In this raw and moving conversation Linda shares her journey through identity loss, marital breakdown, job loss, bereavement, severe mental illness and a planned suicide attempt.

What began as a gradual loss of confidence spiralled into overwhelming paranoia, intrusive thoughts and the terrifying sense that she was harming those she loved. After surviving a suicide attempt and spending time in psychiatric care, Linda slowly began to rebuild her life.

Determined that no woman should feel as alone as she once did, she founded Linda’s Ladies in Perth — a safe, non-judgemental support group where women can openly talk about their mental health.

Eight years on, Linda speaks with remarkable self-awareness and honesty about recovery, resilience, lived experience, and learning to take back control of her mind.

Key Takeaways:

1. Mental health can unravel quietly — even when life looks ‘perfect’.

Linda had what many would describe as the “ideal life” — family, home, career. But internal struggles don’t always match external appearances. Mental illness doesn’t discriminate, and it doesn’t need a visible reason.

2. Silence deepens suffering — connection saves lives.

When Linda became almost non-verbal, isolation intensified her distress. The power of being heard, validated and not judged can be life-changing. A safe space to talk is not a luxury — it’s vital.

3. Recovery isn’t about being ‘fixed’ — it’s about building tools.

Through lived experience, Linda learned that while others can support you, only you can rebuild your inner resilience. From visualising unhelpful thoughts floating away in a red balloon to reframing negative thinking, she developed her own mental health toolkit — and now helps other women build theirs.

If you want to contact Linda's Ladies join their Facebook group

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In this powerful episode of Speaking of Suicide, host Pennie Stuart speaks with Dr. Sam Whiteside of Whiteside Wellbeing, a GP and menopause specialist, about the overlooked ental health consequences of perimenopause and menopause.

With an estimated 400,000 women in Scotland navigating midlife hormonal change, this conversation explores the science behind mood changes, anxiety, brain fog and suicidal ideation during perimenopause. Drawing on research highlighted by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and data from the National Records of Scotland, the episode reveals a stark reality: suicidal thoughts can increase significantly during this stage of life.

Sam shares both clinical insight and her own lived experience — including sudden panic attacks, brain fog and frightening intrusive thoughts — helping to normalise conversations many women feel too ashamed to start.

Three Key Takeaways for Listeners

1️ Hormones and Mental Health Are Deeply Connected

Perimenopause and menopause aren’t just about hot flushes and sleep disruption. Fluctuating levels of oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone directly affect serotonin, dopamine and other brain chemicals that regulate mood, anxiety and cognition. Emotional symptoms are biological — not a personal failing.

2 It’s a Perfect Storm — Not “Just Hormones”

Midlife often brings multiple stressors: teenage children, ageing parents, career pressure, relationship shifts and identity changes. Hormonal changes amplify these stressors. Holistic support — lifestyle, counselling, peer groups, medical input — is key.

3 Suicidal Thoughts Can Be Hormone-Driven — and Intermittent

For some women, suicidal thoughts may appear suddenly and disappear just as quickly. This can feel frightening and confusing. The good news: they are treatable, often responsive to HRT, therapy or medication, and support is available.

This episode covers:

* The biological link between hormones and mood

* Why perimenopause can feel like “puberty in reverse”

* Risk factors for perimenopausal mood disorder

* The role of HRT, therapy and lifestyle interventions

* Where to seek urgent mental health support

This is a conversation about survival, identity, grief, biology — and hope.

Find Whiteside Wellbeing on Facebook

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In this deeply moving episode of Speaking of Suicide, Pennie Stuart meets Susan Finlay and Sue Henderson from Lothian Speak Their Name to explore a remarkable community project: a touring memorial quilt honouring lives lost to suicide.

Each of the 49 squares has been lovingly created in memory of an individual — not to dwell on the manner of their death, but to celebrate who they were. From mountains and music to herons and sunflowers, every stitch speaks of love, pride and identity.

Now touring Scotland — including a display at Inverness Cathedral from 30 March to 25 April 2026 — the quilt is opening up conversations about grief, stigma and suicide in a way that feels accessible, warm and deeply human.

The episode explores:

• Why suicide bereavement can silence families

• How community crafting creates safe spaces

• The courage of those who contributed squares

• The unexpected community formed through shared grief

• The power of “speaking their names”

This is a story about remembrance, courage, pride — and the radical act of celebrating a life.

Three Key Takeaways

1️ Suicide Loss Is About a Life — Not Just a Death

Too often, conversations after suicide focus solely on how someone died. The Lothian Speak Their Name quilt shifts the narrative to celebration, love and legacy — reminding us that every person was more than their final moment.

2️ Creativity Creates Safe Space

Sitting side by side, stitching and crafting, allowed people bereaved by suicide to talk — or not talk — in a stigma-free environment. Doing something with your hands can unlock conversations the heart struggles to start.

3️ Remembering Saves Lives

The quilt has already prompted powerful conversations across Scotland — and even helped at least one man seek help instead of ending his life. Visible love, visible remembrance and visible community matter.

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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What does it mean to become a widow at 31?

In this deeply raw episode of Speaking of Suicide, Lisa shares what life has looked like since her husband Alan died by suicide in March 2023. There was no note. No warning signs. No final conversation to explain why.

Left to raise their three young children alone, Lisa was suddenly navigating single parenthood, suicide bereavement, complex PTSD, intrusive thoughts, and the stigma of being a young widow, all while grieving the love of her life.

From the moment police knocked on her door to the fog of the first year, Lisa speaks candidly about anger, numbness, guilt, loneliness and the unanswered questions that never go away. She opens up about how grief showed up in her body, her parenting, and her identity — and how peer support, counselling, and creating The Widow Diaries on Instgram and Tik Tok have helped her slowly rebuild a life she never imagined living.

