A Vibrant and Emotional Gala

Share. Connect. Heal. That’s the powerful message that was at the center of Monday night’s emotional health gala. For 50 years, Vibrant Emotional Health has been at the forefront of promoting emotional well-being for all people.  Vibrant works with individuals and families to help them achieve mental and emotional wellbeing. Vibrant’s commitment to transforming the emotional health of those in need is why this year, the Gala focused on the cornerstones of their work — Share. Connect. Heal.

The grand soiree, which raised over $600,000, took place at the beautiful Cipriani Broadway where Vibrant’s executives, actors for ABC’s A Million Little Things, the honorees and personalities close to the cause shared a very special and almost magical night.

Organizations like Vibrant and shows like a Million Little Things are showcasing a very real problem in today’s society and they’re doing a great job at getting the conversation started.

I had the pleasure to chat with Doctor Jennifer Ashton, MD on the red carpet and ask her what we could do to prevent, make a difference, and maybe go as far as saving lives. She shared some very personal insight: “I think the motto should actually be ‘Check up from the neck up’. I am a medical doctor and a lot of times in medicine we tend to focus on the physical body, so everything from the neck down, while from the neck up really dictates what the neck down is going through. From a health standpoint, from a wellness standpoint, as well as from a disease standpoint, we need to remember that there is a head connected to the body and that we need to ask about people’s emotional state, their psychological issues, their spirit, and their soul. All of these things impact their overall health. That’s why that’s my motto.

Unfortunately, one of the things I learned after my ex-husband’s suicide is that suicide, by definition, is an irrational act and when rational people try to understand an irrational act oftentimes it doesn’t produce any answers because the person that has all the answers is unfortunately not here anymore. Instead in my book (Life After Suicide), I put the focus on going forward and the potential for a post-traumatic growth and the ups and downs that are part of life after you lose someone you love to suicide. The focus of the book is to share inspiring stories of healing that at the same time highlight a lot of the different vulnerable groups.”

Maybe the most heartful part of our conversation was when I asked her if she addresses the feelings of guilt for having missed cues in her book “Oh wow! In almost every page! Shame, blame, anger and guilt are a big part of what someone goes through when they lose a loved one unfortunately and part of my hope with this book is to show people that there are so many of us going through those emotions so they might be common, but I share some ways that I try to deal with them. But I think that ultimately my son said it best when he said ‘Dad died of a disease like cancer and we wouldn’t blame anyone if someone died of cancer so we shouldn’t blame anyone if someone loses their battle with mental illness so that’s how we survive.’”

ER actress and singer Gloria Reuben gave me chills on the red carpet as she shared for the first time ever the very personal story of how her brother David took his own life. “It touches everybody and that’s the whole purpose of Vibrant Emotional Health and that’s the reason why I wrote my book. It’s also why I am going to continue to talk about it because it affects way too many people and there should be no shame or stigma around it.”

The evening honored ABC’s “A Million Little Things,” for its powerful portrayal of a group of friends who support one another and find healing after one of their close friends dies of suicide. Actors Stephanie Szostak and James Roday accepted the honor on behalf of the show: “Being open about our vulnerabilities is very important. Day to day emotional well being is a challenge for all of us and there are tools out there, so the more we talk about it the more we can help ourselves. Our minds and thoughts can be our greatest assets or our worst enemies.” said Stephanie as she thanked Vibrant for this recognition. James also shared his very personal connection to the cause: “I have a previous connection with suicide and mental illness as I’ve been steeped in those issues since I was a kid. I feel like keeping your eyes and ears open and being present as well as knowing when someone you care about is not acting quite right and asking questions without being afraid to start a conversation can have a huge impact. That’s how people ultimately end up being seen and heard, and that’s all we can do for anybody. Our show examines that in a very truthful way.”

The number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.