This is Faith’s story of losing her dad, Walter, to suicide in March 2023. It’s finally time to shed light on the darkest time of her entire life and she is ready to share it with the femmes. Rachel walks Faith through the relationship she had with her dad, how much he meant to her as a daughter, the incredible bond that was built between father and daughter and their similarities. They unfold when she started to become aware she was growing up with a parent battling mental illness and addiction.
Faith recalls when she first started seeing signs of her dad’s illness and how she always lived in fear of losing her dad to suicide. She discusses what her fathers signs were, how she could’ve prevented his death and what the connection alcohol has to suicidal ideation. She explains how suicide loss took over her whole life, causing extreme breakage in the entire family. The anger that unraveled after losing her dad and how her own sister betrayed the entire family by doing something truly diabolical during the weakest time of their lives.
There are so many life lessons to be learned in this episode about getting through the grieving process, navigating families with mental illness, how to overcome the darkness, finding suicidal warning signs and much more.
Please listen with care, share our stories and do what you can to learn more to advocate for mental health and suicide awareness. You are never alone. ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Thank you.♡
https://988lifeline.org/help-yourself/loss-survivors/
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
https://afsp.org/get-help/
https://www.iasp.info/suicidalthoughts/
Al-Anon offers support and understanding to the family and friends of problem drinkers.
Alcohol Change UK campaign for better alcohol policies and improved support for people whose lives are affected by alcohol problems. They offer help and support if you want to change your drinking habits.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) runs free self-help groups for anyone who thinks they have a drink problem.
Drinkaware provides advice, information and tools to help people make better choices about their drinking.
Drinkline is a free, confidential helpline for anyone worried about their drinking or someone else’s. Call 0300 123 1100. If you are in Scotland you can also contact Drinkline Scotland on 0800 7314 314.
Turning Point offers tailored support to people with drug or alcohol problems. This could be advice, medical treatment, peer support, social activities or help getting back into work, for example.
We Are With You offers free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs or mental health.
LGBTQIA+ support services:
Alcohol Change UK has more resources for LGBTQIA+ people who drink in moderation or don’t drink.