Topics covered in this episode:

1. Young widow grief
2. Losing a spouse to suicide
3. Parenting after suicide
4. Suicide bereavement support
5. Complex PTSD after traumatic loss
6. Intrusive thoughts and grief
7. The stigma around suicide
8. Peer support and widow communities
9. Social media as a force for healing

Follow Lisa online: https://linktr.ee/the_widowdiaries

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this podcast

1. Serious mental illness doesn't happen overnight, its a slow emergence
2. We need to re-think how we work with families and loved ones
3. An inspirational example of turning grief into positive conversations for change

Jacqui lost her son Will to suicide in July of 2024.  At the time he was an in-patient at New Craigs psychiatric hospital in Inverness, being treated for schizophrenia.  Will’s mental ill health didn’t come overnight, it was a long slow and painful road full of anxiety for his family who battled to support him for years until it became clear that Will was seriously unwell.  When he was finally diagnosed and started being treated, the family and care team tried to keep Will believing there was hope of a better life ahead but for Will, who loved the outdoors and was singularly determined, the cage of being sectioned in a secure hospital was too much.  Since losing Will, Jacqui has turned her grief into a drive for change, taking part in the review into Will’s death and working alongside the NHS to come up with a plan and timeframe so that more families are supported and fewer have to ever experience the pain of losing a loved one to suicide when they’re receiving hospital care.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/funding-research-into-schizophrenia 

Call to Action...

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this podcast

• We need to build in time, space and compassion to our lives to help and support people who are struggling. We all have a part to play in that in our lives.
• We can have these courageous conversations with people we are concerned about it and you will make a difference by opening up the conversation.

What if a conversation about suicide could save a life. That life might a friend, a family member, a loved one. So how would you start it? What words will you use?

A new campaign from Suicide Prevention Scotland wants us to do exactly that, start the conversation. It’s a campaign aimed at normalising the idea of talking about suicide - and giving all of us the confidence to do so. Because here’s the thing, talking about suicide is the best way to prevent it.  

Haylis Smith is the National Delivery Lead for Suicide Prevention Scotland – she’s the one leading this campaign which is based around people’s lived experiences of suicide and it’s something that sits very closely to her heart having lost her uncle Joe to suicide when she was a teenager.

Discover more about Suicide Prevention Scotland

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Counsellor Shona Macpherson's key takeaways from this podcast

1. The shock of losing someone to suicide can be utterly physical. Don't be surprised if your body shuts down in order to protect itself from the pain of grief.
2. Friendship groups can be incredibly important to get you through extreme grief. There is a huge amount to learn from how Charlotte's friends coped in the aftermath of losing their great friend.

Charlotte and Amelia had been friends since they were at school.  They were part of an incredibly tight friendship group throughout their teens.  In spite of being really different in character, the two friends had a wonderful relationship and Amelia was a constant in Charlotte’s life, becoming her bestie in all things.  They talked every day and shared everything they were going through.  So when Amelia started struggling when she first went to University, Charlotte was well aware of her troubles.  Even though they shared so much when Amelia left University for a second time, returned home and took her life, the shockwave through Charlotte and all the friends’ lives was massive. 

Since losing Amelia 2 years ago Charlotte has been processing her grief and, in this frank and deeply heartfelt conversation, Charlotte provides extraordinary insight into the pressures of student life and how she’s coped in the dark days since losing the friend she loved so very much.

Call to Action...

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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This journey to acceptance isn’t to hold guilt or shame herself, but to allow the impact of her life trauma to be contained. By accepting her situation and circumstances and not continually seeking all the answers, Maike has found her way to peace.

Be aware, this conversation on Speaking of Suicide discusses sexual abuse.

To find out more about Maike and her journey to acceptance visit her website: https://www.maikemullenders.com/

Find you local Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide Group

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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In the 2nd of our episodes from the remarkable Wilderness Wellbeing Retreat in the remote Scottish Highlands, Alex and Cammy from share their recovery journeys. For Alex it’s a story which led him from alcohol abuse to a point of crisis and a failed suicide attempt to then discovering Andy’s Man Club which he went on to champion in Scotland.  Andy’s Man Club now has 56 weekly clubs across Scotland and one of the people to benefit is Cammy.  Cammy’s journey led him to contemplating ending his life one desperate new year but he shares how that turned around and the joy he now gets from being a dad and his weekly connection to other men through Andy’s Man Club. 

Heartbreaking, inspiring, honest and ultimately uplifting, Alex and Cammy demonstrate first hand just how powerful story sharing really is.

https://www.wildernesswellbeing.scot/

https://andysmanclub.co.uk/

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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How did Daz manage to go from extreme social anxiety to the above statement in a single weekend? Listen up to this week's ep!

After years of battling her mental health due to a chronic skin condition, Yazzie Basan turned her own mental ill health into a mission to help others and develop a unique wellbeing retreat in the Scottish Highlands.  This isn't about formal therapy, its about a gang of strangers gathering in the wilderness and sharing a weekend of activities and stories. In this episode Pennie drops in on a recent retreat, where participants have gathered from near and far and from all walks of life, to discover why Yazzie is so passionate about making mental wellness something we all should be able to access and what drives her to use her own home to create a space for anyone and everyone to share their stories and learn from each other.

As well as hearing Yazzie’s story, Daz and Emma share some of what brought them to the retreat and how they’ve managed to find a way to stay mentally and physically well in the face of challenging episodes in their life. 

https://www.wildernesswellbeing.scot/

https://andysmanclub.co.uk/

https://www.emmatoms.com/

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this podcast

1. Generational trauma as a result of suicide is real and shows trauma can be passed on from one generation to the next
2. silence around suicide can breed shame
3. understanding the pain of loss to suicide is hard but showing yourself love and compassion can fuel hope

After losing her dad to suicide when she was 12 and he was 38, it took Saski Smith over 20 years to be able to say the word ‘dad’ again.  In this breathtakingly honest exploration of the impact of losing a parent to suicide, Saski talks openly about the challenges and pain of living with the stigma of suicide, the impact losing her dad has had on her relationships and the pressures that come from a generational legacy of suicide.  Now 36 Saski is finding she can talk about his death for the first time, sharing insights and thoughts she has never expressed openly before.

