#22 - What If We Treated Mental Illness Like Cancer?
EPISODE #22
This week’s caller lost her closest friend just three days before her birthday and it’s a loss that continues to shape how she thinks about death, grief, and what might come after. In this anonymous call, we hear from someone who’s held that grief for years, who still dreams of the friend she lost, and who believes that the people we love never fully leave us. From signs and visitations to an afterlife poker game played by those she’s lost, she describes a world where the dead are never far away.
But this episode isn’t just about the mystical. It’s also about the realities we avoid. We talk about the stigma that surrounds suicide, the way society demonizes mental illness, and why she believes we need to treat emotional pain with the same compassion we give to physical illness. Her belief in energy, in the persistence of love, and in the power of speaking honestly makes this conversation both heavy and deeply moving.
Content Note: This episode includes discussion of suicide and mental health struggles. If you or someone you know is struggling, you can call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. Free, confidential support is available 24/7.
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