Struggling with suicidal ideation is a painful, isolating experience that often stems from deep-seated trauma or the inability to process emotional pain while caught in the cycle of addiction.

“And it was this weird guilt because you look at your life and you're like, I should be grateful for all this. I should be grateful that I have this amazing job. I should be grateful I have this a wife and I have this life and I have brand new vehicles and I have all this money. And you weren't grate”

Gillian rejects the characterization of suicide as selfish, arguing that the term overlooks the immense suffering the individual was experiencing.

“something that I hate well I don't I don't like the word hate but something that I highly dislike is when people say that suicide is selfish like I don't think that they're really yeah they do say that yeah and I don't think people are really thinking about I think it's selfish to make that comment”

The speaker advocates for forgiveness toward her cousin who died by suicide, arguing that it does not excuse his past harmful actions but allows her to move forward.

“just because someone does something to you or you go through something traumatic doesn't mean that you can't find that forgiveness or that you're wrong for wanting to forgive them”

One must make a personal commitment to choose to keep living and to view the future with hope even in the darkest moments.

“I made a decision to make a choice just to make a choice to give tomorrow a chance. I didn't know what tomorrow was going to bring. Nothing really changed. But that choice eventually turned into what I do today.”

The host believes it is important to openly discuss the topic of suicide.

“But, I think it's really important that we talk about these things.”

The host believes sharing stories about loved ones lost to suicide can build empathy.

“If only every person that we experienced in our lives, we could go to their hometown. We could talk to their family, their cousins, we could eat a meal with everyone that like ever crossed paths with them in their life. Think about how this world would have so much more empathy”