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this podcast

1. Self-harm can take many forms and happen for many different reasons
2. Accepting the truth of self-harm for yourself can be really important
3. Meeting self-harm with empathy and kindness, not judgement, is essential
4. Self-harm is a symptom of underlying emotional pain

It took a long time before Cha Harris realised she was self-harming because her self-harm didn’t take the more conventional form of cutting or burning.  When someone first pointed out that her abuse of prescription medication was self-harm she was shocked but then slowly it began to make sense of how she’d been dealing with years of pain and depression.  In this moving, thought provoking and profoundly honest episode Cha provides a window into her world and how she finally managed to come to terms with her behaviour and make changes for the better, so much so, Cha now works supporting others through Self-Harm Network Scotland.

Self-Harm Network Scotland’s website has useful information to help people who self-harm, for people who are worried about someone who self-harms, and for people working with someone who self-harms: https://selfharmnetworkscotland.org.uk/

Keep up to date with all the latest from Self-Harm Network Scotland on Facebook, LinkedIn,

Bluesky and X:

https://www.facebook.com/selfharmnetworkscotland/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/self-harm-network-scotland/

https://bsky.app/profile/shnscotland.bsky.social

https://x.com/SHNScotland

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this podcast

1. Reframing our language to acknowledge that grief is a 'living' experience rather than a past-tense 'lived one' can be really helpful
2. Relationships don't necessarily end with death
3. framing helpful and courageous questions which can be answered, rather than one's without an answer, can help us to move forward

Heather lost her brother Martin to suicide in 2011, a bereavement which has had a profound impact on the course and focus of her life and career in the years since.  She talks about how her grief and loss of her brother isn’t a ‘lived’ experience but a ‘living’ one. 

Now a lecturer in the ‘school of education, language and psychology’ at St John’s University in York, Heather’s research and work focusses on better understanding the issues around student mental health and mental health more widely across academic institutions. 

A rich, honest and thought-provoking conversation about Heather’s experiences and research which will linger long in your memory.  

Student Minds: https://www.studentminds.org.uk/

Advance HE - Education for Mental Health Toolkit - Staff Wellbeing: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/teaching-and-learning/curricula-development/education-mental-health-toolkit/underpinning-infrastructure/staff-wellbeing

An article Heather wrote for BACP University and College Counselling journal: https://www.bacp.co.uk/bacp-journals/university-and-college-counselling/2024/articles-may/distinctions-and-visibilities/

SRHE post on academic mental health: https://srheblog.com/2024/04/10/the-importance-of-academic-mental-health/

Heather's Blog: https://sibsas.blogspot.com/?m=1

Martin's Music Site: https://www.martinsutherlandmusic.co.uk/

Heather's PhD research: https://researchportal.northumbria.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/thinking-differently-about-student-mental-health-and-wellbeing-le-3

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this podcast

1. You can be vulnerable, upset and angry, its about dealing with them
2. Gambling will eat you alive until you get out of it
3. Recovery lies in honesty, with yourself and then others

Ross Kemp discovered the thrill of gambling from a young age.  He traces it back to the amusement arcades as a child, the excitement of the flashing lights and noise, the joy of winning a toy.  As he grew, so his interest in gambling grew and by the time he was in his early 20s he was gambling online, spending every penny he could. 

His addiction spiralled until he was taking out payday loans and bank loans to fund his habit, eventually leading to theft.   In this hugely inspirational insight into the life of a gambling addict, Ross shares honestly and openly about the grip gambling had on his life, the impact it had on his relationships, work life and mental health and how he finally managed to turn his life around, getting help for his addiction from Gordon Moody

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this podcast

1. The value of friends at a time of crisis - none of us can do this alone
2. The importance of compassion and kindness in supporting someone through grief
3. That healing is possible through trust, love and community

But from the darkness of losing her husband to suicide Caroline has evolved from being a victim of loss by suicide to a survivor, and in her own words even a thriver because of it. Caroline talks very opening about how she had to find a way through for her and her two daughters. She is honest, raw and very frank about the pathway she took, the wrong turns and right turns. This is ultimately an episode of hope, of strength in community and rebuilding yourself and your family after losing a loved one to suicide.

To read Caroline’s book and find out more visit her website:

Follow Caroline’s story on Substack

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this episode:

1. If you lose a loved one to suicide that puts you at significant risk of suicide yourself and other mental health problems, particularly in the first year after losing them.
2. Don't be afraid of that vulnerability but use that knowledge of risk to protect yourself by seeking out the right kind of support to help you.

Karen lost her husband, Ian, to suicide very suddenly in October 2015 then the unimaginable happened and her daughter, Beth, took her own life just 4 years later. In this heart-breaking episode Karen celebrates and remembers just what Ian and Beth brought to her life and shares with incredibly clarity and honesty how difficult it has been to cope with losing them.

She admits how difficult it has been to deal with the grief and shares the incredible support and value she's found by seeking out other people who have lived experience of losing loved ones to suicide.

"the judgment wasn't there, there was no judgment. It was safe. You were with people who just got it...and that permission to be sad if you want to be sad but also that permission to laugh as well and to have good days and and to enjoy life...just made such a big difference"

She also talks about the origins of speaktheirname.org, an organisation created to help those bereaved by suicide, initially through the collaborative creation of a memorial quilt but now by offering up a shared space on their website where loved ones who took their own life can be remembered, commemorated and celebrated. It also provides resources to help those bereaved by suicide.

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Find out more about Speak Their Name

Key takeaways:

1. Knowing what to say and when about suicide to young people is incredibly challenging but hearing this story show's a mum's trust in her daughter's ability to hear the truth was well founded.
2. Hearing the truth was extremely valuable for Orlagh, she's certain if she didn't hear it from her mum then she would have heard it through other means which may have been much more troubling.

