We sit with writer Sophia Lorenzi as she tells the story of losing her dad to suicide and the shock of how “normal” things can look right before a crisis turns fatal. We also trace how her grief shaped her work as a death row investigator and why her writing insists on nuance, dignity, and seeing the whole person.
• how suicide risk can stay invisible even with treatment
• why “suicide is preventable” can add shame and blame
• suicide as a public health crisis alongside rising rates
• barriers to access including cost, overload, and lack of early care
• the limits of crisis-only systems like short hospital stays
• the four-hour window idea and what it means for intervention
• what she learned investigating death row appeals
• trauma, abuse, poverty, and the stories behind convictions
• prisons as de facto mental health facilities
• grief, perfectionism, and learning self-grace over time
• family secrecy, survivor validation, and the weight of accountability
• letting go of control and choosing boundaries
• her memoir process and where to read her work
To our listeners, if this conversation moved you, please share it. Someone you love might need to hear this today. If you know somebody that is suicidal or you might be yourself, please call 988 or go to any local authority or anywhere that you can to get help.
