20. Being The Friend You Wish You Had with Ben Greiner (The TAD Project)

Warriors Unmasked

It’s a night just like any other and the loved one you have been worried about lately sends you a text...you look down at your screen to see what they said and you are met with the one message you hoped would never come.

The person you care so much about is ready to take their own life.

You start to frantically google and research the phrase “how to talk someone out of suicide” but all resources seem vague and unhelpful in the heat of the moment…every second that passes only increases the severity of the situation...all you can do is panic and hope your gut reaction will save them.

It was a situation similar to this that made our guests decide there was a better way to help end the rise in suicide rates.

Today we welcome entrepreneur, mental health advocate, and Founder of The TAD Project Ben Greiner to Warriors Unmasked. The TAD Project is a recourse for the friends and family of someone dealing with suicidal thoughts and mental illness to work through moments of crisis. Having studied psychology and currently finishing his master’s at USC, Ben is all about increasing mental health equity, helping people work through life's challenging moments, and creating resources to support yourself and a loved one through the mental health journey. Today you will find him working on launching the new TAD Project online community and crisis help link to give people space to safely discover mental health information.

Listen in and hear about Ben’s childhood growing up in California, the highs, lows, and pressure of professional sports, understanding the need for community, the process of dusting off suppressed emotions, and much more.

You will also hear about The T.A.D. (Talk Ask Decide) Project, how it came to be, and how they are saving lives every day through education and resources.

If this podcast impacts you, we ask that you share this episode with a friend, and be sure to see the links below to see how you can get involved with Ben’s amazing work.

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Always in your corner,

Client and Chuck

More of What We Talk About:

• Asking the tough questions
• Improving recourses for suicide prevention
• Letting younger generations talk about their feelings
• Loving people through rock bottom
• Creating a safe place to share your darkest thoughts
• How Ben’s pasted led to his future passions
• What life was like division one hockey
• The back story behind the TAD project
• Breaking the cycle
• The worst night of Ben’s life
• And much more!

GUEST LINKS:

• Website: https://thetadproject.org
• Social: http://instagram.com/thetadproject
• Twitter: thetadproject
• Podcast: TAD Voices on Apple Podcasts

LINKS:

• malarchuk.com/book
• malarchuk.com
• www.thecompassionateconnection.com
• www.warriorsunmasked.com
• Follow us on Instagram
• Like us on Facebook

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 1:16 American Hat Company Ad
• 2:24 What life was like for Ben growing up
• 14:17 The cycle of striving
• 17:03 The journey to division one hockey
• 20:54 The pressure of being scouted
• 28:13 The power of a supported community
• 29:56 Ben’s past gave him direction for the future
• 32:18 When Ben found himself talking a friend out of suicide
• 38:01 The difference between mental illness and emotional distress
• 43:32 What TAD is all about and how to get involved
• 48:46 A message from Ben’s heart
• 52:23 Why this interview impacted Clint