Although Orlagh was only 9 when she lost her older cousin, Callum, to suicide, the impact of his death and particularly her trying to understand how his death came about and why, has rippled through her life.

In this tender and thought-provoking conversation Orlagh (now 16) and her mum Sara talk incredibly honestly about the devastating impact suicide has had on the family but also how they have managed to gently navigate the challenges of discussing Callum's death with truth and clarity.

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this podcast:

1. Asking if someone is ok can literally save their life, never be afraid to ask.
2. Don't be afraid to ask someone if they're feeling suicidal, it won't put the thought in their head, you won't make things worse by asking.

After losing several important and close family members paramedic Mhairi went on a sharp decent into a crippling depression. Unable to share how she was feeling with anyone she hit crisis point. Fortunately the right person asked her if she was ok just at the right time and Mhairi was brave enough to admit that she wasn't.

Fast forward 2.5 years and Mhairi, together with her partner Alan, found the mental and physical strength to take on an epic challenge, to row unsupported round the coast of the UK in an extraordinary and utterly gruelling world record attempt.

So how do you go from rock bottom where you're contemplating suicide to pushing yourself to your limits? Mhairi talks with incredible candour and honesty about how difficult it was to work her way back to good mental health and about how the experience has changed the person she is today.

You can follow Mhairi and Alan's journey on the Long Row Home podcast series.

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this podcast

1. The perspective surrounding grief will evolve with time. Alex describes a hand in front of his face in the early stages of grief that slowly moves away allowing his perspective to change with time. The hand always remains there, but the picture around it fills up the space more with time.
2. Don't harbour guilt. We hear from Alex how It can be a companion in the background but needn't be in the foreground if you lose someone close to you to suicide.

Alex lost his younger brother, Will, to suicide in February 2021. One of four brothers, Will had a wonderful twinkling megawatt smile who loved his role as a primary school music teacher. But struggling with his mental health on the inside, his struggles were made worse by the restrictions of lockdown.

It has taken Alex until recently to be able to speak about Will and his loss, but in this conversation he describes how the family have learnt more about the positive impact Will had on his pupils in life. Reflecting on his own grieving process, Alex describes how he now finds focus and perspective on the things that really matter in life much easier now. Although this makes life much healthier today for Alex it drives guilt in him. Alex says it honours his memory, celebrates the positives strengths Will had and he sees that as something good to come from his grief and how the family remember Will.

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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...this is not the end of your story, you are still needed on this planet, in this life"

Key takeaways from this podcast

We don't always have internal permission to do something, to open up. So by doing it slowly, gently and carefully Tom was building courage to remove stigma.

Tom van den Hurk revealed his own suicide attempt in a previous episode of the podcast when he was talking about called A Little While Longer. The film told the story of three men who had survived and were rebuilding their lives.

But Tom had his own story, that the film didn’t tell. He had attempted to take his own life when he was a teen, Tom joins Dan again to talk about the how the day he survived that attempt, age 16, turned his entire life around.

Listen to the episode with Tom talking about his film: https://pod.fo/e/2591a5

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this podcast

1. Compassion, kindness and listening to someone goes a huge way to helping people who are struggling with their mental health or feeling suicidal.
2. Having the courage to speak to someone about your mental health can bring you hope.

Like a lot of new parents, especially mums, Gill Skene was both scared and excited about becoming a parent but for Gill, the birth of her daughter was anything but perfect and the impact left her deeply shocked. Gill suffered from post-natal PTSD – something which is estimated to affect more than 30,000 women in the UK each year. After her daughter was born, Gill attempted suicide twice. She now feels ready and able to talk about that period of her life for Speaking of Suicide and how recovery led her to set up a peer support charity LATNEM to help other’s cope with traumatic birth experiences.

https://latnem.org/

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this podcast

1. There are practical things you can do and learn to help support others around you with their mental health.

2. Football and wider sport are great vehicles for helping bring suicide support to communities around Scotland and break down stigma.

For Ross County CEO Steven Ferguson, football has a fundamental role in helping to promote good mental health, right across the community. As a result, for the first time in its history, Ross County Football Club is sporting a charity logo on its strip – Mikeysline. In this frank and thought-provoking conversation, on World Mental Health Day, Mikeysline Ambassador Steven Ferguson talks to Dan Holland about the importance of good mental health both on and off the pitch and how he views both his own role and the role of Ross County as a vehicle of support.

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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1. Young people affected by suicide can carry huge anger, pain and confusion if they lose a parent
2. The biggest risk factor for young people affected by suicide is not being able to express their feelings.

In this extraordinary episode Aileen shares how her husband, Josh, took his own life 10 years ago, leaving her to bring up 3 young children. She talks about how difficult it was to tell her children about what had happened, and the role honesty has played in their coping as a family. Now 18, Aileen’s oldest son, Hamish, talks with breath taking maturity and clarity about growing up without his dad.  A compelling conversation which gives a valuable insight into life after suicide.

Child and young persons bereavement support at Crocus Highland

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this podcast

1. Don't assume that just because a family member may have been ill for some time, the grief and sense of loss is any less. It's not.
2. Talking about grief and loss for some people is very hard and crippling.
3. Find a way to get support that works for you if you are grieving.

Writer Sheila Lockhart shares some of her recent poetry collection, Brother, inspired by her brother, Simon, who took his own life 8 years ago after a lifetime of mental ill health.  Hugely bright and intelligent but reclusive and withdrawn, Simon shared little of his struggles of living with bi-polar. Despite previous suicide attempts, his choice to take his own life at the age of 62 had a huge impact on Sheila.

Moving, hugely thought provoking and beautifully written, Sheila’s work is a deeply honest study in grief and loss, and the ways in which losing Simon has haunted her.

