Raising awareness for substance-induced depression | Jamie Brickhouse | TEDxOjai
NOTE FROM TED: This talk discusses the speaker’s personal experiences with depression, alcoholism, and suicidal ideation. Please seek professional help if you are struggling and do not look to this talk for mental health advice.
What is the missing link in suicidal depression? When people take their lives, the question is often, “Why did they do it?” when it really should be, “How did they get there?” In this eye-opening talk, author, storyteller and suicide attempt survivor Jamie Brickhouse shares his journey of battling addiction and suicidal depression, and how little is still understood and researched between the connection. His message will change the way you think about suicide, addiction and those who have lost their lives to both. Called “a natural raconteur” by the Washington Post, Jamie Brickhouse is an acclaimed writer, comedic storyteller, and public speaker. He is the New York Times published author of Dangerous When Wet: A Memoir of Booze, Sex, and My Mother, and has also been published in the International Herald Tribune, Washington Post, Daily Beast, Salon, Huffington Post, and the Houston Chronicle. A six-time StorySLAM champion of The Moth, he has appeared on PBS-TV’s Stories from the Stage, NPR’s “The Gothamist,” The Moth Podcast, recorded voice-overs for the legendary cartoon Beavis and Butthead, and tours the country with his award-winning solo shows Dangerous When Wet, I Favor My Daddy: A Tale of Two Sissies, Pearl Necklace: A Gay Sexcapade, and The Brothers Orphan. A two-time suicide attempt survivor and alcoholic in recovery for 16+ years, Jamie gives lived experience, inspirational talks that are part personal narrative and part calls to action about the intersection of alcoholism, depression, and suicidal ideation. Jamie also tells a true story in high heels every day on TikTok where he has over six million views one million likes and 75,000 followers. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
