9 episodes

Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News' Chief Medical Correspondent, draws from her own tragic experience to explore the aftermath of suicide and sudden loss, and, like her new book "Life After Suicide," the podcast is a roadmap to survival, offering inspiring insight on how to regain balance and get back to life. She speaks with people living with loss who have moved through guilt, anger and hopelessness to a new normal as well as with survivors and specialists in medicine, faith and more on how to heal from any type of traumatic experience.

Life After Suicide GMA

    • Health & Fitness
    • 4.7 • 412 Ratings

Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News' Chief Medical Correspondent, draws from her own tragic experience to explore the aftermath of suicide and sudden loss, and, like her new book "Life After Suicide," the podcast is a roadmap to survival, offering inspiring insight on how to regain balance and get back to life. She speaks with people living with loss who have moved through guilt, anger and hopelessness to a new normal as well as with survivors and specialists in medicine, faith and more on how to heal from any type of traumatic experience.

    Overcoming Stigma and Anger: Melissa Rivers

    Overcoming Stigma and Anger: Melissa Rivers

    Melissa Rivers is an actress and TV producer who, at just 18 years old, lost her TV producer father Edgar Rosenberg to suicide. Years later, she suffered another sudden loss, when her famous mother Joan Rivers died during a routine medical procedure. Melissa opens up about the stigma, anger and pain surrounding sudden loss, in hopes that it will help remove the taboo surrounding suicide. We'd love your feedback. Please contact Dr. Ashton on Twitter or Instagram @DrJAshton. Leave a review here: http://bit.ly/2PGybw7 For more: "Life After Suicide" by Dr. Jennifer Ashton: https://amzn.to/2XcAkSE If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] or visit http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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    • 44 min
    Learning to Heal: Chloe Ashton & Dr. Sue Simring

    Learning to Heal: Chloe Ashton & Dr. Sue Simring

    Chloe Ashton is Dr. Jennifer Ashton's 19-year-old daughter. In a deeply personal interview, Chloe talks about her shock, pain, anger and resolve following the death of her father to suicide. Today, Chloe is the co-president of a support group at her school that helps others cope after a sudden loss. Through her healing, Chloe learned that the most important way she could honor the life of her father is to find purpose in her own life. In this episode, Dr. Ashton also speaks with her family therapist Dr. Sue Simring. Dr. Simring earned her masters and doctorate of social work from Columbia University. She's taught at NYU and Columbia and has a private practice specializing in families and couples in New Jersey. Dr. Simring shares insights about the grieving process and how to heal after the sudden loss of a loved one. We'd love your feedback. Please contact Dr. Ashton on Twitter or Instagram @DrJAshton. Leave a review here: http://bit.ly/2PGybw7 For more: "Life After Suicide" by Dr. Jennifer Ashton: https://amzn.to/2XcAkSE Read Chloe's Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/chloe.ashton.94/posts/1850757998387725 If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] or visit http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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    • 50 min
    Moving Through Grief: Talinda Bennington

    Moving Through Grief: Talinda Bennington

    Talinda Bennington is the wife of the late rock singer Chester Bennington. Chester was the lead singer of the massively successful rock band Linkin Park, before he took his own life on July 20, 2017. Talinda speaks to Dr. Jen Ashton about the shock of his death, and how she channeled her pain into something to help others. She is the co-founder of 320 Changes Direction, an initiative to change the culture surrounding mental health. In his life, Chester touched the lives of millions of fans-- with his death Talinda hopes to do the same. For more about 320 Changes Direction visit: https://www.changedirection.org/ We'd love your feedback. Please contact Dr. Ashton on Twitter or Instagram @DrJAshton. Leave a review here: http://bit.ly/2PGybw7 For more: "Life After Suicide" by Dr. Jennifer Ashton: https://amzn.to/2XcAkSE If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] or visit http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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    • 32 min
    Breaking the Cycle of Suicide: James Longman & Dr. John Draper, PhD

