Sharing our stories has the power to set us free., members of the i understand community, an organization dedicated to brain health and suicide prevention, open up about how mental illness has touched
Sharing our stories has the power to set us free.
In The Power of Sharing, members of the i understand community, an organization dedicated to brain health and suicide prevention, open up about how mental illness has touched their lives. Challenging the stigma around mental health, over a dozen brave authors share their truth in these pages. Readers will find comfort and companionship in their stories of pain, difficult choices, betrayal, grief, and heartache.
In the words of i understand founder Vonnie Woodrick, “Speak up. Speak out. Share your story with a brave and honest face, because when you do, you may never know the difference it can make in someone else’s life—or better yet, your own.”
Vonnie Woodrick is the founder of i understand, a nonprofit organization created in 2014 in loving memory of her husband Rob, who lost his battle with depression in 2003. Woodrick is passionate about comforting those affected by suicide and changing the conversation around mental health. She has previously been published in Woman’s World and is a monthly contributor to Women’s Lifestyle Magazine. She is also the author of the book I Understand: Pain, Love, and Healing after Suicide.
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Table of Contents
Foreword by Doug Meijer
Introduction by Vonnie Woodrick
Part 1: Stories of Hope
New Horizons: Living with Schizophrenia by Brandon Staglin
Embracing Imperfections: Living with Feelings of Inadequacy by Shandy Longcore
Broken like Me: Living with Suicidal Thoughts by Joseph Reid
The Power of Love: Living with Suicidal Thoughts by Bob Wilkie
Finding Empowerment: Living with Suicidal Ideation by Maddie Woodrick
Speaking the Unspeakable: Living with Suicidal Thoughts by Scott Teichmer
The Battle Within: Living with an Eating Disorder by Sarah Fialk
Telling the Truth: Living with Addiction by Kathy Slagter
Never Too Late: Living with Alcohol by Steve Kelly
Part 2: Stories of Love
The Love between a Mother and Daughter: Losing a Child by Julie Gregory
Life after Dad: Losing a Parent by Molly McNamara
Not So Wonderful Life: Losing a Father by Chase Woodrick
Talking about the Darkness: Losing a Father by Claire Anderson
The Dance Continues: Losing a Mother by Andrea Forsyth
It Runs in the Family: Generational Pain by Andrea S.
Life with Grief and Depression: Losing a Spouse and Parents by Chris VanZee
Loss of a Loved One: Losing a Spouse by Vonnie Woodrick
Joy Re-created: Losing a Spouse by Terry Jelsema
The Memory of an Aunt: Losing a Relative by Elyse Wood
Part 3: Stories of Support
Breaking the Bonds: The Trauma of Perfection by Feral Yogi
Not So Picture-Perfect: The Trauma of Addiction by Cassandra Wilfore
An Unexpected Journey: The Trauma of Addiction and Divorce by Jennifer Feuerstein
The Power of Forgiveness: The Trauma of Loss by Diane Neas
The Fall That Changed My Life: The Trauma of Physical Pain by Christian Raguse
Ties That Bind: Shared Traumas by Maddie Woodrick
Part 4: Stories of Healing
A Candle Lights the Way: Healing through the Flame by Maria Zambrano Curtis
The Eye of the Storm: Healing through Connections by Vonnie Woodrick
Handmade: Healing through Art by Mara Carbines
A Mother’s Touch: Healing through Love by Sherry Homrich
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