Finding Hope: The Power of "Keep Breathing" with Mrs. Wyoming Carrie Bollock

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8th June 2026 • One Minute Can Save A Life • Kent Corso

Carrie Bollock: 00:00:00

Foreign.

My name is Kent Corso and I'm your host for this episode of One Minute Can Save a Life. While I am a licensed clinical psychologist, none of these guests are my patients, nor does anything I say constitute medical advice.

The views conveyed during our conversations do not reflect the views, positions or policies of any private or public organization. This is simply a series of conversations with people who have some connection to hardship, suicide, mental health, or loss.

There's so much we can learn from one another. So let's get started today. Our guest is Carrie Bullock. Please introduce yourself.

Carrie Bollock: 00:00:41

Hey everyone. Thank you for having me back. I am Carrie Bullock. I am a wife stepmom. Everybody knows about my faith. Everybody knows I love Jesus. The other one.

I feel like everybody knows especially that I since, you know, I'm at the end of my reign now is I Mrs. Wyoming America. So, yeah, it's just. It's an honor to be back on your show, Ken. Thank you for having me. Woohoo.

Kent: 00:00:59

Mrs. Wyoming America. Well, it's great to have you back. We had you on the show a few months ago and we had such a great talk with you that we wanted to have you back.

There are a ton of things that have happened since we last had you on the podcast, but perhaps the most interesting one, I think, is the why We Care Survivors campaign.

If you are just tuning in or you haven't heard of the campaign, just for our listeners, it is part of Governor Gordon's message Mental health redesign. The why We Care initiative is the larger umbrella.

And then there are several facets of the redesign that are aimed toward improving the conversation, decreasing stigma, improving the culture of silence, or breaking the culture of silence within Wyoming around mental health and suicide. The reason why it's so important that we hear from our survivors is something that Carrie, I'd love for you to tell us about.

But this falls in the context of a broader campaign that was sponsored by WASCOP and Governor Gordon's office. The why We Talk campaign.

There have been some fantastic resources that have come out of the Department of Health in Wyoming, the Public Health division. We have 988 campaigns all across the state. And those are all very important facets of the larger effort of why We Care.

This campaign is a bit more specific, focused on four Wyoming residents who have all attempted suicide and survived. Carrie, why is it so important to hear about survivors perspectives?

Carrie Bollock: 00:02:44

Well, I think for me it's a lived experience. It builds that trust and credibility when we're talking around things regarding mental health.

Something that I kind of found through this campaign so far in connecting with Will, Sean and Kayan would be just, we all have these different stories, but we all have these struggles.

And then that's something that I, as if anybody listened to my last podcast or follow anything of my journey that I have with Restored by Faith is we find healing every day in that and being able to make this connection with four of us survivors.

Kent: 00:03:16

Tell us a little bit about the Survivors campaign.

Carrie Bollock: 00:03:18

The survivors campaign is actually something that when I first stepped into, I'm like, hey, this is another opportunity to go out and broadcast a lived experience that builds the trust and the credibility when we are talking around mental health. I feel like there's somewhat of a stigma with that. And so everybody has a hard day.

So that was like my first initiative with all of this was like, okay, yeah, we get to go out, we get to talk about this. This is going to be great.

I've actually have found since the campaign has launched and being able to connect with the other survivors and just everybody that's with it, it's a healing process for me. It's a healing process I'm finding. For me, my experience started when I was really young. It was when I was.

It started when I was 15, when I started really struggling with mental health. My attempt and everything that I went through was when I was 20. So it's been, I don't know, 15ish, 15ish, maybe years or so ago.

And it's bringing up bits and pieces that I haven't revisited in a while. Like, yes, I went through this. Yes, I've talked about it before, but it's bringing up these pieces where I'm finding.

I'm like, wow, I really want to get a clear message through. I'm like, I go back to there and where I'm at now and how my life has progressed over these last 15 years.

And just like, being able to find some healing spots, it's brought up conversations within my family and my sisters that we haven't had in a really long time. And we're finding healing in that spot. Like, it was all about timing. And I believe I relate that back to the good Lord above.

Like, he is the one that has brought me through all of this and the connections. It's always God's timing. So this is a really cool project for me to be on.