Links: http://vpresspoetry.blogspot.com/

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this podcast

1. It is possible to recover from trauma.
2. When someone is struggling with their mental health don't ask "what's wrong with you?" Instead ask "What happened to you?"
3. There is no one way to find healing for your mental health. Everyone is different in what they find helps.

Riddled with anxiety, struggling with depression and feeling suicidal, Paul Cameron started using social media as his superpower to shift his way of thinking about himself. By recording short regular videos and sharing them online, Paul has come to realise that exposing his vulnerabilities gives him strength and helps him be positive about the world.

After a chaotic childhood Paul struggled with life that didn’t lurch from one out of control event to the next. But parenthood meant he had to try and find clarity and calm in his head to be able to bring up his child.

In this episode Paul talks candidly about how Tik Tok helped him turn a corner.

Paul Cameron The Proud Dad on Tik Tok

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this podcast

1. There are some risk factors that can lead to suicidal thoughts which can be identified
2. Suicide is nobody's fault, there is no blame linked to suicide.

There isn’t a day that goes by that Georgia doesn’t think about her brother Callum and his profoundly shocking choice to take his own life in what seemed like a spur of the moment decision. Nothing had prepared Georgia for suicide and the impact it has had on her life is heartbreaking. An incredibly raw, challenging and emotional listen which brings into sharp relief just how painful suicide is for the loved ones it leaves behind.  

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this podcast

1. There is huge value in just pausing and taking a little while longer before taking any actions.
2. If you stop and pause then hopefully you will find other routes out of your pain.

Every 2 hours a man in the UK takes his own life. Inspired by that appalling statistic, film makers Tom van den Hurk and Dr Isa Rao spoke to 3 men about their mental health in their compelling documentary film, A Little While Longer, filmed on Arran. In this episode Tom van den Hurk and David Barbour, who took part in the film, talk candidly about their own experiences of surviving suicide and the value of breaking down stigma through stories. 

Take away: Shona Macpherson talks about the value of pausing and staying ‘just a little while longer’, long enough to hopefully find other routes out of a place of pain.

Watch A Little While Longer here

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Key takeaways from this podcast

1. We need to normalise the conversation about post-natal depression without stigma or judgement.
2. Post-natal mental health difficulties can manifest themselves in several different ways
3. None of the conditions associated with post-natal depression mean that you are a bad mother or parent.

Kate Forbes MSP talks candidly about what she went through as one of the 1 in 10 women who experience crippling post-natal depression, something which left her with a deep fear of her baby daughter coming to harm. 

In this engaging and utterly honest conversation Kate talks about her expectations of becoming a mum and how the reality left her feeling like a total failure, out of control and unable to sleep for fear of something bad happening to her daughter, Naomi. Nothing had prepared her for the psychological turmoil of post-natal depression, she didn’t even realise that what she was experiencing was post-natal depression. Kate also shares how the experience has changed her as a politician, made her more compassionate and want to focus on mental health support across society.

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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It’s coming up for 10 years since Catherine Simpson’s sister, Tricia, took her own life.  In the aftermath of Tricia’s death Catherine – who’s a journalist and writer – went on a quest, picking through Tricia’s diaries, to try and get a better understanding of who her sister was and why she decided to take her life.  The resulting book When I had a little sister is beautifully crafted, hugely thought provoking, at times funny and of course desperately sad.  Most of all its profoundly honest.

Catherine never thought she’d be able to write about Tricia, that she’d find it too hard, but the process of writing, when she came to it, felt like she’d spent time with her sister which was very healing and thought provoking. 

“In a way it was almost been like a joint project with Tricia to try and de-stigmatise mental health, to talk about suicide”

It’s a story of frustration and anger certainly, some of which is directed at the consequences of growing up in a rural community where feelings were never discussed and silence prevailed, but more than anything else it’s a story of deep affection “in a way it’s a love letter to Tricia…a loving memorial to her”.

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Gemma's takeaway is “please don’t give up on yourself, seek support, reach out…it is possible to have a life after an eating disorder”

Gemma was very young when she started to struggle with how she felt about her own body.  What started as over exercising spiralled into a long-term battle with bulimia and eventually, she attempted to take her own life. This is a hugely honest and insightful deep dive under the skin of how isolating and shameful it feels to have an eating disorder.

Eventually Gemma managed to find the support of others and gradually turned her life around.  She says “recovery is not a straight line, its not easy” but recover she did and she’s now sharing her story with the aim of giving hope to others.

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Xani had planned that it would be his sister Alice helping him cycle his tandem but after she took her own life at the start of 2022 he decided to turn the back seat of his tandem into a way of both remembering her and helping others.

In the summer of 2023, on what would have been Alice’s 30th birthday, Xani set off to cycle 3500 miles round Great Britain by tandem inviting people impacted by suicide to take a seat, help him pedal but also so he could listen and learn from the sharing of their stories. 

Pennie caught up with Xani on day 80 of his 88 day journey to learn what he’s discovered about himself and those who’ve travelled with him on this challenging but enlightening ride.

Xani found Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide a particularly useful organisation and Rory O'Connor's book When It Is Darkest. If you want to find out more about Xani's fundraising efforts through Tandem Against Suicide click here.

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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“He was the smiley one that everyone would go to for a laugh”

16 year old Neve lost a good friend to suicide when he was just 13, now, in a bid to inspire other teens to feel more able to share when they’re struggling and hopefully be less afraid of the consequences of asking for help, Neve is opening up about her own battles with depression and anxiety. 

Hearing from Neve gives a great insight into some of the barriers which stop teens from speaking out about their problems.  One of the biggest issues for her is fear of judgement, how you’ll be perceived if your peers know you’re asking for help.  She readily admits, however much the adults in her life provide support and an ear, “most of me is shaped by my friends”. 

Neve says a lot of her peer group worry that they’ll be bullied if people know they’re having mental health problems.  Neve herself was subjected to photos being taken of her and constant teasing and intimidation but now, having lost her friend to suicide, she’s worked hard to re-gain her confidence and is determined to reach out to others, so they feel less alone.

