109: "You can support someone, but ultimately, they have to want to get that help themselves." Gold Star Families and Suicide Prevention Awareness Month with Leslie McCaddon

Note: If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide or are concerned for someone who may be in crisis, please contact the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1 at the prompt.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Leslie McCaddon joins us to share her story as a Gold Star wife, how suicide can be a symptom of an untreated mental illness, how we can strengthen military families as a whole, and much more.

Leslie McCaddon is the widow of Army CPT Michael McCaddon, MD. She is a mental health advocate for military and Gold Star families and writes at Scary Mommy, Her View From Home, and other major publications. She lives in Southern California with a husband, 4 teenagers, and 3 dogs. If she’s not at home, she’s probably at Disneyland.

Resources Mentioned On the Show

• Dispelling Suicide Myths by Cohen Veterans Network https://www.cohenveteransnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/CVN-Suicide-Prevention-Infographic-SHORT.png
• America’s Mental Health Suicide Prevention Pulse Survey https://www.cohenveteransnetwork.org/amhpulse/
• Suicide Prevention Month: YOU Matter Article by Leslie McCaddon https://homelandmagazine.com/suicide-prevention-month-you-matter/
• Suicide Prevention Awareness Month by Jenny Lynne Stroup https://homelandmagazine.com/suicide-prevention-awareness-month/
• I struggled with thoughts of suicide. Vulnerability and connection kept me alive Article by Matthew Stroup https://taskandpurpose.com/opinion/suicide-vulnerability-connection-navy-oped/
• Leslie McCaddon as TIME contributor: https://nation.time.com/contributor/leslie-mccaddon/
• The Happiest Mom Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/19Z0vEjZkklCMlw45FErsv
• The Happiest Moms Hangout Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thehappiestmomshangout
• Coaching with Leslie: https://www.thehappiestmomcoach.com
• The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at VVSD: https://vvsd.net/cohenclinicsandiego/
• Cohen Veteran Network: https://www.cohenveteransnetwork.org/

For the latest updates on our show: https://mailchi.mp/a3b25a1f4964/holdingdownthefort

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