AIRED: November 11, 2019
SPECIAL GUEST: Kristi Hugstad
Ever since author Kristi Hugstad’s husband, after years of struggling with clinical depression, completed suicide in 2012 by running in front of a train, she has dedicated her life to helping to abolish the stigma of mental illness and suicide.
That mission is what inspired her to write the enclosed advance reading copy of Beneath the Surface: A Teen’s Guide to Reaching Out When You or Your Friend Is in Crisis (New World Library, September 10, 2019), which speaks candidly to today’s youth — and the parents, teachers, and coaches who love them — about the anxiety, depression, and suicide attempts that far too often accompany the unique challenges that face their generation.
“Teens today experience some complex issues, all of which may be caused by or may contribute to depression or other mental illnesses,” writes Kristi. “This book offers information on eating disorders, anxiety, substance abuse, self-harm, bullying, technology addiction, peer and academic pressures, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”
Each chapter of Beneath the Surface addresses a different cause or aspect of depression and suicidal thoughts, many of which are a normal aspect of growing up. The book includes real-life examples of young people who have suffered depression firsthand to help readers recognize the risk factors and warning signs and offers practical exercises to help them quickly and confidently identify whether they or someone they know are in need of help, and if so, what to do and where to go for it. Depression can strike anyone and does not discriminate. This book can save lives.
ABOUT KRISTI HUGSTAD
Kristi Hugstad is the author of Beneath the Surface: A Teen’s Guide to Reaching Out when You or Your Friend Is in Crisis. Ever since her husband completed suicide in 2012, after years of struggling with clinical depression, by running in front of a train, she has dedicated her life to helping to abolish the stigma of mental illness and suicide.
A certified grief recovery specialist and a grief and loss facilitator for recovering addicts at South Coast Behavioral Health, Kristi frequently speaks at high schools. She is also the host of The Grief Girl podcast and lives in Orange County, California.
