Colorado Woman Uses Personal Experience of Suicide to Help Others

This week is National Suicide Prevention Week and Parker resident Jessica Sidener is taking this as an opportunity to launch a new website and blog which she hopes will provide resources for people touched by suicide. Sidener understands this issue personally as her husband of seven years, Tyler, died by suicide two years ago.  “It was incredibly devastating, traumatic, heart breaking, absolutely shocking, again, knowing that just like everyone else, there were little ups and downs, but I had no sense at all that this would be the outcome of his life, it was a complete shock for me.”

Sidener is using National Suicide Prevention Week as an opportunity to launch her personal blog and website, Own My Today, in which she shares her own vulnerabilities in the wake of her husband’s suicide, but hopes to provide resources and hope to others touched by suicide.

“I really wanted to create this space for open and honest conversation. What it is not about at all is shame or guilt or I should have done this different or better – it’s not about that at all. Instead it’s realizing that simply we’re all doing the best that we can. Life is hard, it’s messy and that’s OK, but maybe if we’re intentional about navigating those ups and downs together instead of isolation we can help fight this epidemic.”

Other resources:

National Suicide Prevention Hotline.  1-800-273-8255

1-844-493-TALK (8255) Colorado Crisis & Support Line: you’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area, anytime 24/7.

A Friend Asks App from the Jason Foundation.

The Trevor Project provides suicide prevention support for LGBTQ youth.

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