Kent: 00:04:50

That's awesome. So great to hear that there's been so much healing, because that was not the intention of the project at all.

The intention of the project was to give voice to those who, who have lived experience to learn a different perspective.

If you four have been so close to that moment where you've almost died by suicide, from my perspective as a suicidologist, you've got a ton of insights to teach us. So how amazing that it also had some sort of a personal impact on you in a positive way that you've sort of grown and healed through this process.

Carrie Bollock: 00:05:24

Yeah, no, it's been a really cool thing. The other thing I think I could find through this campaign is that just connection with three completely different strangers.

I've never met Sean, I've never met Will, I've never met Kayan before. And being able to connect with them and it brought like, almost like a little family thing.

Like for me, like if you go back to the fire department or maybe for you, camp, military, whatever it is, it's a certain type of little family dynamic.

I felt this brought a family dynamic, but in a broader scope because it's being able to have us go out and convey our message to everyone else and be like, you know what? We all have our days, we all have hard days. We have things that we go through that mentally we're completely drained.

And that's like the basic of it for me is connection. And it's just been a wonderful time together on the campaign.

Kent: 00:06:08

What you describe brings back a memory to me of when we were doing the photo sessions with all four survivors. There were a few moments, and I'll leave the details out just because they're, I think, more personal to you for.

But there were a few moments along the way where one or two of you cracked a joke about your own suicide attempt.

And it was so incredible to watch the other three get that it was a joke and that it's okay to laugh because that's behind you and you are a different person now and you're in a different place now.

And I think our listeners might be a bit surprised to hear that someone might crack a joke or crack a smile about their attempt because it's a very dark place and it's a very serious thing. But I think it speaks to how grateful the four of you are to be given a second chance.

Carrie Bollock: 00:06:57

Absolutely.

And I think that comes back to experiencing that post traumatic growth situation and receiving healing ourselves and going through therapy and just, you know, talking like bringing it all together.

And that's the coolest part because we all have different stories and we're all experiencing post traumatic growth in a different way and different timelines and everything. And so, like, for me, it's been Years, you know, maybe for another survivor, it's only been a few years.

And so we all have a different level of that stage that we're in, in post traumatic growth.

But it shows what healing can do and giving that next chance at life and, you know, being part of the greater good for our communities and for our state and the nation and world. Like, honestly, like, we're all human. We're all human on this planet and we're all going to experience some things that's really hard.

So, yeah, it just brings me back to growing and connecting.

Kent: 00:07:47

Another difficult part about this campaign, I think, is that there is still stigma alive and well throughout our communities. And I think it is easy for someone to look at this and say, are you guys just glorifying suicide?

Are you guys glorifying or sensationalizing or making survivors some sort of celebrity? And of course we're not doing that. We're not glorifying suicide. We're not glorifying attempting.

What we're doing is trying to say, look, if these folks have been through some hardship, let's learn from them if we can, to prevent us from encountering that same hardship.

And the collective message from the four of you some points during this campaign have been, take it from us, we've been there and it's not a good idea. It's not the right idea. We only realized it after it was too late. And thank goodness we have been given a second chance.

So I just want to put that out there for our listeners. And something else just to describe this campaign. It involves billboards, it involves social media, it involves podcasts like this one.

We did a podcast with the governor's office. It involves TV interviews and radio interviews on morning shows.

It involves posters and flyers that are going out to local storefronts and schools and churches and first responder stations and break rooms in businesses. Local businesses. So this is a multifaceted messaging campaign to try to help communities hear from survivors.

And one of the taglines of this campaign is Keep breathing. Can you tell us a little bit about Keep breathing?

Carrie Bollock: 00:09:27

Keep breathing. So it's kind of funny. So I had Kayann on the radio station with me for Wellness Wednesday.

I don't know if I mentioned that at the beginning of this podcast is I'm a radio show host too, for Wellness Wednesdays. And who knew, who knew that my journey would take me to this point where I'm actually helping people with their wellness now. Right?

And that's exactly what my message is across. And keep breathing was actually a struggle for me, for many, many years, I have a hard time to just stop, like, stop and take a breath.

And part of my Wellness Wednesday show is our midweek reset, right? And so we have you stop and you take your breath. It used to be 60 seconds or.

