Breaking the Silence

Linda Larsen believes strongly in the power of engaging in critical conversations about mental well-being.  For too long, she, like many others, felt shrouded in shame about revealing her deepest fears.  Fear that there was something profoundly wrong with her. Fear that she couldn’t possibly live with the gripping terror and depression that seemed to come out of nowhere. And fear that speaking up about it would confirm just how sick and hopeless her life really was. Those fears drove her to the brink of suicide several times, up to and including the day she was taken hostage by an escaped convict and held at gunpoint for six hours – a truly life-changing experience that dramatically shifted her perspective about life and death.

Linda’s gripping and powerful story is one of truth and hope. It’s a story that is all too familiar considering depression and anxiety has increased 20% since Covid and there is one suicide death in the U.S. every 10.9 minutes.

Mostly, Linda’s story is about the healing and life-affirming transformation that can occur when people are no longer afraid to have the critical conversation about mental well-being. It’s also about the positive impact of consciously coming from a place of empathy and compassion. Her hope is that by sharing her ongoing journey to mental well-being, people will be inspired to speak up and not only ask for help, but to also offer it when they suspect it may be needed.