Why I’m Here
Hey, friend. I'm Lisa Sugarman and I'm a Boston-based author, a columnist, a crisis counselor with The Trevor Project, a storyteller with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), a three-time survivor of suicide loss, and a mental health advocate. And I’m really glad you’re here.
My personal mission is to help end the stigma surrounding suicide and mental illness by normalizing conversations about mental health, suicide, loss, and grief. And by encouraging everyone to share their story. Because when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable by talking openly about our losses and fears and challenges, our walls come down and we begin to trust each other. And that’s where the real healing happens.
I lost my dad, Jim, to suicide in the summer of 1978, two weeks after my 10th birthday, but I didn’t discover he’d taken his own life until I was 45 years old. So, I've actually lost my father twice in my lifetime—once to what I was told was a heart attack and again, 35 years later, when I learned that he’d died by suicide. Two very different types of losses and two radically different types of grief that I needed to learn to process. And I had to come to terms with the fact that my beautiful father—my person—was mentally ill and suffering in silence.
Sadly, my dad was struggling at a time when mental illness was considered shameful and taboo, so couldn't be saved. But others can. And that’s why I’m here.
What I've learned over the last decade of re-grieving and re-processing my dad's death is that losing someone we love to suicide is a unique and isolating kind of loss because:
; it can often be sudden and unexpected
; we don't always know the person’s “why” and that can be distressing
; the stigma surrounding death by suicide can create feelings of shame
; many survivors wonder if they could’ve prevented their loved one’s death
; finding someone or imagining what happened to your person can be extremely traumatic
That’s why survivors of suicide loss and those suffering with mental illness need help and support and community.
And this is the reason why I've turned my pain into purpose by working as a mental health advocate and as a crisis counselor with The Trevor Project, the country’s largest suicide and crisis support network for at-risk LGBTQ+ youth. Now, my purpose is to share content and spark conversations to help end the stigma of suicide and connect people with the support and hope they deserve. One conversation at a time.
How I Can Help
Are you a survivor of suicide loss?
Do you have a friend or a family member in crisis?
Are you looking for mental health resources you can trust?
Are you struggling with grief and loss and feel alone?
Are you thinking of taking your own life and don’t know where to turn?
As a survivor of suicide loss, a crisis counselor with The Trevor Project, the largest crisis support service for at-risk LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-24, and a mental health advocate, I can help. I’ve designed my website to be a destination for resources that will help you navigate all of those challenges.
You can jump to my Resources page for an up-to-date list of vetted mental health agencies who offer everything from 24/7 crisis helplines and community services to 24-hour text lifelines and useful resources. Just bookmark the page so it’s available whenever you need support.
Or, click the link to my YouTube channel and watch some of the videos in my Suicide Survivor Series, a collection of short and powerful videos sharing my personal experience as a suicide survivor.
Or, spend some time listening to my podcast interviews on various mental health podcasts, where I talk openly and honestly about my lifelong relationship with grief and loss.
Or maybe have a read of some of my published articles on suicide, grief, loss, and mental illness.
My bottom line is to help you find the help and support you need. Because you’re not alone. Help is out there.
Mental Health Resources Hub
Here are just a handful of the many resources I’ve curated where you or someone you know can find mental health resources, information, guidance & support. Help is only a click away.
Want to connect with me?
Drop your name, email address, and a message here and I’ll reach back out to you as soon as I can.
Watch My Suicide Survivor Series on
Looking for some real, unfiltered talk about suicide, loss, grief, and mental illness? Then visit my YouTube channel where I’m working to unravel the stigma around suicide and mental illness by sharing bite-sized videos designed to normalize conversations around suicide.
One. Video. At. A. Time.
As a 3x survivor of suicide loss, I’ve learned that sharing our stories is one of the most powerful ways to raise awareness, build community, and change the narrative on mental illness. That’s because sharing our stories is like sending a beacon out into the world that attracts others with similar experiences… and that's how we build social and emotional connections that will ultimately help us heal.
If you or someone you know is struggling, please dial 988 and a trained counselor will be there to help.
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