Speaking of Suicide
Episodes
The Mental Turmoil of Menopause with Dr Sam Whiteside
28 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“Suicidal ideation in perimenopausal women is seven times higher at this stage of life than at any other point in a woman’s life.” – Dr. Sam W...
Speak Their Name - a radical act of remembering
14 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“Our quilt is redressing the balance. It’s about how our loved ones lived their lives — and how we remember them.”In this deeply moving episod...
Becoming a Young Widow: Lisa’s Story of Suicide Loss, Grief and Finding Hope
07 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“I felt like a pair of scissors that was split in half and you just couldn't do anything… every single decision, every single part of your life is...
Jacqui Waring - losing a son to schizophrenia and to suicide
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I started to grieve for everything he was losing long before we lost him...it wasn't just him that couldn't see any future clearly, it was me too"Key...
Haylis Smith - What if a conversation could save a life?
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I think it's really important if people are struggling and they have reached out that you take that time. I try to be as kind and caring and compassi...
Charlotte's story - the pain of losing your bestie
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"my heart was stopping, I couldn't breathe, I felt like I was dying, I couldn't see that it would ever be ok"Counsellor Shona Macpherson's key takeawa...
Maike Mullenders – A Journey to acceptance
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Maike’s father died by suicide when she was 21. For the following 30 years she has been not just coming to terms with the impact his death had on he...
Alex and Cammy show the power of sharing and peer support
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Meet Alex and Cammy, probably two of the last guys you'd ever look at and think they had mental health struggles but like loads of us, they do, but th...
When Wellbeing takes a Walk on the Wild Side
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Its been fantastic, I've done so many firsts, challenged so many fears ... I'm leaving feeling wonderful both physically and mentally"How did Daz man...
Saski Smith - the lifelong legacy of losing a parent to suicide
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Because I've seen suicide so persistent in my family, its felt like that's what I would have to do, or the only way that I would die"Key takeaways fr...
Cha Harris - an extraordinary insight into the world of self-harm
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I wrote on a piece of paper 'you're self-harming' then ripped it up...looking back I'm really proud that I wrote it down and put it there. If you're...
Heather Sutherland - Suicide loss as the wallpaper to your life
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I never got to say goodbye, and he never said it to me, so our relationship, albeit in different forms, goes on" Key takeaways from this podcastRefra...
Ross Kemp - the rise, fall and recovery of a gambling addict
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“The anticipation of putting money on and the build-up of thinking you’d get something back”Key takeaways from this podcastYou can be vulnerable...
Caroline Roodhouse - surviving and thriving after loss by suicide
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“We’ve found him. He’s not alive. And it’s clear he has done it to himself” were the 15 words that would change Caroline Roodhouse’s life ...
Karen Sykes - Speak Their Name and the risk from losing both husband and daughter to suicide
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I'm a nurse of nearly 40 years and I didn't realise that after Ian's death that both myself and our children, Beth and all the children, were at high...
Orlagh and Sara - How do you explain suicide to a curious child?
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"How was a nine-year-old supposed to feel? I didn't know what to say or think. I was emotionless at the time...everyone around me crumbled down in sad...
Mhairi Ross - saved by a simple question at a moment of crisis
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Everything came to a head one night, and fortunately, the right person asked me 'are you ok, what's wrong?' and I just broke down"Key takeaways from ...
Alex Anderson - Can good ever come from tragedy?
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I think about him all the time really. But it's not every minute of every day, it's not every hour every day."Key takeaways from this podcastThe pers...
Tom van den Hurk - A life reborn
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"The first thought that went through my head was that it was not meant to be... ...this is not the end of your story, you are still needed on this pla...
Gill Skene – a story of surviving post-natal PTSD
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Suicide is the leading cause of death in the first year after a mum has given birth"Key takeaways from this podcastCompassion, kindness and listening...
Steven Ferguson – Football is life, life is football
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I think we feel a huge responsibility for our area and for our community. You always want to be able to do more, to have all the answers" Key takeaway...
Aileen Rore and Hamish Doherty – how do you tell your child about suicide?
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Key takeaways from this podcastYoung people affected by suicide can carry huge anger, pain and confusion if they lose a parentThe biggest risk factor ...
Sheila Lockhart – reflecting on a brother through poetry
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"It's absolutely true that bereavement by suicide is completely different from any other kind of bereavement. And don't think you ever get over it."Ke...
