearm deaths are suicides. There, we meet a couple that represents all the contradictions at the root of America’s gun debate: One is a suicide prevention advocate, and the other is the most adamant Second Amendment supporter we’ve ever met. Plus, our team tries out shooting some big-ass guns. Resources: To learn more about the people and organizations featured in this episode and acce...
Apr 06, 2022•51 min
Gun violence in America is a public health crisis, but the reality is that guns aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. So, how can we learn to live more safely in a country that has more guns than people? In this season of Last Day, we try to answer this question by traveling to Montana and Georgia. We talk to families who have lost loved ones to gun suicides and stray bullets and discover tangible solutions to reducing gun-related deaths, all while gaining perspective on gun culture across the US....
Mar 23, 2022•2 min
Season 2 Finale! We started this season on a bridge but told you not to get caught up in the romantic notion of saviors and last minute interventions. Suicide isn’t about one moment in time. But if you or someone you love is suicidal, a single moment can be the difference between life and death. So, this week we’re doing a toolkit episode all about crisis response. What do you do when help is needed right now? This week, we role play with a suicide hotline employee, give the Cliff’s notes versio...
Feb 03, 2021•55 min
Did you know 1 in 4 suicides involve alcohol? Some studies actually place it closer to 40%. Where is the line between having a drink to decompress and getting black out drunk because you don’t want to exist? This week, we talk to Ana Marie Cox and Air Britt , about how alcohol helped them feel comfortable in their own skin...until it didn’t anymore. How do you go from waking up wanting to die, to feeling grateful every day that you’re still here? This episode features Ana Marie Cox, host of With...
Jan 27, 2021•56 min
This week, Stephanie and Jackie are switching roles to answer a simple question: Was I a suicidal teen girl? We start in a closet, revisit a high school therapist, talk to a self-injury expert and watch a tortured student film festival entry. And crying. There’s lots of crying. This episode features: Dr. Robin Hornstein & Dr. Janis Whitlock Resources from the episode: Cornell Self-Injury & Recovery resources Healing Self Injury : A Compassionate Guide for Parents and Other Loved Ones, by...
Jan 20, 2021•1 hr 2 min
It turns out, there’s more to suicide prevention than crisis hotline numbers and inspirational memes. This week, we’re looking at the concept of upstream intervention - because the most effective way to convince someone to live is to help them create a life worth living. We explore the toll of historical trauma for American Indians and Alaska Natives, communities currently experiencing an unprecedented rise in suicide while also coping with some of the highest rates of COVID infection in the cou...
Jan 13, 2021•56 min
This week we’re talking about ACEs - aka - Adverse Childhood Experiences. How do you move forward when there’s a lot of pain in your past? And how are you supposed to open up when you were raised not to air your dirty laundry?? We’re joined by WNBA superstar Chamique Holdsclaw who dealt with her parents addiction early on and Music Industry Exec Mike Heyliger who talks about navigating his LGBTQ identity in an abusive home. We also speak with our favorite mental health and addiction expert, Dr. ...
Dec 16, 2020•58 min
Imagine you’re six months pregnant with your first child and the person you love, the person with whom you’ve built a life, wakes you up in the middle of the night convinced there are people in the house. But...there aren’t. He’s convinced you’re being followed. But...you’re not. Where do you turn for help when your mental health crisis is invisible? Jenny Heddin took her husband to the emergency room only to find they weren’t equipped to handle their crisis. Like millions of Americans, they wer...
Dec 09, 2020•57 min
What’s the point of going to treatment if you’ve essentially been dealt a death sentence? That’s the way some veterans feel about a potential PTSD diagnosis. Another thing holding people back? The fear that their trauma isn’t bad enough. So how do you admit you need help? And where do you turn when you’re ready? This week we’re joined by Jason Kander who served as an intelligence officer in Afghanistan, Tara Consolino, Director of Suicide Prevention and Substance Use Disorders at the Detroit V.A...
Dec 02, 2020•57 min
After losing a loved one to suicide, “why” is often the first question that comes to mind. But what if you had a meticulous case file that filled in the blanks? This week, we talk to Sharon Kritzer, her older sister Noa, and their mom, Batia, about their sister Tali, her chronic depression, and the documentation she left behind that outlined all of it. We also call up Janis Whitlock from Jed, who talks to us about the potential downsides of being your own lead investigator. Season 2 of Last Day ...
Nov 18, 2020•57 min
They don’t get a lot of attention, but seniors are the most at risk to die by suicide. In 2014, Marguerite Reynolds lost her fiercely independent mother to suicide after a cornea injury left her feeling burdensome and debilitated. This week, we hear her story and are joined by professor and researcher, Yeates Conwell , who unpacks “The Four D’s” that put seniors at an increased risk for suicide. And Stephanie has an uncomfortable - but very important - conversation with her dad. Season 2 of Last...
Nov 11, 2020•57 min
In his TED Talk, “ Be Human(e) ,” Dr. Jeremy Richman said, “We felt the world was spinning out of control and that if we didn't find something to hold on to, some reason to go on, that we'd get spun right off into this great darkness.” Jeremy delivered this message as both a neuroscientist and a grieving father. He lost his 6 yr old daughter, Avielle, in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. This was one of his last public appearances before he died by suicide on March 29th, 2019. Today, we l...