And this is why I'm kind of going into that, but it used to be 60 seconds or, you know, three big, deep breaths, whatever it may be. And I'm like, you know what? That's challenging sometimes.

But when you just hear Keep Breathing, and you see that and you're having a hard day, say, like, okay, like, okay. But like, an impact for the billboard campaign project, right, Would be you're driving down the road and you see the billboard come up, and it's.

It says, keep breathing with us for very normal people on this board, right? Like, that's the thing is that another part of this messaging process is that we are your neighbors. We are. You know, we're. We're literally human.

But you're driving, you've had a hard day, you look up and you see, keep breathing. And you just take that deep breath, and it all automatically just resets. It just automatically resets. Kind of gives you, like, okay, exactly.

Everything's fine. And so Keep Breathing for me, has been, like I said, a challenge in my life because I'm always, go, go, go, go, go.

I don't even sit to stop, to think, to breathe. But especially over the last few years in particular, it's something that has just resonated with me.

And so when we talked about this, about doing this for the campaign and using Keep Breathing, I was like, yes. Like, I'm so excited to have this because it's just an automatic. It's something that's super, super simple. You can learn this in therapy, too.

How to use breath work to help you calm down in situations that are overwhelming. So for me, it was a really cool thing to see. It was a really cool thing to use. Keep breathing. It's just simple.

It's easy and resets in a time where you just need it instantly.

Kent: 00:11:29

I love that you four came up with the tagline, keep breathing. Some of our listeners may not know that breath work is not just something you learn in therapy.

If you've done any yoga, any martial arts, breathwork is really important. If you play musical instrument or you've ever sang in any kind of a choir, pageantry, pageantry, pageants, absolutely.

Public speaking requires certain types of breathwork. And let's be honest, if you've had any military or firearms training, breathing is Critical for shooting on target.

And so there's a reason why in firearms training, they advise you to take a deep breath before you pull the trigger. It's because it stabilizes muscle control, attention, and it shuts off your fight or flight response.

And so keep breathing is not only something that is practical, but it helps us get from one moment to the next when we are in crisis, when everything seems so overwhelming, where maybe it seems like we're in so deep that it'll take so long to climb out of that hole, or whether we're feeling like there are so many things crashing down around us. Where do we begin with trying to tackle it all? And it all comes down to what you four said. Keep breathing.

The more you focus on this moment and just even the sensation of breathing, the more you get to that next moment and then that next moment. It's not about tackling it all in one day or one week. It's about tackling each moment by moment. And I think it's brilliant advice.

The research certainly backs it up. And I think it's a little bit of guidance and some encouragement from four people who really know what it's like to be in that dark place.

Carrie Bollock: 00:13:10

Well, Kent, like, I kind of just want to empathize that not only that portion of it right there, but, like, kind of taking it back to when you were saying, you know, why are we putting these people on billboards? And, you know, we. It's not about that. Like, for me, I feel like it's giving an opportunity to speak, a message that someone's available to listen.

So, like, through this campaign, I want people to know. Like, you literally could reach out to me, and I will be there for you. I will listen. I will help you get the resources.

Like, it's not about putting our faces up there to be, like, the next coolest thing. Most famous person in Wyoming. I think that's not what this is for. It's for to make that connection.

And I think that that's something that I really wanted to kind of hone in on about. The campaign project is all four of us.

And I feel like I can speak for all four of us on that sense because I've connected so well with them that we would be there in an instant to help somebody and guide them to a resource or just, you know, like, just listen for a minute. So take that breath and listen. And sometimes that's all we can do.

And that's, like, a big part of my platform is, you know, just when I go to speak to people and let people know what I'm about. And when I talk on Wellness Wednesday, it's just as simple as, you know, taking your breath.

Go put your screens up, be present in front of screens all the time and something you're for throwing some gratitude. And sometimes that's just. It just helps you get back to that good place.

And then in the moment of crisis, for me, I really wasn't in a place where I could really listen to anyone. So just to be able to take that breath is to such a good tool to have.

Kent: 00:14:35

You make another good point, Carrie, and that is reaching out to support others. We know that connectedness reduces risk and connectedness helps.