Paul Cameron – re-writing the story in your head through Tik Tok
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I pulled into lay by, and I cried my heart out. I howled, I pleaded, I looked at the sky, looked at everything, and I was like, please help me. I nee...
Georgia Bland – haunted by loss
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"He'd come into the kitchen, obviously, to eat his lunch, and something in his head thought, nah, like, just do it now"Key takeaways from this podcast...
Tom van den Hurk & David Barbour – Sharing stories of survival
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"When I was a teenager I just felt I couldn't carry this pain any longer, it was just too much" Key takeaways from this podcastThere is huge value in ...
Kate Forbes MSP – juggling parenthood, politics and crippling post-natal depression
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I got home and that’s when the sort of night terrors and the day terrors started. I was overwhelmed by fear for the baby’s health, I assumed I ...
Catherine Simpson – a love letter to Tricia, a lost sister
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode take-away: Find out what the specific thing is which helps you deal with losing someone you love and if you come from a world where silence is...
Gemma - an inspirational story of loving life after an eating disorder
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode takeaways: support makes all the difference and breaking the shame cycle means change can happen. Struggling with an eating disorder signifi...
Xani Byrne - Tandem Against Suicide in memory of Alice
20 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode takeaway: Everyone is different. Xani found cycling as his way forward but yours might be writing or journaling or walking or something else,...
Neve and Joanne Herron – a hugely inspirational tale of sharing from a Moray teen
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode take-away: how to build resilience in the face of bullying through drawing on your support network, asking for help, growing your confidence a...
Victoria Noone – A raw and painful account of the early stages of grief
22 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode take-away: The value of finding a vehicle to process our grief journey through suicide and why writing might be a good way to process pain.Hea...
Rachel Smart – And how she escaped from a ‘life in the shadows’
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode take-away: The value of honesty and how to break the cycle of shame, isolation and helplessness that comes with addiction.“We need to change...
John Gibson - The Canmore Trust
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In June 2022 John Gibson started walking the length of Great Britain, 1200 miles from Land’s End to John O' Groats, with the aim of starting a natio...
Kev Stacey - Respite Rides with 42 Cycling
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Speaking of Suicide Dan joins Kev Stacey from Inverness’s 42 Cycling to explore the benefits of the wide-open environment on our ...
Mike McCarthy - The Baton of Hope
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mike McCathy’s son wrote him a farewell letter. Ross asked his dad to campaign for better mental health support for people like him, people in need....
Russell Mullen
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine you are a cancer doctor who starts to worry that you too have cancer but that worry then grows and grows into an all-consuming obsession. Ever...
Gary Innes
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
International Shinty legend, BBC Radio Scotland presenter and acclaimed musician Gary Innes was 16 years old when one of his friends took their own li...
Sandy Clunas
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At 18, Sandy Clunas left Nairn in the north of Scotland and headed off to Australia to become a windsurfing instructor. In the following 10 years he...
Dylan Cathcart
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pennie talks to Dylan Cathcart about how he managed to transform his life and ability to be open about his ups and downs after he decided to take the ...
Bastie Morrison
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Pennie talks to her oldest friend, Bastie Morrison. Although they’ve known each other their whole lives, they’ve never discussed...
Christo Hudson
23 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What would you say right now to someone, a friend, a family member if they came to you and said they felt that life wasn’t worth living? It’s toug...
Matt Wallace of Clarity Walk
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A real story of hope this episode as Pennie Stuart and Matt Wallace, founder of Clarity Walk, take a walk and talk through Reelig Glen. Matt talks a...
Katie Mackay
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cromarty is s a small tight knit, highland community where everyone knows everyone else. Katie Mackay and her elder brother Calum grew up there , Calu...
Professor Rory O’Connor
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a bit different because it takes the form of a conversation between Shona Macpherson and Professor Rory O’Connor. Shona is a couns...
SoS 12 Days of Christmas. Day 12 ”Self As the Watcher”
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Each day across the 12 Days of Christmas Counsellor Shona Macpherson is joining Pennie Stuart, in collaboration with Mikeysline, to share some menta...
SoS 12 Days of Christmas. Day 11 ”Our Future Self”
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Each day across the 12 Days of Christmas Counsellor Shona Macpherson is joining Pennie Stuart, in collaboration with Mikeysline, to share some menta...
