Totally Got Out Of Bed

TGOOB: Voices of Dads - Part 1 - S02E04

We are grateful to welcome two very important people to our conversation. Pastor Matt Flom (left,) husband to podcast co host Nora Flom, lost his son in January, 2018. Andy Barton (right) is a Dad who lost his son Robert in May, 2018. This is part one of a three-part series featuring the voices of Dads. In this episode, Matt and Andy talk about what the first year was like for them.

TGOOB: How Do We Handle Crises Now? S02E03

Traumatic loss changes you. It changes everyone around you. And it changes everyone differently. Everything we experience now is filtered through the lens of trauma, and it changes the way we react. In this episode, we talk about how we react differently to a crisis now, after our traumatic loss.

Spoiler Alert: Year 2 Sucks Too S02E02

We’ve made it through the first year. We’ve gotten through all of the firsts--the first holidays, the first birthdays, the first anniversary. So shouldn’t things be getting better? Not so much. In this episode, we talk about what happened to us during the second year after our losses to suicide. And it sucked, too.

What‘s Going On? S2E01

We start season 2 with a little research. Did you know that suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-34? We didn't, until we looked into the data. In the United States, there are an average of 130 deaths by suicide each day. That's an average of 1 death by suicide every 11 minutes. That's sobering. That's a crisis.

What Have We Forgotten? Episode 15

In this last episode of the series "Getting through the first year," we talk about things we have neglected to talk about, and about the things we haven't talked about as much as we should. We talk about what it's like to confront the stigma of suicide, and how difficult it is to live life in the shadow of a loss to suicide. After this episode, we will take a break as we decide what this project becomes as we move forward. Until then, smile when you can, cry when you have to, and do totally try to get out of bed.

What Is Happening To My Body? Episode 14

What is grief doing to my body? In the wake of suicide loss, every single part of our being is affected. We mourn the intense loss of our loved one to suicide and that trauma causes our bodies to react in sometimes ferocious ways. From numbness, tingling and paralysis to brain fog, forgetfulness and lack of interest, in Episode 14 we discuss the physical toll that grief takes on our bodies.

Where Does My Help Come From? Episode 13

The first year is grueling, but there are things that make it less so. Help can come in the any form. Of course, the people that know us can be a great source of comfort and support. But help comes in very unexpected ways, sometimes. In this episode, we continue to talk about our experiences from that first year after the trauma--especially about the things we remember as being the most helpful.

 

Please see our website, totallygotoutofbed.com for links to the songs mentioned in this episode.

How Do I Keep My Head Above Water? Episode 12

Grief--any grief--feels like waves crashing all around. Grief because of loss to suicide is complex grief. Make no mistake. Survivors of suicide loss likely have PTSD. During the first year, I felt adrift on a flimsy raft in the middle of a raging storm. Grief maintenance is critical for moving ahead. We don't move through grief, because grief will not end for us. But we do live to move forward with it. In Episode 12, we talk about how we learned to keep our heads above water.

Where Is God In All This? Episode 11

We are people of faith, and while that helps us cope with our loss, it in no way makes the loss easy. In this episode, we talk about our experience as we try to come to terms with a loving God while we suffer from a loss to suicide. We know that suicide touches the lives of everyone, no matter their faith story and no matter their faith experience. Atheist, agnostic, Christian, or faith... No one is immune. In this episode, we grapple with the question, "Where is God in the midst of all this?

How Do I Stay Connected With The One Who's Gone? Episode 10

Losing someone to suicide is in many ways like losing anyone. Grief is grief. When we lose someone we love, we want to stay connected to them. Sometimes, we find connection through people, and sometimes, we find connection in the most mundane items. In this episode, we talk about trying to stay connected with the person we have lost.