I spent the day at the Grant Halliburton Foundation “When Life Hands You Teenagers” conference in Dallas.  While I’m tired from the long day and not sleeping well last night, I am energized by the day and what I experienced. On The Just A Mom podcast, I continually emphasize the importance of talking about mental health. Today was just that—several hundred people gathered to talk about mental health.

Some of the topics covered were suicide prevention, how front line workers (including educators) must care for themselves to help others, being sensitive to other cultures and needs, just to name a few.  I had great conversations with hospital social workers, teachers, school counselors, parents and community members who were all in attendance to try to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness by talking about it.

One of the highlights for me was hearing from Chris and Martha Thomas, who lost their daughter. Ella, to suicide.  Chris and Martha, along with their son NFL defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, have established The Defensive Line organization, which works to end the epidemic of youth suicide, especially for young people of color, by transforming the way we communicate and connect about mental health. Solomon himself experience significant depression and suicidal ideation after the loss of his sister, and said that getting help was “life changing” for him.

“…Sharing your story may be the lifeline that someone else needs right this minute. I encourage all of us to be confident in our ability to be experts in our own stories and look for ways to help others through them…’

One topic that Chris and Martha addressed with which I am not well educated is microaggressions. Microaggressions are a statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group such as a racial or ethnic minority.   How do these impact us? How do the negative things we hear affect our mental health, and, ultimately, are the root of some suicides? 

The Thomas’ challenged all of us to do our part in preventing suicide. Just like the Thomas’, I am not a mental health expert. I’m just a mom. But I am an expert of OUR story.  And you can be an expert in your story, too. Sharing that story just may be the lifeline that someone else needs right this minute. I encourage all of us to be confident in our ability to be experts in our own stories and look for ways to help others through them.