And even if someone's in that dark place, they're much better off if there's someone by their side as they go through those dark moments than if there's no one by their side.

And that's what's so wonderful about the four of you is you have been down this road and come back and, and you are all very committed to helping any stranger who's struggling. If they reached out to you, I know you'd answer the phone. I'd like to go back a few minutes where you were talking about post traumatic growth.

Some of our listeners may not have a sense of what post traumatic growth is. I think all four of you survivors have experienced post traumatic growth. Just for our listeners, can you unpack or define post traumatic growth?

Carrie Bollock: 00:15:25

The technical side of post traumatic growth? Right when we look at this picture, it's going through something hard. Very, very, very, very hard.

And then growing from that and being able to come back in a positive way and being able to help yourself and help others around you through your story, your crisis that you went through and a better outlook. For me, my post traumatic growth, it's taken all 15 of these years. It's a step by step process.

And for me, when I look at post traumatic growth, I always go back to something that I say all have to look at that entire staircase. You just have to start with that step in front of you. And I feel like post traumatic growth is really that you just start step by step by step.

And before you know it, you've made it to the top of the staircase and you've grown into this positive person from something that you came out with so dark to begin with.

So that's something that I've experienced throughout my seasons and all the things like I said, like I started out in a mental health crisis and now I am a radio show host for Wellness Wednesday. And I'm teaching people how to breathe when I couldn't even breathe my. You know.

So, like, for me, that is a really good explanation of what post traumatic growth can be. And I know it may be a little bit different for everybody else, but again, it doesn't matter your story.

It just matters how you come out of something and how you choose to live each day after.

Kent: 00:16:46

That's great. I think that I would summarize what you said by also saying that you learn things and become stronger, even though arguably you were knocked down.

And so when you bounce back up, it's not only that you are just as strong and capable as you were before, but rather you're stronger, you're wiser, you've got some lived experience that has taught you some things that you probably didn't expect to learn. So I think that's an amazing phenomenon that many people go through.

And I'm grateful that we met, Carrie, because I think people need to hear about that post traumatic growth and need to hear about your story. As we think about the future of this campaign, what do you hope is the outcome or the impact or the effect of the survivors campaign?

Carrie Bollock: 00:17:32

Yeah, absolutely. I. For me, it's just to help that one person.

And I'm going to go ahead and share something I haven't even got to share with you yet, Kent, through this campaign. So this is a news flash for everybody today here. Great.

Kent: 00:17:45

Looking forward to it.

Carrie Bollock: 00:17:46

Through this campaign, I've been able to help somebody. Already I've been able to help somebody. I've had somebody come up to me and they needed help, and so I got them help.

And that is exactly what I wanted to happen. I wanted that to happen. I wanted people to know that we're here for you. We're here to connect. We can keep breathing.

And so I was able to connect this person with some resources and currently getting this person the help that she needs. And I'm just so grateful for that. And it was just through. Through a simple connection.

And she wasn't understanding her worth at this time in her stage in her life. And for me, I just felt like that was a great, great connection.

Kent: 00:18:25

That's incredible. That's incredible.

I think what I'm learning as you tell that story, very brief story, Carrie, is that as Wyoming residents see four people bravely coming forward and saying, yep, I've been there and thank God I'm here and I'm back. Yeah, I think it gives them license, it gives them authorization, it sort of makes it okay.

It gives them permission to come forward and say, I'm also struggling.

And I don't think we expect everyone in the state to approach the four of you, but rather to see you as examples that help is available and it does work and it is okay to come forward for help.

Carrie Bollock: 00:19:05

And I think that's another part too is like this person didn't come up to me, like, just because you're in the campaign, I'm coming to you because I know you can help me. Right? And she came to me because she was like, she knows my story.

I've been open enough to come out after all of these years to be like, you know what? I struggled with mental health, I struggled with suicide, and I got the help that I needed and it helps me today.

But she knows that I've had, I had a lived experience. And that's the, the purpose behind this campaign is having that lived experience and coming forth and sharing that with everyone out and about.

Hey, keep breathing. It's going to be okay.

So she knows that I have that, she knows that I have that story and she was comfortable to open up to me and that was just a huge deal to me. So, yes, that. And the other thing is just connection, connection, connection. That's huge to me. Healing is a choice every single day.

