11/13/2025
NAMI Talks: Understanding Suicidal Ideations, Theories, and Myths 🎤
⚠️ Trigger Warning: This post contains discussion of su***de and suicidal ideation.
Last night we held a NAMI Talks on Purdue University’s campus with a powerful discussion led by Stephen Nichols, PhD candidate in Counselor Education at the University of the Cumberlands.
Stephen began by sharing his story. After a difficult childhood and serving for our country, his GI Bill got tangled in the system, leaving him unable to afford school until it was too late. While in college, he met and fell in love with a woman who was later killed in a car accident. Grief and financial hardship eventually left him unhoused and struggling with his mental health.
He attempted su***de twice. On the day of his third near attempt, he stopped at an emergency room on his way to a nearby bridge. After facing question after question from multiple staff members, a psychiatric nurse entered the room, set her clipboard down, and simply said, “You’re really hurting. Let’s get you upstairs.”
Years later, while studying crisis intervention, Stephen learned the significance of that moment. The nurse began with an assertive observation and followed it with a "we" statement, showing empathy and connection instead of interrogation.
From there, Stephen guided the audience through common myths about su***de. He asked for a volunteer:
“Have you thought about robbing a bank today?”
“No.”
“Now that I brought it up, are you thinking about doing it?”
“No.”
The point: asking someone if they’re thinking about su***de doesn’t put the idea in their head. It opens the door for honest conversation.
Stephen compared being suicidal to being on fire. “Imagine you’re at the top of a burning building. Someone below yells, ‘Don’t jump, what about your family?’ They aren’t thinking about their family. They would do anything to stop being on fire.” People don’t die by su***de because they want to die. They die because they want the pain to end.
He also discussed the Interpersonal Theory of Su***de, which shows three overlapping risk factors: lack of belonging, perceived burdensomeness, and capability for su***de.
For a more in-depth summary about all that was dicussed yesterday, check out this article on our website (link in bio): https://nami-wci.org/nami-talks-understanding-suicidal-ideations-theories-and-myths/
Thank you to Stephen Nichols for sharing your story, and to NAMI on Campus Purdue University for helping make this meaningful evening possible.
We look forward to taking NAMI Talks to surrounding counties in 2026. Stay tuned for more. 💚💙🩵
