The Leftover Pieces; Suicide Loss Conversations

Can it really happen to ANY family?? Unfortunately, many of us have discovered that answer. My guest in this episode knows this all too well herself.
Today I have a conversation with Janice "JJ" Joiner. JJ, aka "the catcher of babies" (certified nurse midwife) spent her career as a women’s healthcare provider, and is also a wife, mom, and “Honey” to her grandbabies! She says she now takes life "lone day at a time" since the loss of her beautiful son, Eric to mental illness that led to his suicide. JJ now hopes to work to help support others in this tragic space by normalizing the seeking of mental wellness just like we seek health for physical health. She shares her story openly with this goal at the forefront.
"...Born in Charleston WV, she grew up traveling throughout Europe. When JJ was only 11 she read "Cherry Ames- Student Nurse" and wanted to be a nurse from that point on! She started as a Labor & Delivery and after 14 years moved on to Nursing and Midwifery. She feels like she spent much of her career participating in and promoting the healthcare of women - her dream profession and along the way she and her (college sweetheart) husband built their own dream family - Katie, Eric, and JaneyGrace. By all accounts, her kids were easy-going and successful in everything they endeavored to do....yet, despite daily prayers for their happiness and safety in this big world, there came a day that she realized despite a life of serving people, delivering babies, volunteering and donating to charities...I was no better than anyone else in this world and my luck ran out and sadly it ran out on my boy..." - paraphrased straight from JJ
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My website "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is LIVE and that means my different SUPPORT SPACE Options are available and much more will be coming in 2022
Go DIRECTLY to my SUPPORT page here where yo9u will find ALL of the ways to connect and find support
My first two books (tools I am creating for you!) in the "Facing Life After Suicide" series are available on Amazon
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you
IN a crisis you can also TEXT--->
TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA
in Canada TEXT 686868
in the UK TEXT 85258
And Grievers, I am always here. You can find me at The Leftover Pieces

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Today I dive DEEP into the rabbit hole and discuss perception vs reality and if they are one in the same. I talk about where I am in this grief journey and the evolution of my thoughts on what we have the power over with regard to grief - in my opinion. I think that the real destruction lies in allowing ourselves to go on auto-pilot - you know when we are not intentional about how we are grieving or what choices we are making.
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My brand NEW website "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is LIVE and that means my 2 x/mo FREE SUPPORT GROUP is available (it begins Oct 2) AND my first coaching options are available. The first (3 month) group is planned to begin NOVEMBER 3 and there will be a new group begin every 10 weeks after. There will be limited spots in each group so let me know if you want on the notify list! These groups will be one part community, one part discovery/growth. I believe these two things are intertwined for us in the earlier stages of grief especially.
Interested? Please DM me on Instagram or email me at anytime [email protected]
The website will be at www.theleftoverpieces.com (naturally, right?)
Please reach out to me if you know of someone that I should talk to or if you yourself would like to have a conversation around the suicide loss and grief space. Instagram is probably still the best way to contact me or directly through email. I am already scheduling people into this FALL so it's not too soon to reach out!
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you
IN a crisis you can also TEXT--->
TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA
in Canada TEXT 686868
in the UK TEXT 85258
And Grievers, I am always here. You can find me on at The Leftover Pieces

Support the show

Today I go "down the rabbit hole" to discuss HOPE. Suicide loss survivors struggle heavily with allowing hope back into their lives. I know that I choose to sit in hopelessness too long. So why is hope so important? Why do we need and how we get it -- and I even give you a tool to help facilitate taking the steps toward it!
I could not find a link that I loved to show you where to place your hands - it is because I didn't just take it from the internet, I learned this in my trauma-based healing training.
BUT HERE IS an ARTICLE that shows the pressure point and the second part comes really close to the technique I teach you. It also has some additional great information.
Hope to Hope Conference Day 2 - I speak at the 2:57 mark and am the final speaker of the conference BUT be sure to listen to Kim share an additional life experience that will inspire and impact! This was such great experience to be a part of this event - I am honored and humbled.
Be sure to watch Day 1 as well - it was equally amazing.
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My brand NEW website "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is LIVE and that means my 2 x/mo FREE SUPPORT GROUP is available and much more will be coming in the months ahead leading into 2022
The website will be at www.theleftoverpieces.com (naturally, right?)
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you
IN a crisis you can also TEXT--->
TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA
in Canada TEXT 686868
in the UK TEXT 85258
And Grievers, I am always here. You can find me on at The Leftover Pieces

