Award-winning journalist and author Meg Kissinger joins Giving Voice to Depression to share the extraordinary and heartbreaking story behind her memoir “While You Were Out.”In her conversation with Terry McGuire and Carly McCollow, Meg opens up about growing up in a large family marked by bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression—as well as two sibling deaths by suicide. She explores how decades of silence and stigma shaped her family’s story and how finally speaking out broke the cycle of shame and secrecy.Meg’s dual perspective—as a journalist who investigated the U.S. mental health system and as a sister who lived it firsthand—offers a rare, honest look at mental illness, discrimination, resilience, and recovery. Her story reminds us that talking openly about mental health saves lives—and that empathy and truth can heal generations.Primary Topics Covered:The power of storytelling in breaking mental health stigmaHow silence and secrecy isolate families living with mental illnessUnderstanding the difference between stigma and discriminationThe lasting effects of losing loved ones to suicideWhat it’s like to grow up with bipolar disorder and depression in the familyThe importance of honesty in family and community mental health conversationsHow to respond when someone shares suicidal thoughtsWhy it’s okay to ask for help—and how courage can begin with one conversationTimestamps:00:00 – Introduction and welcome from Terry and Carly 01:24 – Introducing journalist and author Meg Kissinger 02:21 – Mental illness in Meg’s family: depression, bipolar disorder, and suicide 03:27 – Why stigma is actually discrimination — and how language shapes understanding 04:42 – Growing up in silence: how mental illness was hidden in the 1960s 06:25 – Balancing humor, love, and loss in a family marked by mental illness 07:29 – Losing her sister Nancy to suicide and the painful secrecy that followed 09:24 – Talking about her brother’s struggles and what she’d say differently now 10:55 – Learning to sit with discomfort and listen with compassion 11:50 – Writing While You Were Out and gaining her siblings’ trust to tell the truth 12:41 – The goal: showing her family’s full humanity and helping others feel less alone 13:36 – Why families must talk about their mental health history 14:48 – Advice for those who struggle to speak about mental illness or trauma 15:34 – Lessons from her brother Jake on living openly and unapologetically 16:21 – Asking for help: humility, courage, and connection 17:39 – Reflections from Terry and Carly on authenticity and generational healing 19:34 – Breaking silence one story—and one generation—at a time 22:26 – How to truly listen to someone in emotional pain (“Heard, Helped, or Hugged”) 25:56 – Final reflections: showing up with love, empathy, and presenceExplore mental health and addiction treatment options at recovery.comFacebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/