The Power of a Promise: Spreading Awareness and Saving Lives

In this episode, Mark discusses the importance of suicide awareness and prevention with his guests, Brandi Vega and Kevin Gast. Brandi shares her personal experience with her child's suicide attempt and the subsequent creation of the Promise to Live campaign. The Promise to Live encourages individuals to promise that they will reach out for help if they ever feel sad, depressed, or suicidal, and to share their promise on social media to help stop the stigma and start conversations about mental health. The campaign also promotes the use of the national mental health hotline, 988. Brandi emphasizes the importance of open conversations about mental health and highlights the staggering increase in suicide rates, particularly among children and teenagers. Kevin shares his own personal experience with suicide and expresses the need for a greater focus on mental health in addition to physical health. He emphasizes the power of openly discussing suicide and taking the promise to live pledge as a way to save lives and provide relief to those struggling with mental health issues.