Suicide 8: Overcoming Childhood Trauma

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. Nzinga Harrison, and The Trevor Project’s Michele Giordano about trauma and the affordability barrier disproportionately facing Black LGBTQ+ youth when seeking mental health care.

Season 2 of Last Day is created in partnership with The Jed Foundation. The Jed Foundation (JED) empowers teens and young adults with the skills and support to grow into healthy, thriving adults. You can find tips, tools and resources for taking care of your emotional health available at: www.jedcares.org/lastday

Resources from the episode:

• This episode features three amazing podcasters, linked below:
• Hear Mike’s musings about toxic masculinity on Detoxicity 
• Listen to Chamique and other famous pro athletes discuss mental health on Tremendous Upside
• Learn about mental health and addiction on Nzinga’s In Recovery, another Lemonada original
• Read more about the Trevor Project’s research on suicidology within the LGBTQ+ community, and check out additional ways to get help if you’re in need of someone to talk to.
• Ring the Alarm: The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America
• BIPOC mental health resources from the Mental Health Coalition and SELF Magazine
• LGBTQ+ mental health resources 

If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally or feeling hopeless, it’s important to talk to someone about it now. Contact one of the resources below for a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor anytime. 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text line: Text “Connect” to 741-741

The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/last-day shortly after the air date.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.