Joanne, Neve’s mum, also shares her worries as a parent of a teen in the digital world and the capacity for bullies to hide behind the keyboard. 

Hugely engaging and insightful, Neve talks with a maturity way beyond her years and provides a real beacon of hope, even offering an olive branch of empathy to the bullies themselves.

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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Heartbreakingly honest and deeply thought provoking. 

Only a few weeks after Victoria lost her younger brother Sean to suicide she asked to share her experience of loss with us.  Victoria felt really strongly that hearing about the early stages of grief is important, so anyone else going through a similar loss could find someone they could relate to.  Throughout the episode we also hear some excerpts from Victoria’s diary – read by an actor.   Her writing is a searching, honest, raw and painful sift through the mass of emotions that come with losing a loved one to suicide.  Questions of why Sean made the choice he did and whether she could have done anything to change his mind continue to spiral round and round and are reflected in her writing and thoughts.

We’re publishing this ep on 22nd September, one year on from Sean’s death, in memory of his loss.

Credits: Victoria’s diaries are read by Ali Ellam

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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“We need to change how we view addiction so that people from all walks of life feel able to emerge from the shadows and seek help”. 

Open, brave, honest and seriously inspiring, in this episode Rachel Smart, a journalist and recovering addict, who’s battled with depression and suicidal thoughts over many years, shares her story and how she managed to turn life around, emerge from those shadows and get her life back.

For Rachel, her slide into addiction happened when she started working in a bar, mixed with a particular crowd and got regular access to drugs.  But, far from solving the depression which she’d been battling with for large parts of her life, her drug use made her anxiety and depression much worse.  

Rachel describes life as an addict as feeling “suffocating, overwhelming, a dark cave you couldn’t escape from, a failure”, she goes on to explain how ashamed she felt of not being able to get her life together.

Eventually Rachel moved to a new city and changed jobs but even then, her drug use continued.  Then, one day, she heard about an online ‘recovery room’ which she decided to attend and bit by bit, by listening to other people share their stories and listen to hers, she found hope and was able to make the decision to stop using.  After 2 weeks she stopped her drug taking and has now been clean for over a year.

Now she wants other addicts to know they’re not alone, not a failure and that there is help out there.

If you need support for addiction the following might help:

Addiction Counselling Inverness

Gamblers Anonymous

Cocaine Anonymous

Drug Addicts Anonymous

Marijuana Anonymous

East Coast Scotland Narcotics Anonymous

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or X. Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

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In this deeply moving and thought-provoking episode, which is sponsored by D&D Paving Ltd, Pennie Stuart meets John as he crosses the Highlands and nears the final few days of his walk. 

Support or get help from MIkeysline

Speaking of Suicide is produced by Adventurous Audio

The aftermath of the attack led Kev to struggling with his mental health and a gambling addiction. It was the power of the bike that helped him pull himself back from the dark places that came in the aftermath of his injuries.

Today, he is using his experiences and love of cycling to help other people with their own mental health. His Respite Rides are a way to widen your horizon, to focus on one thing, to find calm in the chaos.

To join Kev on a Respite Ride or find out more visit 42 Cycling

Follow him on Instagram

Remember it’s okay not be okay and MIkeysline is here for you if you need immediate help and support.

Speaking of Suicide is produced by Adventurous Audio the podcast platform is supported by D&D Paving Ltd.

Dan Holland talks to Mike about Ross and the aim of The Baton of Hope to create a society where suicide and suicide prevention are openly and widely discussed. Where we inspire hope through action and support. Where we remove shame, stigma and silence.

Find out more about The Baton of Hope

Support or get help from MIkeysline

Speaking of Suicide is produced by Adventurous Audio the podcast platform is supported by D&D Paving Ltd.

We don’t often hear from doctors about their own health problems - perhaps we’re so often worrying about ourselves that we don’t stop to think about the pressures that caring for us all might have on their mental health - but in this episode we’re going to hear an utterly open and honest chat about what it feels like to become mentally ill when you’re a health care specialist. 

Support or get help from MIkeysline

This episode of Speaking of Suicide is sponsored by Travis Perkins Inverness

Speaking of Suicide is produced by Adventurous Audio

Today Gary is trying to talk as much as possible about his teammates and our mental health, about remembering it is ok not to be ok, that there is no shame, no stigma and there should be no silence.

Mikeysline and The Camanachd Association have started working together to raise awareness of mental health issues, and in this episode Dan Holland speaks to Gary about his six teammates and what he feels the world of Shinty should be doing to help further support players and their families.

Support or get help from MIkeysline

Gary Innes

Camanachd Association

This episode of Speaking of Suicide was sponsored by HSBC UK and is produced by Adventurous Audio the podcast platform is supported by D&D Paving Ltd.

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or twitter.  Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Or come and visit at The Hive, 19 Academy Street, Inverness, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

This episode of Speaking of Suicide is sponsored by D&D Paving Ltd.

The music is by Tom Ireland with special thanks to Dave Martin

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or twitter.  Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Or come and visit at The Hive, 19 Academy Street, Inverness, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

This episode of Speaking of Suicide is sponsored by D&D Paving Ltd.

The music is by Tom Ireland with special thanks to Dave Martin

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or twitter.  Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Or come and visit at The Hive, 19 Academy Street, Inverness, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

This episode of Speaking of Suicide is sponsored by MKM Building Supplies in Inverness with additional support from D&D Paving Ltd.

The music is by Tom Ireland with special thanks to Dave Martin

For this episode of Speaking of Suicide, Dan Holland is in Edinburgh to meet and go for a walk with Christo Hudson. Christo is a former commercial pilot.  When the pandemic took grip on our world and lockdowns became a way of life, like for so many of us, for Christo life changed very suddenly.

Today he’s a mental health first aid and suicide prevention trainer and it’s his story of going from the cockpit to the classroom that we can all learn something from. Christo describes someone opening up to you as them passing you a red hot ball. So today, we hear how to carefully hold and nurture that red hot ball you’ve been given.

