Turning Pain into Purpose: How Lisa Sugarman Helps Others Through Her Own Experiences with Loss

How do you turn your personal pain into purpose? On this week's Good Mood Boost, Matt O'Neill welcomes mental health advocate Lisa Sugarman. Join us as Lisa shares her heartfelt journey of overcoming profound loss. In the face adversity, Lisa has become a beacon of hope, dedicating her life to mental health advocacy. 

Prepare to be inspired as she reveals the transformative process of channeling personal pain into a force for good, offering a roadmap for anyone seeking to elevate their own well-being. Your emotional breakthrough awaits in this episode of the Good Mood Boost - where turning pain into purpose becomes a guiding light on the path to joy.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation: 

• Lisa's background in mental health advocacy and crisis counseling

• Losing her father to suicide 35 years after being told it was a heart attack 

• Turning her pain into her purpose through various advocacy organizations

[01:27] Finding Purpose in Helping Others

Lisa explains how helping others in crisis actually improves her mood. She states that as a mental health advocate and crisis counselor, it genuinely lifts her spirits to be actively assisting those who are struggling. Lisa finds it inspiring and motivating to help others successfully navigate their grief or learn that joy can still be experienced even amidst pain. 

Being able to aid those in emotional crisis in turning their lives around gives her tremendous joy and positively impacts her mental wellbeing. Rather than dwelling in her own painful past, Lisa has channeled that experience into helping others in the present, which she says is what truly enhances her mood on a daily basis.

[03:34] The Science of Kindness: How Acts of Service Can Boost Your Mood Through Serotonin Release

Lisa provides insight into how even simple acts of kindness can noticeably boost your mood. She explains that when we help others through acts of service, whether big or small, our brains release serotonin - a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and emotions. The serotonin response we get from compassionate actions, like holding the door for someone or taking time to actively listen without judgment, is very real. 

Lisa notes that just providing a listening ear for others and allowing them to feel acknowledged can be mood-lifting. Through her own experience helping people in crisis, she has found that the joy and positive impact on her mental wellbeing from aiding others is immense. According to Lisa, the scientifically proven serotonin boost from engaging in kind acts is powerful enough to significantly impact one's overall mood and sense of wellbeing.

Notable quotes:

[04:05] Try being of service to other people, even by doing something as simple as holding space for them and just listening to them, because there's some pretty serious serotonin to be found in acts of kindness. [04:16]

[03:34] It makes me feel inspired to help somebody successfully navigate their grief or learn that grief and joy can actually coexist. [03:42]

[03:49] By helping people who are in crisis to find their way... it gives me the most amazing amount of joy and it has the biggest and most positive impact on my overall mood. [04:02] 

Resources Mentioned: 

The Trevor Project

National Alliance on Mental Illness

Email Lisa Sugarman: lisasugarman@hotmail.com 

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About the Guest 

Lisa Sugarman is a Boston-based mental health advocate and crisis counselor. As a crisis counselor with The Trevor Project, she provides support to those experiencing suicidal ideation or in emotional crisis. Lisa facilitates grief support groups with Samaritans and shares her story of overcoming trauma and turning her pain into purpose through her advocacy work with the National Alliance on Mental Illness.