    Breaking the Cycle of Suicide: James Longman & Dr. John Draper, PhD

    James Longman is an ABC News Foreign Correspondent based in London. In his professional life, James has covered political strife, disasters, genocide and conflicts across the globe. He is fluent in French, Arabic and English and is a graduate from the School of Oriental and African Studies and the London School of Economics. In his personal life, James is the survivor of the suicide loss of his father and his grandfather. In this episode, James speaks with Dr. Jen Ashton about breaking the cycle of suicide-- even as he has battled with his own history of depression. Dr. Ashton also speaks with John Draper, PhD Project Director of the SAMHSA-funded National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network. Dr. Draper is one of the nation's leading experts on crisis intervention and suicide. Dr. Draper shares important information about how to talk to people in crisis, and he reflects on what his own daughter taught him about reaching those in need. We'd love your feedback. Please contact Dr. Ashton on Twitter or Instagram @DrJAshton. Leave a review here: http://bit.ly/2PGybw7 For more: "Life After Suicide" by Dr. Jennifer Ashton: https://amzn.to/2XcAkSE If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] or visit http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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    • 55 min
    Portrayal of Suicide in the Media: A Million Little Things

    Portrayal of Suicide in the Media: A Million Little Things

    DJ Nash is the creator, writer and executive producer of the ABC Television show A Million Little Things. The show is about a close group of friends left reeling when suicide unexpectedly claims one of their own. DJ speaks to Dr. Jen about the very real inspiration for the show and about the responsibility he feels to show an authentic portrait of grief. Barbara Van Dahlen, Ph.D., is the psychological consultant on A Million Little Things. She is also the president and founder of the non profit group Give an Hour and she heads the Campaign to Change Direction, a global initiative to change the culture surrounding mental health. Dr. Van Dahlen is a licensed clinical psychologist who has been practicing in the Washington, D.C., area for over 20 years. In 2012, Dr. Van Dahlen was named to TIME's of the 100 most influential people in the world. Follow @heydjnash @bvandahlen on Twitter We'd love your feedback. Please contact Dr. Ashton on Twitter or Instagram @DrJAshton. Leave a review here: http://bit.ly/2PGybw7 For more: "Life After Suicide" by Dr. Jennifer Ashton: https://amzn.to/2XcAkSE If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] or visit http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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    • 48 min
    Faith and Spirituality after Suicide: Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner

    Faith and Spirituality after Suicide: Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner

    Rabbi of Temple Emanu-El in NJ and the former President of the New York Board of Rabbis, Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner is no stranger to grief. In 1996, Rabbi Kirshner lost his brother, Rabbi Gabriel Kirshner, to suicide. The loss sent him on a spiritual journey through questions of why, and, eventually, to acceptance. In this episode, Rabbi Kirshner talks with Dr. Jen Ashton about faith and the role spiritual leaders' play in helping others navigate their own journey. We'd love your feedback. Please contact Dr. Ashton on Twitter or Instagram @DrJAshton. Leave a review here: http://bit.ly/2PGybw7 For more: "Life After Suicide" by Dr. Jennifer Ashton: https://amzn.to/2XcAkSE For more on Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner @rabbikirshner If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] or visit http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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    • 38 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
412 Ratings

412 Ratings

Oatley g ,

Life after Suicide

I’m so thankful to find this podcast. Each episode has something meaningful and valuable. I lost my husband to suicide Aug 29 2023 and we had been divorced since March. He struggled with alcoholism for many years and it certainly affected his mental health over those years. He succumbed to the Disease and left a great hole in my family’s hearts. I was able to share different episodes with different friends and family members as i felt would be Relatable to them and it’s been helpful. I was aware of Dr Jennifer’s loss so happening upon this podcast was a blessing.
It’s heavy material but it doesn’t feel heavy when listening to all of these guest share their experiences and Hope…
I Hope others in need find it too❤️🙏🏽

awils209 ,

Thank you for helping

This podcast has helped my partner and I get through the first week of grieving the loss of his father to suicide. Helpful voices and experiences.

magicmoonbeam99 ,

Grief

Thank you for reminding me how not alone I am, my dad took his own life in Dec of 2018 when I was just 19 years old. For years I’ve been trying to navigate these emotions, and have always felt so lonely. From the bottom of my heart thank you for the comfort this season provided me. I truly cannot wait for season 2. Sending love & light to anyone who can relate 🤍

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