EP 256 Why Talking About Suicide can save lives with Leah Williams

What do you do when grief becomes so heavy that you don't know how to carry it—and how do we better support people who may be struggling in silence?

In Episode 256 of the Deal to Heal with E. James Podcast, Earnest James welcomes Leah Williams, author and mental health advocate, for an open conversation about suicide prevention, suicide-loss postvention, grief, mental health, community, and hope.

Leah's advocacy comes from lived experience. During her freshman year of college, one of her closest friends died by suicide. Alongside the devastating grief of losing her friend, Leah wrestled with guilt and questions about what she could have known or done differently. That loss eventually became part of Leah's own struggle with suicidal ideation.

Rather than keeping those experiences hidden, Leah now uses her story to help normalize conversations about suicide and mental health. She makes a particularly powerful point: “Community is suicide prevention. Conversations are suicide prevention.”

Earnest and Leah discuss why simply becoming comfortable enough to say the word suicide matters. Silence and stigma can prevent people from expressing what they're experiencing, while honest conversations can create opportunities for people to ask for help and for loved ones to recognize when support is needed.

The conversation also explores postvention—the support provided to people after someone they love dies by suicide. Leah introduces listeners to LOSS Teams, or Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors, which connect survivors of suicide loss with resources and support.

The episode then broadens into grief itself. Earnest and Leah emphasize that grief isn't limited to death. People can grieve a marriage, a dream, a community, a move, or anything meaningful that has been lost. Leah also reminds listeners that grief changes across seasons and that community can provide perspective, safety, companionship, and moments of relief.

Perhaps the episode's simplest lesson is also one of its most important:

Sometimes love looks like showing up.

You don't always need the perfect words. Sometimes sitting beside someone, studying together, sharing a meal, going for a walk, or simply making sure they aren't alone can matter more than trying to fix their pain.

🔑 Key Takeaways

1. We Have to Become Willing to Talk About Suicide

Leah argues that awareness begins with becoming comfortable enough to have uncomfortable conversations.

She specifically discusses the tendency to substitute words such as “unalive” for suicide. While social-media algorithms may influence that language, Leah believes we need to become comfortable saying suicide when having serious mental-health conversations.

Silence doesn't create prevention. Conversation creates opportunities for connection and help.

2. Community Can Be a Form of Suicide Prevention

One of Leah's most memorable statements is:

“Community is suicide prevention. Conversations are suicide prevention.”

Checking on someone, noticing when they stop showing up, creating space for honest conversations, and helping people connect with resources can all matter.

Mental health shouldn't only become a topic after a crisis occurs.

3. Suicide Loss Creates Its Own Grieving Journey

After losing her friend, Leah experienced guilt while grieving.

Questions such as “What could I have done?” or “Why didn't I know?” can become part of the experience for people left behind after a suicide.

This is why Leah is passionate about postvention as well as prevention. Survivors of suicide loss need support too.

4. Grief Is Bigger Than Bereavement

Earnest expands the conversation by emphasizing that grief isn't limited to someone dying.

We can grieve:

A relationship or divorce

A dream

A community

A major move

A former version of our lives

Someone we love

Recognizing these experiences as grief can help us acknowledge rather than minimize what we're feeling.

👤 Guest Bio — Leah Williams

Leah Williams is an author and mental health advocate passionate about suicide prevention and postvention.

Her advocacy grew from personal experience after one of her closest friends died by suicide during Leah's freshman year of college. Leah subsequently navigated grief, guilt, and her own suicidal ideation.

Today, she uses her experiences to encourage more open conversations about mental health, increase awareness of available resources, and help people better understand how to support someone experiencing grief or suicidal thoughts.

Leah is the author of Gray Thoughts, a memoir chronicling the loss of her friend, her grieving process, and her experiences throughout the remainder of college.

Connect with Leah / Find the Book

Website: graythoughtsbook.com

Book: Gray Thoughts

Amazon: Available in book format

Audible: Available as an audiobook

Spotify: Available in audio format