Making Hope a Habit:
Advice from a Lucet Clinician Touched by Suicide

As a mental health clinician, Michelle Pargman was stunned when she lost her 18-year-old nephew, Manny, to suicide.

The loss was sudden and unexpected. He was a kid with promise — a freshman in college, a drummer and someone who was known to be smiling. It is a story that mirrors so many of those we lose to suicide, and one that made Michelle re-think what it means for the conversation about mental health.

As much as we can educate about prevention, the truth is, there may not always be signs. There may not have been anything we could have done differently, and accepting that is key to survivor healing.

But what we can do is talk, and the ultimate antidote is hope. We can make open conversation and checking in on those we love a daily practice. We can be brave and vulnerable, and encourage those around us to share scary thoughts by sharing ours, too. We can make hope a habit.

Listen to Michelle’s full story and access our Suicide Awareness & Conversation Toolkit here: https://resources.lucet.health/toolkit-suicide-prevention

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 9-8-8 or 800-273-8255.