*WARNING* This episode contains discussion about suicide. Listener discretion is advised.

Carley Crain felt lonely.

Away from her college friends, confused about her career path, drowned in student loan debt, and frustrated by social media algorithms that told her she was failing, Carley started feeling an all-consuming sadness that she couldn't shake.

She wanted a way out.

But she didn't take it. Instead, she sought the help she needed. And now, through her work at Connections Peer Support, she's offering services to those who struggle with the very issues Carley was (and still is) navigating post-college.

In today's conversation from my makeshift studio in downtown Portsmouth, Connections Peer Support Community Outreach Director Carley Crain and I discuss:

• My past mental health issues (00:00 )


• Manchester's bad reputation (04:00 )


• Battling depression and anxiety (08:30 )


• Carley's hospitalization (14:00 )


• Social media's impact on mental health (19:20 )


• The benefits of peer support (21:07 )


• Changing the narrative around suicide (31:35 )


• Mental health struggles for the LGBTQ+ community (43:20 )


• What's your mission? (56:00 )

Carley Crain is the Community Outreach Director for Connections Peer Support, a peer support center with locations in Portsmouth and Northwood, N.H. Peer support is a non-clinical method for treating mental health issues, and it's FREE.

A product of Hooksett, N.H. and a graduate of Springfield College, Carley studied sports journalism and sociology in college. She's also a proud advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.

--For more information on the offerings at Connections, visit ConnectionsPeerSupport.org. For non-urgent situations pertaining to mental health, you can reach their "warmline" between 5 and 10 p.m. during the week by calling 603-427-6966. For urgent matters, please dial 988.

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