0019 Thrive and Connect: Suicide Survivors – LOSSTeam: Amanda Stidam

Amanda Stidam is a LOSSTeam member (www.lossteam.com). She relates her mother’s suicide one day after her 35th birthday, which became a dividing point in her life. She felt alone and didn’t find resources until later. She now dedicates herself to helping make sure there are resources in her county.hope-candle-hands11205410_s

She discusses generational issues with respect to mental illness.

Difficulties communicating with her husband and daughter surfaced over time. A big part of the difficulty was the loss of her mother whom Amanda focused on keeping happy. The death left Amanda having to decide who she would be.

Amanda compartmentalized and became and expert “plate spinner.” She became extremely task-oriented.

Through therapy she learned to like herself and process her mother’s suicide.

When working on the LOSSTeam and making contact with a recent survivor she goes back in time to her mother’s suicide and uses that experience to help the recent survivor.

Amanda shares the tools she uses for herself in helping others to deal with being recent survivors.

Her advice to someone who feels lost right now is this: “You matter!”

Amanda describes how to get a lost one’s name on her marathon running shirt via a Facebook link Suicide Sucks Run.

Your feedback is important. Choose from the following options:

  • Click on “Send Voicemail” over to the right,
  • place a review in iTunes,
  • click on “leave a comment” below,
  • send any comments along with your name to comments@thriveandconnect.com or
  • call us at 614-664-7650.

Listen to future episodes for our reply.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.