Nov 04, 2020•56 min
The term “suicide contagion” gets thrown around a lot in academic papers and media headlines, but what does it actually mean? The term suggests that suicidal ideation is something you can catch, but the reality is much more complicated. This week, we navigate the complexities of suicide clusters from the heart of Silicon Valley, California to the soul of Cowboy Strong, Wyoming. Season 2 of Last Day is created in partnership with The Jed Foundation . The Jed Foundation (JED) empowers teens and yo...
Oct 28, 2020•58 min
We open Season 2 of Last Day with a tale of two Kevins. One is Sergeant Kevin Briggs, also known as the guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge. The other is Kevin Berthia, an Oakland native who drove to that bridge on March 11, 2005 with the intent of ending his life. This week, we tell the larger story behind a moment of intervention — what led up to it and what happened in the 15 years since. We’re also joined by Courtney Knowles, our advisor at the Jed Foundation, who’s here to poke holes in our ...
Oct 21, 2020•1 hr 1 min
Last Day is back for a second season, and we’re tackling another important topic: mental health and the rising rates of suicide. With her baseline irreverence and wit, host Stephanie Wittels Wachs zooms in on a variety of “last days” — some that end tragically and others that have become powerful testaments of survival. Through first-person story-telling, thoughtful conversations, and in-depth collaboration with the mental health community, Last Day features diverse stories, rich in humanity, wi...
Oct 14, 2020•5 min
It’s National Suicide Prevention Week, and that means you’re probably seeing a lot of triggering content. We can relate. The Last Day team is hard at work producing season 2, which is all about the rising rate of suicide episode in this country. Why are more people at risk? What can we do to help? And how can we take care of each other when things feel so hopeless? Season 2 arrives Wednesday, October 14th. If you are thinking about harming yourself or attempting suicide, tell someone who can hel...
Sep 08, 2020•7 min
The Lumineers’ Jeremiah Fraites reflects on losing his older brother Josh to a heroin overdose in 2001 and the many ways Josh’s death has impacted his life. His mom, Kathy, joins him to fill in the holes that memory has left. From channeling grief through music to finding the “right” support, this candid and beautiful conversation about grief and loss will resonate deeply with Last Day listeners and Lumineers fans alike. Please note, Last Day contains strong language, mature themes, and may not ...
Apr 15, 2020•37 min
We know, we know. We said we were done, but surprise! We’re back to reveal the topic for Last Day Season 2, ask for story submissions, and tell you a little bit about what goes on behind the scenes around here. Tune in! www.lemonadamedia.com/patreon Email us your story ideas to hey@lemonadamedia.com International Association for Suicide Prevention National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 The Trevor Project Befrienders Worldwide See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See...
Apr 01, 2020•9 min
This week marks our 25th and final episode of Last Day, Season One. Today, Stephanie and Jess sit down--virtually--to reflect on favorite interviews and ah-ha moments, noting the ways the show has changed along the way and the moments that have changed them most. We also look at what’s next for the Last Day family with an exciting announcement! Please note, Last Day contains strong language, mature themes, and may not be appropriate for all listeners. https://harmreduction.org/ www.lemonadamedia...
Mar 25, 2020•44 min
This week, we meet Isaac Beverly who shares his journey from 5 years in prison to a 5-year medallion. Isaac has found a solid recovery plan that includes medication-assisted treatment at Eleanor Health and strong ties to a 12-step recovery community. His plan is working, and Isaac swears by it….but not everyone is on board. Now, Isaac is willing to make waves in order to make progress. Also! Fan favorite Dave from Dopey stops by to answer some of our burning questions about 12-step programs. Ple...
Mar 18, 2020•45 min
This week, we continue our treatment tour at Eleanor Health in High Point, North Carolina. It’s a new-ish (and pretty groundbreaking) outpatient clinic with a unique payment model and an emphasis on evidence-based care. We chat with our old friend, Dr. Nzinga A. Harrison, Eleanor’s Chief Medical Officer, about the clinic’s unparalleled access to MAT and their emphasis on a problem-solving, rather than a fit-someone-inside-a-box, approach to treatment. We meet a clinic member who, at 60 years old...
Mar 11, 2020•51 min
Addiction treatment in America is like a Rubik’s Cube. We’ve talked about this. We know this. We feel this. But good programs do exist. This week, we visit The Women’s Home in Houston, a non-profit established 60 years ago, to check out their long-term approach to residential treatment. We delve into the nuts and bolts of their program: 18 month stays, 30 hours a week of therapy, hands-on job training, and what’s cooking in the kitchen. And we meet three women with incredible stories of recovery...
Mar 04, 2020•58 min
This whole season we’ve focused on how to help people with substance use disorders. We’ve talked about the importance of harm-reduction and human connection, destigmatization and education. But to at least one of our listeners—a really important one—something is missing. Why not talk about punishing the people who make and sell drugs? China, Mexico, Purdue, the Sacklers? This week, we talk to two experts—Ben Westhoff, author of Fentanyl, Inc. and David Smith, a healthcare economist—about why it’...
Feb 26, 2020•51 min