The more that we can connect, the more that we can help people experience what post traumatic growth is it to experience. Hey, it's okay to have a hard day, but it's not okay to stay there.

And so for me, like, I just, that's what I would love to continue to see out of this campaign, is for it to, to carry on.

And even when the campaign is long lived and everything's done, that it continues to carry on throughout the state, throughout the nation, wherever it is that resources are there for you, connections there for you.

Kent: 00:20:26

It's a really empowering message that you just sent to our audience, which is that it's okay to feel bad, but it's not okay to stay there.

And I think it reminds me of this idea that thinking of ending your life is actually much more common than most people believe, but attempting is far less common.

And so the idea here is to sort of normalize this and let people know if you are having these thoughts, it's okay to share them with someone because that may actually prevent you from acting on them.

And even if that person is someone in your church, someone in your family, or even if it's a stranger, like calling 988, which is the suicide crisis lifeline, very well trained experts who live in Wyoming, who Understand your frame of reference, because that's what it's all about in some ways is when you have common ground with someone, it makes it so much easier to connect with them. And, and most of those who live in Wyoming, they do have common ground. You live in an unforgiving climate.

You have some of the most beautiful landscapes on this planet. You've got very determined, hardworking, independent, resil, resilient people.

And so I think that's exactly why that woman reached out to you, Carrie, is because she realized, you know what, we have some common ground. This is a safe person for me to connect with. And that's what's going to reduce suicide statewide.

It's connecting with people, it's finding that common ground and it's being not afraid to go there.

Carrie Bollock: 00:21:55

Yeah, no, I 100% agree with you on that. So something else I would like to highlight on a little bit is the stages of darkness.

And Kent, you may be able to, you know, use your professional terminology for some of this stuff, but for me, I look at the stages of darkness and you don't have a lot of time.

There's usually, I feel like a 72 hour window of, you can correct me here if I'm wrong, Kent, of when someone's going through a mental health crisis that you have to act upon and make sure there's connection there. Is that correct? Is it around that or that time frame?

Kent: 00:22:22

I think the research says that people don't typically stay in that very determined state of wanting to kill themselves for longer than 72 hours. Typically.

Carrie Bollock: 00:22:32

Okay.

So for me and my mental health crisis that I experienced when I was younger, I woke up in a mini emergency room right in the middle of my parents living room. And I was already thinking about, well, this or that or like the next things like that. At the stage of darkness I was in was just really dark.

When I came to in that, I looked up and I saw my family. I saw my firefighter family. They stayed there with me. They stayed there with me, they flushed my system, everything that I was going through.

And that was my, my first connection piece. That was my first almost post traumatic growth. I wouldn't have recognized it at the time, but I looked up and saw that and that was important to me.

And so when I look at this overall picture and I looked at this woman who had come to me, she was in that first stage of darkness and she was able to make that connection because somebody had opened up to about their story and their mental health crisis. And so as we talk about the Campaign and sharing our stories again, it's not to, like, glorify us and make famous in Wyoming.

It's because we're making a connection piece. Right? We're making.

Kent: 00:23:38

You're making a difference.

Carrie Bollock: 00:23:40

Yeah, we're making a difference and being able to talk about it. And I've been talking about my story now for a while with what I'm doing in pageantry as Mrs. Wyoming America.

My platform is restored by faith and being able to talk about it.

And this campaign has allowed me to go into finer details of that and helping me, like I said, like at the beginning of this, it's helped me heal and I found stages that I actually needed to along this path, but it's helping connect so many other. Not only resources just, but people hearing my story in so many different ways.

So, yes, the crown put me in rooms, but also this campaign is allowing me to do something, to be able to talk more in depth about the more fragile details of my story with others in connection.

Kent: 00:24:22

And if I can connect the dots or the similarities between you looking up and seeing your firefighter friends and this woman approaching you, it's that moment that the person in crisis realizes, wait a minute, I do matter. Someone cares. Exactly. And that is a transformative moment. I mean, describe that. How does that feel when you have that immediate recognition?

Wait a minute. I do matter. I am worth something. Someone does care.

