š” ABOUT THIS EPISODE
I sat down with Jeremy Carter, a social worker and the founder of Still Here, a peer-led support group in Pittsburgh, to talk about surviving a suicide attempt and everything that came after it. Jeremy shares what led him to a bridge, what pulled him back, and why the mental health system, failed him when he needed it most. We get into what peer-led support for suicidal thoughts actually looks like, why it barely exists in most communities, and what it took for him to build it himself.
This discussion is about what happens when someone decides the gap they fell through shouldn't exist for anyone else. If you've ever wondered what to say to someone who's struggling, or needed to hear that surviving is enough of a start, this one stays with you. If you or someone in your life is navigating suicidal thoughts, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by call or text.
To find out more about Still Here, visit www.stillherepgh.org
šÆ KEY TAKEAWAYS
š¹ The stigma isn't the only barrier Surviving a suicide attempt often means facing a system too overwhelmed to catch you on the other side.
š¹ Numbness isn't the absence of feeling Jeremy explains why the flattest, quietest moments were the most dangerous ones.
š¹ Talking about it doesn't plant the idea The fear that naming suicidal thoughts makes them worse is one of the biggest myths Jeremy pushes back on.
š¹ Peer-led support for suicidal thoughts is different from therapy Jeremy breaks down why a space led by people who've lived it works where clinical settings sometimes can't.
š¹ You don't have to fix someone to help them Jeremy shares what showing up actually looks like when someone you love is struggling.
š¹ A broken system doesn't mean broken people Jeremy saw firsthand how intelligence and self-awareness have nothing to do with being in crisis.
š¹ One person's decision to speak up can ripple out Jeremy didn't expect how many people would come forward after he shared his own story.
TOPICS
MENTAL HEALTH
HEALING & SELF TRUST
COMMUNITY & CONNECTIONS