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or twitter.  Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Or come and visit at The Hive, 19 Academy Street, Inverness, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Speaking of Suicide is made thanks to the support of D&D Paving Ltd.

The music is by Tom Ireland with special thanks to Dave Martin

Christo Hudson’s Black Box Approach

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or twitter.  Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Or come and visit at The Hive, 19 Academy Street, Inverness, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Speaking of Suicide is made thanks to the support of D&D Paving Ltd.

The music is by Tom Ireland with special thanks to Dave Martin

Matt Wallace's Clarity Walk

This episode of Speaking of Suicide is Katie’s story of how she has learnt to live with the loss of and grieve for her brother. Katie talks to Dan Holland on the beach in Cromarty about how she has felt the waves of emotion and grief come and go. She describes how she has felt herself move the different recognised stages of grief and opens up about some the tools she uses to help her through these stages of grief.

Calum still plays a big part in Katie’s life and we hear how he is remembered every time she takes her dog for a walk, how Katie has challenged herself to climb munro’s spreading the word that opening up and talking about our mental health with someone is a conversation we should all try to feel comfortable having.

You can support Katie's munro challenge here

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or twitter.  Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Or visit Mikeysline at The Hive, 19 Academy Street, Inverness, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Speaking of Suicide is an Adventurous Audio production made thanks to the support of D&D Paving Ltd.

The music throughout the series is ‘Nana’ by Tom Ireland

His recent book “When it is darkest – Why people die by suicide and what we can do to prevent it” is a searingly honest search through this challenging and often upsetting subject.  It’s a book that’s written with such compassion and humanity we couldn’t resist asking Rory to take part in Speaking of Suicide and, since it was Shona who first brought Rory’s book to our attention and is such a passionate advocate herself of finding ways to stop suicide, we thought it should be Shona who talks with Rory.

Rory O'Connor

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or twitter.  Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Or come and visit at The Hive, 19 Academy Street, Inverness, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Speaking of Suicide is made thanks to the support of D&D Paving Ltd.

The music is by Tom Ireland with special thanks to Dave Martin

Today Shona encourages us to stand back and observe ourselves with more distance, watching our thoughts and emotions coming and going while learning to accept them and live with them, instead of seeing ourselves as defined by them.

Hopefully you’ll find some of these ideas helpful but they’re not a substitute for professional help so if you’re struggling, please seek support. Always remember its ok not to be ok and Mikeysline is available if you or someone you know needs help or advice you can text 07786 20 77 55, or contact them via messenger, webchat or twitter. Sun-Thurs 6pm - 10pm, Fri-Sat 7pm-7am. 

Shona talks us through an intriguing idea of standing in the future so we can look back at ourselves and how we solve today’s problems and struggles.

Hopefully you’ll find some of these ideas helpful but they’re not a substitute for professional help so if you’re struggling, please seek support. Always remember its ok not to be ok and Mikeysline is available if you or someone you know needs help or advice you can text 07786 20 77 55, or contact them via messenger, webchat or twitter. Sun-Thurs 6pm - 10pm, Fri-Sat 7pm-7am. 

Following on from yesterday’s episode, today Shona and Pennie explore the senses of touch and sound as a way of being in the moment and unhooking ourselves from unhelpful thoughts.

Hopefully you’ll find some of these ideas helpful but they’re not a substitute for professional help so if you’re struggling, please seek support. Always remember its ok not to be ok and Mikeysline is available if you or someone you know needs help or advice you can text 07786 20 77 55, or contact them via messenger, webchat or twitter. Sun-Thurs 6pm - 10pm, Fri-Sat 7pm-7am. 

When we’re in distress its really easy to be hooked by unhelpful thoughts, we’re often advised to be “in the present” but how do we do that in practice?  Today Shona talks Pennie through how to use her senses of sight to be in the moment.

Hopefully you’ll find some of these ideas helpful but they’re not a substitute for professional help so if you’re struggling, please seek support. Always remember its ok not to be ok and Mikeysline is available if you or someone you know needs help or advice you can text 07786 20 77 55, or contact them via messenger, webchat or twitter. Sun-Thurs 6pm - 10pm, Fri-Sat 7pm-7am. 

Having encouraged us to recall a difficult situation in the previous episode and acknowledge that it hurts, in this episode Shona talks us through how to think about being kinder to ourselves in response to emotional pain and practice the art of self-compassion.  She offers up some great tips on how to remember that we’re not alone in feeling emotional pain and then find a way to sooth ourselves.

Hopefully you’ll find some of these ideas helpful but they’re not a substitute for professional help so if you’re struggling, please seek support. Always remember its ok not to be ok and Mikeysline is available if you or someone you know needs help or advice you can text 07786 20 77 55, or contact them via messenger, webchat or twitter. Sun-Thurs 6pm - 10pm, Fri-Sat 7pm-7am. 

Today Shona talks us through the importance of self-compassion.  It’s not always easy to feel compassionate to ourselves so Shona shows us some ways to explore painful or difficult emotions and realise that we’re not alone in suffering them.  In this first part the aim is simply to recall a difficult situation and acknowledge that it hurts. Don’t forget to come back for part 2 in the next episode.

Hopefully you’ll find some of these ideas helpful but they’re not a substitute for professional help so if you’re struggling, please seek support. Always remember its ok not to be ok and Mikeysline is available if you or someone you know needs help or advice you can text 07786 20 77 55, or contact them via messenger, webchat or twitter. Sun-Thurs 6pm - 10pm, Fri-Sat 7pm-7am. 

Today Shona encourages Pennie to explore an emotion and takes her through an exercise which helps her to think about how a particular emotion feels in the body.

