Jason MacKenzie:Healing After Unimaginable Loss
Episode description
Jason McKenzie shares his heart-wrenching journey through grief after losing his wife to suicide and his daughter to trauma-induced mental health struggles. His story reveals how childhood trauma ripples through generations and how he found healing through sobriety, purposeful grief work, and helping others.
• Lost his police officer wife to suicide after years battling mental health issues stemming from childhood trauma
• Daughters were just six and five when their mother died, causing deep trauma despite their young age
• Developed a four-year drinking problem while trying to appear like he "had it together"
• Experienced breakthrough moment when his nine-year-old daughter said "I'm disappointed in you"
• Lost his 19-year-old daughter to a car accident related to mental health struggles
• Discovered that many mental health issues stem from unprocessed childhood trauma
• Creates TikTok videos about grief that have reached 40 million views and helped prevent suicides
• Uses somatic experiencing therapy to process grief through body awareness
• Writing a book called "Man Down" about grief specifically targeted to men
• Emphasizes the power of intentional language in shaping our experience of grief
• Practices positive reframing: "I can be grateful for 19 years with her because it's better than zero"
• Believes healing comes through facing what seems unfaceable and sitting with difficult emotions
Contact Jason through TonyMantor.com if you'd like to share your story on Why Not Me? The World podcast.
https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)