Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker, Suicide Prevention & Postvention Trainer, Founder Camo Hat Club (tm), Military Speaker, Corporate, Speaker, School Speaker, Author #speaker #mentalhealth
Social experiment---can you repost this? These two guys lost a brother to suicide nine years before this picture was taken. That's me on the right and my younger brother Matthew on the left, and we never talked about what happened. Really, never, and we should have. The picture was taken in 1992 at our cousin's wedding, and our brother Mark should be in it, but depression got the best of him. Don't ever say it cannot get worse, because it can. One year after this picture was taken, we lost Matthew to suicide. F' me. I am not going to lie, I've been a mess ever since. I lost a couple of good jobs, had a marriage fail, and just never fully recovered from all of this. (but do you ever?) Add in my ADHD, and it's been rough. But it's rough for everybody. Fast forward to 2011, and I agreed to talk about my brothers for the first time publicly. It was an Out of the Darkness Walk for the good folks at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and on that day I found my purpose. We need to talk about this stuff, and now my misery was my mission! The first couple of talks were horrible, but I found my voice, and now I want to help your organization find its voice when it comes to talking about mental health in the workplace. I use my story as the backdrop, but the talk is really about mental health and how we can help each other, and for some damn reason, I am really good at this talk. Give me an audience that does not want to be there, and I am in my element. Make it mandatory, and everyone walks in all hot and bothered, and I am energized. Give me 45–60 minutes, and we will all benefit. I operate under this premise: A shared joy is a double joy; a shared sorrow is half a sorrow. You help me cut my sorrow in half, and I will help improve your corporate culture when it comes to mental health. It sounds like a fair deal. Book me here: https://lnkd.in/g_kkXn3u #suicideprevention #mentalhealth Richard Branson
Thanks for reposting!
Dennis, I don’t think we ever recover. There will always be that hole because they are still gone.
You're amazing!
Love this Dennis. Thank you for what you do. After the loss of my dad to suicide 5 years ago, I have found my voice as well. My Goal: to bring hope to the hopeless, awareness to those unaware and to prevent, if at all possible, another person taking their own life❤️
Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker, Suicide Prevention & Postvention Trainer, Founder Camo Hat Club (tm), Military Speaker, Corporate, Speaker, School Speaker, Author #speaker #mentalhealth
5moPlease repost if you can!