Carrie Bollock: 00:24:53

It is a huge feeling at the time in my crisis. I'll just talk about my lived experience through that and then I maybe could talk about someone that I've helped.

But my lived experience, experience through that, when I came to, it felt good to know that someone cared. Now, again, like, I was still in a very fragile mental state.

It didn't necessarily, like, it didn't really impact me super, super hard at that moment, but it gave me a flicker of light.

And I think that that's the first step in your healing process is just seeing that flicker of light and being like, wait a second, like, someone actually does know how I feel right now. Because at that moment, like, I thought that the pain was so unreal and no one could understand exactly what I was going through and all the things.

But this person right there is like, no, you matter to me. Your life matters to me, and you are heard.

You know, I may not be going through your exact story, you may not be going through that exact pain, but I care. And that changed everything for me.

And I've held that for myself for the last 15 years and how I want to go out and say Stuff is that I truly care about everyone. Sometimes I'm like, okay, I have to take a breath too, because I want to help everybody. And I know that's God's job.

He's there to do all of that, but he's given me the opportunity and the story and the second chance to come out and be like, you know what, you're loved, you're valued, you're worth everything. Like all of, all of the things, right? So, yeah, it's a flicker of light, I guess you could say, out of the darkness that you're coming on.

Kent: 00:26:18

And that flicker of light is not too different from just keep breathing, right? It's this idea that just this moment's flicker of hope, flicker of love, flicker of connectedness, flicker of feeling worthwhile or cared for.

If we just keep focusing on those little flickers, they grow over time. And that's what it's all about, isn't it?

Carrie Bollock: 00:26:40

And, well, that's how we break the stigma, Kent. Like, that's how we break this right now.

Because I feel like when people look at people dealing with mental health crisis, like, wow, you know, like there's like this whole perception on it, and maybe they're just attention seeking or maybe they're just this or that. And I'm like, absolutely not. Because I know that you've been through a hard time too, right?

And if I didn't share this story, if I didn't jump on this campaign, whatever it is, these other people wouldn't have known this person that came up to me. If I would have never shared my story, I would have never been open about it.

She could still be struggling or maybe she wouldn't even be with us today, right? So, like, that's the part where I'm like it. Like when I'm looking at.

I'm like looking at the title of the podcast right now that I'm doing this with you, one minute can save a life, Kit. That is so true. You don't need this next big non profit. You don't need anything else.

It's just as simple as sharing your story, stepping up to the plate and being like, you know what? I'll be your flicker of light today in the moment of your darkness.

Kent: 00:27:33

Exactly.

It's about taking 30 seconds to care for someone in the same way we would if we're walking down the street and see someone passed out on the sidewalk face down. We would take a Moment to call 911 or to tap them on the shoulder and ask them if they're okay. This is no different than those sorts of crises.

They just look different. And there are some social things that lead us to believe it's not okay for us to tap them on the shoulder. But it is, isn't it?

Carrie Bollock: 00:27:59

Yeah.

Kent: 00:28:01

Carrie, is there anything else you'd like to share with our audience before we go?

Carrie Bollock: 00:28:05

Yeah.

The one thing that I have tied with this campaign, if anything, if anybody takes anything from my story, anything that I'm trying to go out there and just help somebody with, is that somebody, you are so seen, you are so valued, and you are so worth fighting for. So whether that's yourself or you're trying to help someone else or whatever it may be, just know that you're seen, you're heard, you're valued.

Please share your story. If you have a story, too, get out there and start sharing it, because that's how we help others.

Kent: 00:28:32

That's a wonderful message. Thanks so much, Carrie. And we appreciate you coming back on the show.

Carrie Bollock: 00:28:37

Thank you. And then one last thing, Kent, because you know me and my faith, all the glory to the Lord.

I'm so thankful he's given me the second opportunity and given you. Thank you, Kent, for getting. Giving me another opportunity to come on here and say that and just continue to share my love for others.

Tim Brien: 00:28:51

Amen. Thank you for listening to this episode of One Minute Can Save a Life. Take care of yourself. Take care of your neighbor. Be bold.

Ask the hard questions. Because if you don't, who will? Production support for One Minute Can Save a Life was provided by TKB Podcast Studio.

To find out more about our services, go to tkbpodcaststudio.com.

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