Before You Kill Yourself: a suicide prevention podcast.

In this episode, I reflect on my time leading a cottage at a group home and how stepping into a leadership role challenged my identity, anxiety, and desire to just be the “fun guy.” I unpack the psychological shift from being liked to being responsible, and how consistent structure reduced chaos, stress, and mental overload — ultimately allowing me to lead with both authority and warmth.Why I initially hated being in charge despite caring deeply about the kids and staffThe internal conflict between being the fun, relational leader vs. enforcing rules and boundariesHow anxiety, rumination, and self-doubt intensify in leadership rolesThe realization that structure (being “the law”) creates the conditions for fun and connectionHow consistency and staff alignment helped the environment run itself over timeWhy silence, avoidance, and unclear expectations increase stress for everyoneA key reframe: you may not hate leadership — you may hate unstructured chaosPractical takeaway: clarity, consistency, and support reduce mental load and make leadership sustainableThrive With Leo Coaching: If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:In the US: Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386Outside the US:International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

In this episode, I talk about what it really means to be touch starved — not in a dramatic way, but in a nervous-system way. I break down why safe, consensual touch matters for our mental health and how we can get more of it in simple, intentional ways.What “touch starved” actually meansWhy lack of touch increases stress and anxietyHow we used to experience touch vs. nowSmall, practical ways to get healthy touchThe surprising ways people try to replace itAre you stressed… or do you just need a hug?Thrive With Leo Coaching: If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:In the US: Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386Outside the US:International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

I’m taking a short hiatus from the podcast to rest and reset. In the meantime, I encourage you to stay connected to at least one person, keep a small daily routine, and revisit the few episodes that truly helped you instead of consuming everything at once.Build a simple support list, do one meaningful thing each week, and please reach out to professional or crisis support if you’re struggling — this podcast is support, not a substitute for care.I’ll be back soon. And more importantly, I want you to be here when I return.Thrive With Leo Coaching: If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:In the US: Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386Outside the US:International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

When someone says, “Everyone would be better off without me,” it sounds selfless — but what if it’s a distortion built on the wrong currency of worth? In this episode, we unpack the hidden assumptions behind that belief, from perceived burdensomeness to shame, control, and the quiet fear of being irredeemable.Why “better” is often measured by productivity, not meaningHow depression turns imagination into certaintyThe difference between removal and redemptionThrive With Leo Coaching: If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:In the US: Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386Outside the US:International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

What does it mean to feel like the outsider in your own family — the one who gets blamed, ignored, or quietly cast as “the problem”? In this episode, we explore the psychology of scapegoating, why families assign roles, and how to stop seeking validation from a system that may never give it. It’s about moving from exile to self-acceptance — and building belonging on your own terms.In This Episode:What family scapegoating actually is (and why it happens)The emotional cost of being “the identified problem”How family systems protect themselves — not necessarily the truthThe difference between alienation and individuationGrieving the family you hoped forFinding acceptance without needing unanimous approvalThrive With Leo Coaching: If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:In the US: Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386Outside the US:International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

Is the real crisis today economic — or architectural? In this episode, we challenge the idea that loneliness and despair come from a broken ladder of upward mobility. What if the problem isn’t that we can’t climb… but that we were taught to measure our worth by climbing in the first place? Drawing from Middlemarch, modern work culture, and personal experience, this conversation explores why craftsmanship, authorship, and daily building may be the antidote to vertical despair.In this episode:Why the “career ladder” mindset fuels anxiety and comparisonThe difference between climbing and buildingHow craftsmanship creates internal pride (and hunger)What Lydgate’s crisis in Middlemarch teaches us about collapsed ambitionWhy being seen — not promoted — can save a lifeThe power of asking: “Am I actually in danger right now?”Moving from passive consumption to generative actionHow to build meaning even when the system feels unstableThrive With Leo Coaching: If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:In the US: Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386Outside the US:International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

In this episode, we explore how poverty affects mental health and increases suicide risk, particularly through relative deprivation, structural barriers, and unclaimed government aid. We look at why poverty is more than a lack of money—it’s instability, stress, and social exclusion—and what coping strategies can help.Topics covered include:How relative income deprivation can heighten feelings of hopelessnessWhy being poor in America is often more expensive due to fines, fees, and penaltiesThe $140 billion in unused government aid and barriers to accessing itCoping strategies that protect dignity, stability, and mental healthThrive With Leo Coaching: If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:In the US: Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386Outside the US:International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

In this episode, we use the metaphor of turbulence to explore why intense moments in life can feel dangerous without actually being dangerous—and how the nervous system responds when stability feels lost. Through a grounding practice designed for “arrival,” we offer listeners a simple way to reorient their bodies after emotional, relational, or existential turbulence, without needing to fix or explain anything.In this episode, we cover:The four types of turbulence as metaphors for everyday life stress and emotional instabilityWhy the nervous system confuses intensity with danger—and how that fuels distressHow grounding is about orientation and arrival, not forced calmA single, practical grounding exercise listeners can use at the end of a long day or difficult periodThrive With Leo Coaching: If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:In the US: Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386Outside the US:International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

Have you ever been told to “just relax” when your body felt like it was on high alert? In this episode, we unpack why that advice fails—and how suicide prevention requires understanding stress physiology, not willpower, by meeting the nervous system with safety before insight.What we cover:Why “relax more” is a behavioral demand, not a biological solutionThe difference between calming thoughts and regulating a stressed nervous systemFour sequencing shifts that actually help:Rhythmic movement instead of stillnessConnection before introspectionPredictability before positivityRegulation before reflectionThrive With Leo Coaching: If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:In the US: Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386Outside the US:International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

We explore why emotional highs are often followed by sudden lows, especially after moments of achievement, transition, or loss. We look at how identity, nervous system biology, and meaning collide — and why the crash doesn’t mean something is wrong. Most importantly, we talk about how to build guardrails for the comedown.Key Points:Highs stress the nervous systemIdentity amplifies the swingEndings create emotional voidsGrief intensifies contrastThe drop is often biologicalGuardrails matter more than mindsetThrive With Leo Coaching: If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:In the US: Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386Outside the US:International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.