Support the show

Today, I share my conversation with the Founder of PsycheX, Josh Halu, and his invited guest, suicide loss survivor-mom Natika Terrell. Plant Medicine has gotten a bad rap, becoming stigmatized in 'hippie culture' that led to government bans, which are (thankfully) now beginning to disappear, allowing for unparalleled mental health research and incredible breakthroughs! I did not step into this topic lightly. While I have been curious for a while (as I know several people who have greatly benefited from psychedelics), allowing that stigma to play a role, I have kept it at arms distance at best. Then Josh Halu reached out. I have been researching, listening, and even leaning in ever since. I am very excited to share this conversation with you, hoping it may add another possibility to your toolbox!
PsycheX's Mission: Is to create a unified, trustworthy, and inclusive platform that fosters connections, education, and opportunities in the psychedelic industry.
Their Vision:
To make psychedelics a cornerstone of mental health care by developing the most comprehensive, trusted, and inclusive platform for resources, education, and therapy options.
Today, we discuss plant medicines such as ketamine, ayahuasca, mdma, mushrooms (psilocybin), and more...Find PsycheX HEREMeet Josh
"Josh Halu, Founder and CEO of The Psychedelic Exchange, is a dynamic leader committed to revolutionizing mental health care through the innovative use of psychedelic therapies. His background, steeped in military leadership from his time at West Point and as an Army Officer, fuels his dedication to a critical mission: bringing the number of veteran suicides down to zero. With his deep understanding of mental illnesses, including trauma, depression, and PTSD, as well as the unique challenges faced by veterans, Josh is pioneering new approaches in mental health care. He strives to transform the landscape of treatment and support for all, while destigmatizing the use of psychedelic medicines for mental wellness."

Find JOSH HERE on his WEBSITEReach him at [email protected] Here on InstagramMeet NatikaNatika Terrell is a mother who has used psychedelics to aid in healing the trauma of losing her daughter, Carla to suicide in February of 2015. Through this loss journey she has been able to be more vulnerable in sharing her story as well as how she is facing life now. She aspires to be a motivational speaker who helps to be a voice for mental health including the power of psychedelics and plant medicine for mental health and healing.
______________________________________________________________________[Please note that this episode is not intended as an endorsement of psychedelics, and Melissa is not a doctor or medical professional. As always, you should consider seeking medical (or appropriate) guidance when considering their use & possible outcomes.] ______________________________________________________________________
My WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.
REGISTER for Monthly SUPPORT after Suicide loss HEREIf you, or someone you know, is struggling with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
CALL 988 OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA

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As a sort of "Re-Boot" for The Leftover Pieces; Suicide Loss Conversations podcast after taking the last 6 weeks of 2024 "off" I am choosing to 'start over' this way .... please listen weekly to Down the Rabbit Hole episodes dropped at the start of each week and / or listen daily to these readings from The Daily Stoic-- nuggets as I call them -- of wisdom passed along from Ryan Holiday. Stephen Hanselman and the ancient Greek Philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and Seneca. I hope you will do both. I hope you will consider journaling along with me. I hope it provides some inspiration, even motivation to keep going, to how we do what we do, to why we do what we do in moving forward 'after'...I hope it is a tool that you (like me) might find useful in your life after loss by suicide.
The following is an excerpt directly from the book -- they are not my words and are placed here as a sample to help you journal. The full book must be purchased to follow along all year. I am ONLY doing this in January (on the podcast).
TODAYS READING January 27 - THE THREE AREAS OF TRAINING
Get your own copy of The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday & Stephen Hanselman**

“There are three areas in which the person who would be wise and good must be trained. The first has to do with desires and aversions—that a person may never miss the mark in desires nor fall into what repels them. The second has to do with impulses to act and not to act—and more broadly, with duty—that a person may act deliberately for good reasons and not carelessly. The third has to do with freedom from deception and composure and the whole area of judgment, the assent our mind gives to its perceptions. Of these areas, the chief and most urgent is the first which has to do with the passions, for strong emotions arise only when we fail in our desires and aversions.” —EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 3.2.1–3a
Today, let’s focus on the three areas of training that Epictetus laid out for us. First, we must consider what we should desire and what we should be averse to. Why? So that we want what is good and avoid what is bad. It’s not enough to just listen to your body—because our attractions often lead us astray. Next, we must examine our impulses to act—that is, our motivations. Are we doing things for the right reasons? Or do we act because we haven’t stopped to think? Or do we believe that we have to do something? Finally, there is our judgment. Our ability to see things clearly and properly comes when we use our great gift from nature: reason. These are three distinct areas of training, but in practice they are inextricably intertwined. Our judgment affects what we desire, our desires affect how we act, just as our judgment determines how we act. But we can’t just expect this to happen. We must put real thought and energy into each area of our lives. If we do, we’ll find real clarity and success." - all above quoted words from the credited to the authors**
I hope you are considering journaling along with us in January
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Go to my WEBSITE "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is support central.
PS....The SINGLE DATE start for 2025 Leave a Legacy of your child - GO HEREIf you, or someone you know, is struggling ww suicidal thoughts, reach out:
CALL 988 OR, you can also TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA

Support the show