E015 Elisa Brewer-Singh Suicide and Seeking Help
Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 15
Date: May 10, 2022
Participants: John Webster, Sammy Damaren, Cameron Earnshaw and Sheila Webster
Guest: Elisa Brewer-Singh
Start times and Segment Segments:
[0:00:19] What’s On Your Mind: Sammy and John talk about resilience. People are often more resilient that they think. We all make mistakes and fail. That’s okay. That doesn’t mean we need to give up. We can turn things around.
[0:09:16 ] Expanding Minds Interview: [Mental and Social Wellness] It’s Part 2 of our Elisa Brewer-Singh interview. This week we ask about how people can seek help, or how to help someone else in the context of suicide prevention.
[0:24:40] Adventures of the Starving Artist: Video game team play turned “duh nuh nuh nuh” into an instant classic.
[0:28:33 ] Move That Body: The importance of sleep, rest and recovery.
[0:34:11] Running Popup: John had a very enjoyable long run, basking in feelings of gratitude to people who helped him.
[0:39:32] Flipside of the Coin: Cleaning as part of environmental wellness.
Quotes and Take-Aways:
John – It’s okay to fail, even seriously. You don’t give up. One of the messages we hope to convey in our show is to never give up. You’re more resilient than you think and there’s a way forward.
John – If you’re not sure what to do, then just start small. Find some activity that you can start with. When you feel like you’re in that hole and you can’t even imagine looking up, let alone getting out of the hole, then start small.
Elisa – When we’re having this conversation, it’s really important that we are listening to that individual. We’re not being judgmental.
Elisa – We’re just going to start by taking a really deep breath, and then we’re going to listen.
Elisa – We’re going to listen. We’re going to show that we care, and part of it is knowing your role. This is not something we can do on our own. It’s not a conversation we can hold to ourselves. Perhaps it’s saying, thank you for sharing. Let’s connect with somebody. Whether it’s crisis resources, but let’s find a helper.
John – We were talking about it from the perspective of the person feeling down, feeling hopeless and helpless or feeling possibly of self-harm. What I’m hearing you saying is that if you are feeling that, then please reach out. Please find somebody to reach out to so that you can express what you’re feeling and start to connect.
Elisa – Protective factors are necessary aspects in building resiliency. Our resiliency comes from many different places.
John – What I hear you saying Elisa is that the more you can build out different aspects of your life and strengthen yourself physically and mentally and spiritually, that will help work to develop resilience in a person.
Bulletin Board Quote brought to you by Cameron: Whenever someone did something good, we’d say duh nuh nuh nuh.
Guest Information:
Elisa Brewer-Singh is the Executive Director for the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council. She brings her passion for suicide prevention and a master’s degree in Spiritual Care and Counselling from Wilfrid Laurier University which she uses to support the dialogue around suicide, advocate for better access to services and supports, and journey alongside individuals bereaved by suicide. Elisa’s work includes a Regional, Provincial, and National focus on providing hope, help, and healing for those who have been touched by suicide. Her desire is to see communities where everyone is engaged in the work of suicide prevention, intervention and postvention (hope, help and healing). Outside of her work, she enjoys spending time with her family including her husband, two sons and dog, and can often be found listening to music, playing board games or reading a good book.
Website for Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council: https://wrspc.ca
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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila and Julie