Hopefully you’ll find some of these ideas helpful but they’re not a substitute for professional help so if you’re struggling, please seek support. Always remember its ok not to be ok and Mikeysline is available if you or someone you know needs help or advice you can text 07786 20 77 55, or contact them via messenger, webchat or twitter. Sun-Thurs 6pm - 10pm, Fri-Sat 7pm-7am. 

Today Shona talks about our emotions, what they are, what their  purpose is and how we respond to them across our whole body.  She explains how emotions are calls to action but that we don’t always have to act on them.  She encourages us not to think about emotions as the bad guy and suggests we can change our relationship with them. 

Hopefully you’ll find some of these ideas helpful but they’re not a substitute for professional help so if you’re struggling, please seek support. Always remember its ok not to be ok and Mikeysline is available if you or someone you know needs help or advice you can text 07786 20 77 55, or contact them via messenger, webchat or twitter. Sun-Thurs 6pm - 10pm, Fri-Sat 7pm-7am. 

Today Shona continues her tips on how to tackle unhelpful thoughts by guiding Pennie through how to deal with a particularly painful thought – the idea that she thinks she might not be a good enough mum.  Using a simple technique Shona shows Pennie how to put the thought into a much better context and stop having the thought dominate so much.

Hopefully you’ll find some of these ideas helpful but they’re not a substitute for professional help so if you’re struggling, please seek support. Always remember its ok not to be ok and Mikeysline is available if you or someone you know needs help or advice you can text 07786 20 77 55, or contact them via messenger, webchat or twitter. Sun-Thurs 6pm - 10pm, Fri-Sat 7pm-7am. 

We have thousands of thoughts each day, many of them the same ones and lots of them negative, so today Shona explains the value of learning how to unhook ourselves from unhelpful thoughts.  She talks Pennie through how to unhook herself from her concerns about the festive season and put her negative thoughts into a better place and take control over her thoughts rather than be controlled by them.

Hopefully you’ll find some of these ideas helpful but they’re not a substitute for professional help so if you’re struggling, please seek support. Always remember its ok not to be ok and Mikeysline is available if you or someone you know needs help or advice you can text 07786 20 77 55, or contact them via messenger, webchat or twitter. Sun-Thurs 6pm - 10pm, Fri-Sat 7pm-7am. 

Today Shona explains the value of paying attention to the chatter going on in our minds and provides some tips on how we can eavesdrop on our thinking so we can better recognise and understand some of the thoughts spinning round our heads.

Hopefully you’ll find some of these ideas helpful but they’re not a substitute for professional help so if you’re struggling, please seek support. Always remember it's ok not to be ok and Mikeysline is available if you or someone you know needs help or advice you can text 07786 20 77 55, or contact them via messenger, webchat or twitter. Sun-Thurs 6pm - 10pm, Fri-Sat 7pm-7am. 

Shona’s kicking off the series by suggesting we give ourselves permission to press the pause button more often, taking stock before we respond to the world around us, and explains some of the science behind why pressing the pause button can be really helpful.

Hopefully you’ll find some of these ideas helpful but they’re not a substitute for professional help so if you’re struggling, please seek support. Always remember it's ok not to be ok and Mikeysline is available if you or someone you know needs help or advice you can text 07786 20 77 55, or contact them via messenger, webchat or twitter. Sun-Thurs 6pm - 10pm, Fri-Sat 7pm-7am. 

In this powerful and compelling listen Jordan’s father, Steve Phillip, talks to Pennie Stuart about his shock and pain at losing Jordan to suicide in December 2019 and how he is turning his grief into energy and to ploughing that energy into the Jordan Legacy which aims to find practical ways of making a real difference to people who are vulnerable to suicide.  https://thejordanlegacy.com/about-jordan/

You can download Alice’s R;pple tool for free at https://www.ripplesuicideprevention.com/

Connect with Alice:

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If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or twitter.  Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.
Or come and visit at The Hive, 19 Academy Street, Inverness, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.
Speaking of Suicide is made thanks to the support of D&D Paving Ltd.
The music is by Tom Ireland with special thanks to Dave Martin

Even though Bob had a long history of mental health challenges and was seeking support and help, Annette never believed he’d take his life.  In this deeply moving, utterly honest and open account of what happened, Annette talks to Pennie about the harsh reality of life after losing a loved one to suicide.

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or twitter.  Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Or come and visit at The Hive, 19 Academy Street, Inverness, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Speaking of Suicide is made thanks to the support of D&D Paving Ltd.

The music is by Tom Ireland with special thanks to Dave Martin

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or twitter.  Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Or come and visit at The Hive, 19 Academy Street, Inverness, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Speaking of Suicide is made thanks to the support of D&D Paving Ltd.

The music is by Tom Ireland with special thanks to Dave Martin.

As Patrick tells Pennie “suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem for the person who takes their own life, it’s a permanent problem for everyone who’s left behind”. 

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or twitter.  Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Or come and visit at The Hive, 19 Academy Street, Inverness, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Speaking of Suicide is made thanks to the support of D&D Paving Ltd.

The music is by Tom Ireland with special thanks to Dave Martin

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or twitter.  Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Or come and visit at The Hive, 19 Academy Street, Inverness, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Speaking of Suicide is made thanks to the support of D&D Paving Ltd.

The music is by Tom Ireland with special thanks to Dave Martin

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or twitter.  Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Or come and visit at The Hive, 19 Academy Street, Inverness, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Speaking of Suicide is made thanks to the support of D&D Paving Ltd.

The music is by Tom Ireland with special thanks to Dave Martin

If you need someone to talk to, you can text Mikeysline on 07786 20 77 55 or contact via messenger, webchat or twitter.  Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Or come and visit at The Hive, 19 Academy Street, Inverness, Sun-Thurs 6pm-10pm & Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm.

Speaking of Suicide is made thanks to the support of D&D Paving Ltd.

The music is by Tom Ireland with special thanks to Dave Martin

Speaking of Suicide is an Adventurous Audio production made thanks to the support of D&D Paving Ltd.

The music throughout the series is ‘Nana’ by Tom Ireland