Season One Episode Sixteen

Sharp Index: Janae Sharp

Hello connectors!

Warning: In this episode we will be discussing suicide, in particular, physician suicide. If you are sensitive to this topic, please skip this episode. If you are struggling, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. You are loved. You are not alone.

This is a special edition of The Groves Connection. During the holidays we are delighted to have time with family and friends, to celebrate and reminisce about the successes, joys, and challenges of the previous year, and to reflect on all that we have been given. It is a time for forgiveness, for love, and for gratitude. But for those beset with symptoms of depression or anxiety, the holidays can be a time of increasing stress, loneliness, and even despair. It is good to remember this, to remember to be present for those suffering. If we have not been there already, we or those we love may find ourselves there in the future.  Let's tap that deep well of forgiveness and gratitude and reach out to our fellow travelers with love. I can think of no greater gift.

In this episode I talk with Janae Sharp, founder of the non-profit, The Sharp Index. The Sharp Index was founded to address the problem of physician suicide. Janae shares her personal story. Her journey has not been easy. It began with her struggles with her husband's mental illness, an illness that amplified the feelings of helplessness, self-blame, and shame that often accompany the ending of a marriage. But the deeper tragedy is that shortly thereafter, she was forced to face the added tragedy of suicide. The man whom she had married with shared hopes and dreams, the father of their three young children was now gone. Suddenly, Janae was left to raise their three young children on her own, while dealing with the aftermath of this tragic event. Everyone suffered.

Janae is a survivor. She has moved on with her life. Yet nothing is forgotten. Now she is giving back to those in need, through her own example and through the non-profit she founded. In this conversation, Janae gets real about her uncertainties, her ongoing challenges, and what it takes to move forward under that weight. I hope you will learn from this dialogue as I did. I hope you will reach out to make things better and support the effort in any way that feels right to you. While physicians have a very high rate of suicide as a profession, the pandemic has impacted all of us in one way or another. Join me in this difficult but necessary conversation. It is time to connect. It is time to love. Are you ready?

You can donate to Sharp Index to help with their mission here.