AnneMoss Rogers with Kristen Kaiser and Gwen Vogelzan on the You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? Podcast

After we did this episode and the recording was off, all of us sat in silence for a moment thinking, “What just happened?” (Jamison recorded later.)

It was so intense that we had to take that moment to acknowledge all the emotional energy but at the same time savor that something really special had come together on this day at this time in this episode.

The special guest at the end, Jamison, is a neurodiverse young man who has struggled with suicidality. And is transgender. He’s so brave. And while he wasn’t on at the same time as I was, I’m honored to be on this episode with the “You don’t want a hug” team and him. This one is for the highlight reel!

When I first started talking about suicide and suicide prevention, the first people to reach out to me were those who said they lived with autism–today called neurodiversity. This went on for years and one day I was speaking to a top suicide researcher who said that there is no data that supports those with autism struggle more with suicidality. That was back around 2019 or 2020 or so.

But for years, parents of neurodiverse kids and young people with autism had been reaching out to me with this issue. I said, “Oh yeah they do.” To which this researcher said, “I’m not saying it’s not true people who live with autism are not at higher risk of suicide. I’m just saying there is no data to support the claim.”

Not long after that friendly interaction, there was a research presentation and a study that came out that vindicated my position. I had seen this trend for at least 5 years prior to any documented presentations or definitive data.

To all the neurodiverse people who have reached out and with whom I still have communication, thank you for helping me learn and grow and be able to share so much of what I learned from you.

You can find this episode and more on the You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? website, Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you find your favorite podcasts!

Find more episodes and discussions like this in AnneMoss’ Mental Health podcast library.

AnneMoss Rogers

AnneMoss Rogers is a leading wellness and suicide education expert and one of the top mental health speakers and suicide prevention speakers. Known for her powerful, motivational keynotes, AnneMoss combines her personal story of loss with proven strategies to help organizations build a wellness culture that drives results and saves lives.  She speaks at conferences, workplaces, K-12 schools, and universities, delivering impactful presentations that inspire change and promote mental health awareness.
AnneMoss does this work in memory of her son, Charles, who struggled with anxiety, depression, and addiction, and died by suicide at age 20 in 2015.