Take It From Us with Kent Johns
Take It From Us is the voice of lived experience. In this podcast, you'll hear real people share honest stories about mental health, addiction, trauma and recovery - straight from their own journeys.
They'll tell you what actually worked, what didn't, and what they wish they'd known sooner.
Host Kent Johns is a former broadcaster-turned-health-coach who believes everyone has a story to tell if people take the time to really listen.
So settle in, you're going to hear some stories. Take it from us - and from them.
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If you need support, click here for helpful links, phone numbers and resources:
https://ember.org.nz/resources/in-a-crisis/
Take It From Us with Kent Johns
Linda Collins: What suicide really does to families left behind
Linda Collins lost her 17-year-old daughter Victoria to suicide in 2014, on the first day of a new school term before she was to catch her bus. The grief changed everything - not just the unbearable pain, but how people saw her family, how relationships shifted, and how she had to learn to navigate a world that didn't know how to handle their loss.
Seven months later, Linda found Victoria's journals revealing something that gave her immense comfort: Victoria had written about how much she loved her parents and didn't blame them. But the journals also showed Victoria's wish that no young person would ever experience the mental pain she had endured.
Now Linda honours that wish through her book "Lost Adjustment" and by speaking openly about suicide grief - because she's learned that young people considering suicide often have no idea of the devastation it causes families.
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text here!
If you need support, here are helpful links, phone numbers and resources: https://ember.org.nz/resources/in-a-crisis/