SoS 12 Days of Christmas. Day 10 ”Be Here Now” Part 2
03 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Each day across the 12 Days of Christmas Counsellor Shona Macpherson is joining Pennie Stuart, in collaboration with Mikeysline, to share some menta...
SoS 12 Days of Christmas. Day 9 ”Be Here Now” Part 1
02 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Each day across the 12 Days of Christmas Counsellor Shona Macpherson is joining Pennie Stuart, in collaboration with Mikeysline, to share some menta...
SoS 12 Days of Christmas. Day 8 “The Self-Compassion Break” Part 2
01 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Each day across the 12 Days of Christmas Counsellor Shona Macpherson is joining Pennie Stuart, in collaboration with Mikeysline, to share some menta...
SoS 12 Days of Christmas. Day 7 “The Self-Compassion Break” Part 1
31 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Each day across the 12 Days of Christmas Counsellor Shona Macpherson is joining Pennie Stuart, in collaboration with Mikeysline, to share some menta...
SoS 12 Days of Christmas. Day 6 “Noticing, Naming and Allowing Emotion”
30 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Each day across the 12 Days of Christmas Counsellor Shona Macpherson is joining Pennie Stuart, in collaboration with Mikeysline, to share some menta...
SoS 12 Days of Christmas. Day 5 ”Emotions As Allies”
29 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Each day across the 12 Days of Christmas Counsellor Shona Macpherson is joining Pennie Stuart, in collaboration with Mikeysline, to share some menta...
SoS 12 Days of Christmas. Day 4 ”Unhooking From Unhelpful Thoughts” Part 2
28 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Each day across the 12 Days of Christmas Counsellor Shona Macpherson is joining Pennie Stuart, in collaboration with Mikeysline, to share some menta...
SoS 12 Days of Christmas. Day 3 ”Unhooking From Unhelpful Thoughts” Part 1
27 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Each day across the 12 Days of Christmas Counsellor Shona Macpherson is joining Pennie Stuart, in collaboration with Mikeysline, to share some menta...
SoS 12 Days of Christmas. Day 2 ”Eavesdropping On Your Mind”
26 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Each day across the 12 Days of Christmas Counsellor Shona Macpherson is joining Pennie Stuart, in collaboration with Mikeysline, to share some menta...
SoS 12 Days of Christmas. Day 1 ”Just Press Pause”
25 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Each day across the 12 Days of Christmas Counsellor Shona Macpherson is joining Pennie Stuart, in collaboration with Mikeysline, to share some menta...
Steve Phillip
03 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jordan was a son, a brother, a stepson, a stepbrother, a loving boyfriend, a grandson, an uncle, a cousin and a best friend. He was tall and handsome ...
Alice Hendy - The R;pple Tool
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this powerful and moving podcast Alice Hendy shares with Pennie Stuart how she still battles on a daily basis with the repercussions of losing her ...
The OnFARM podcast: Remembering Grant Brand
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Speaking of Suicide, we're bringing you an episode of the OnFARM podcast. The news in February that East Lothian farmer Grant Brand...
Annette's story
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's less than a year since Annette’s partner, Bob, completed suicide. Even though its still so recent and raw Annette felt really strongly that s...
Joe's story
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Speaking of Suicide, sponsored by Williamson Foodservice, Pennie talks to her good friend Joe. They’ve been friends for a numbe...
Mark Allen
05 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this hugely courageous and touching conversation Mark talks to Pennie about how childhood trauma has left him battling with anxiety long into adult...
Patrick and Wendy Mullery
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this heartbreaking and breath takingly honest episode Patrick and Wendy talk about losing their son, James, to suicide. They talk about the momen...
Simon Greaves
07 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Simon Greaves is a Mountain Guide in the Cairngorms but for many years he worked as a manager in education. Ironically, although his role as a senio...
Luke Stoltman
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One of the world’s strongest men, Luke Stoltman, pays as much time working on his mental fitness as he does on his physical strength. Losing his m...
Ron Williamson, founder of Mikeysline
10 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Pennie talks to Ron Williamson, founder of Mikeysline. Ron talks about his shock when his nephew, Michael, took his own life and the...
Trailer: Speaking of Suicide
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Speaking of Suicide is a series of frank, thought provoking and tough conversations about men and mental health. Made in support of and in collabora...