July 28, 2025

Why People Die By Suicide: Theories Through History

Show Notes

This is the episode I wish we never had to make—and also the one I wish I’d had from the beginning. Margaret and I talk about suicide from inside the profession: what it’s like to lose a patient, how we carry that grief (or numbness), and why the aftermath is rarely as clear-cut as people think.

We talk about the fear of getting it “wrong,” the complicated relief that can come when a patient is finally at peace, and the moments when you realize you’re not the only one who saw it coming. And maybe the most important part? We talk about how hard it is to talk at all.

This one’s raw. And necessary. And still full of tenderness.

Takeaways:

Suicide doesn’t always feel like a shock—and that makes it harder to grieve out loud.
You can’t process alone. But it’s terrifying to admit how much you’re feeling—or not feeling.
Even when you did everything “right,” the self-blame still creeps in.
The peer who calls you after a patient dies might save you, too.
Silence protects no one—and it doesn’t make the grief go away.