Aftermath: A suicide survivors journey
Nothing about suicide is easy. As a survivor, Tammy Langhoff knows this too well. Her daughter, Katie, attempted suicide eight years ago. “Her stepmom, Anna, found her in the basement,” Langhoff explained. “She screamed to Katie’s dad, my ex-husband, Jeff. He came downstairs and started CPR, and Anna called 911.” For the next five-and-a-half…
Read more
The Mental Health issue in African-American communities
The Stigma of Mental Health in African-American Communities Mental illness isn’t an easy topic to discuss and even if it was, there are many stigmas that are often associated with it that still arise in many of our communities. Dr. Thomas Troast, the director of the counseling center at Mount Mary University, said that even…
Read more
Talking Them Down: A guide to communicating with a suicidal person
On an April day in 2017, Milwaukee Fire Chief John Litchford was driving home when he came across a “red flag” situation. A woman, most likely in her 20s, was sitting on a dangerous part of the bridge. “I recognized someone on top of the Hoan Bridge, outside of their vehicle, sitting on the rail,”…
Read more
Out of the Darkness and Into Some Sneakers
Suicide affects more than just the person involved. It affects the friends, family, and acquaintances of the person. It affects the rescue workers and morticians. It even affects people who did not know the person at all. However, there is something that can be done. The Out of the Darkness Walk is hosted by…
Read more
What Are Suicide Barriers?
Suicide barriers are much more common than you might think, but what are they? Often times, we pass these barriers not even realizing or questioning their purpose. Suicide barriers adorn buildings, parking structures, bridges, freeway overpasses, iconic landmarks, and other tall structures all over the world. Barriers have several different forms, including metal nets, or…
Read more
All That Separates You: Suicide Barriers On the Hoan Bridge
The Hoan Bridge is undeniably an iconic Milwaukee landmark. While the yellow bridge adds to the picturesque skyline, and is an essential vein into the downtown, it also serves as a destination for suicide. Although this information could not be formally verified, according to an article published on May 25, 2016, by Milwaukee News Station,…
Read more
Nurturing resilient teens: Fundraiser supports mental health programming in schools
Tammy Langhoff is willing to swim the length of Lake Michigan — all 307 miles — if that’s what it takes to help teens struggling with anxiety, depression and mental illness. But it’s not quite as daunting as it seems. “I’m swimming indoors, and I’m taking all of 2018 to do it, which averages out…
Read more
‘Cracked: Not Broken,’ a Story About a Man’s Miraculous Survival
Kevin Hines brilliantly recalls his experiences as a child, teen, and adult struggling with manic/bipolar disorder in his autobiography, “Cracked: Not Broken,” about his miracle survival after jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The book that was published in 2013 by Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group…
Read more
Katie Posthuma-Bain & Her Petition to Install Barriers on the Hoan Bridge
Annually in Milwaukee, at least one known suicidal death occurs on the Hoan Bridge, according to Katie Posthuma-Bain, who started a petition in January 2018 on change.org to install barriers on the Hoan Bridge. It’s hard to miss the Hoan Bridge when driving in Milwaukee. The large yellow arches are beautiful to drive under as…
Read more