**TRIGGER WARNING** This episode covers sensitive subject matter and is not suitable for all listeners. If this topic could be a trigger for you, listen to this episode with a friend, a sibling, a loved one or a parent so you can talk about any emotions that come up for you. The contents of this episode are not intended to replace therapy and should not be taken as such. If you need immediate help, please call the crisis hotline listed below in our resources.
In this week’s episode, I sit down with 19-year-old Brianna Bradford.
Brianna shares her story of how she struggled with self-injurious behavior from ages 13-17. She started therapy following her first suicide attempt and was diagnosed with Depression and BPD. Throughout her journey, she has also dealt with disordered eating and chronic suicidal thoughts which lead to attempts and inpatient admissions.
Although Brianna has made it through to the other side, she shares that occasionally, she still experiences tough days.
Listen in as we talk about:
The impact of social media on her introduction to self-harm
How she hid her self-harm from friends and family for three years
The early stages of her recovery and how she navigated it with her mom
How her recovery got worse with attempted suicide before she got better
Susan E. Casey, MSW, MFA, is an author, a licensed mental health clinician, a certified bereavement group facilitator, a certified life coach and a podcaster. Throughout the past 29 years, Susan has worked in hospice, in-patient, and home-based settings with teens and adults, and taught numerous courses to executive leaders and clinicians.
Currently, Susan works for a measurement-based care organization, providing clinical coaching to therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists countrywide to improve mental health outcomes for youth and adults.
Susan’s blog on her website, susanecasey.com, chronicles her grieving process following the death of her younger brother. Her fiction has won numerous awards, including first place in the PEN/Nob Hill Literary Contest and Green Writer’s National Literary Contest. Rock On: Mining for Joy in the Deep River of Grief is her first work of nonfiction published on February 14, 2020 by Library Tales Publishing. Both Susan’s professional and creative work have been guided by her deep belief that every individual has purpose and inherent strengths and deserves the opportunity to reach their own unique potential. Please be sure to check Susan's podcast, L.E.A.P https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/trailer-welcome-to-the-l-e-a-p-podcast-with-susan-e-casey/id1573809035?i=1000526765528
Susan lives in Maine with her husband Steve and miniature aussidoodle Rocky
View all posts by susanecasey.com
L.E.A.P 