# 434. "I lost my brother at 16 to suicide, it shouldn't have happened" ft. Ben West

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-psychology-of-your-20s-4434262/434-i-lost-my-brother-at-16-to-suicide-it-shouldn-t-have-happened-ft-ben-west
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-psychology-of-your-20s-4434262/434-i-lost-my-brother-at-16-to-suicide-it-shouldn-t-have-happened-ft-ben-west.md
Podcast: [The Psychology of your 20s](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-psychology-of-your-20s-4434262)
Published: 2026-06-29T16:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://omny.fm/shows/the-psychology-of-your-20-s/434-i-lost-my-brother-at-16-to-suicide-it-shouldnt-have-happened-ft-ben-west
Audio file: https://pdrl.fm/f842d9/podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/bc44988a-a82a-4291-ab8b-afdd01187fa8/79b3308b-122b-40bd-b2d4-b47601689f01/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=39e2f432-53df-43b8-a7b9-afdd01187fc4
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-psychology-of-your-20s-4434262/episodes/434-i-lost-my-brother-at-16-to-suicide-it-shouldn-t-have-happened-ft-ben-west
Duration seconds: 3725

## Resource

TW: Discussions of suicide. This week, I'm joined by mental health campaigner Ben West for one of the most moving conversations we've ever had on the show. At 18, Ben lost his brother to suicide. He has taken that experience and decided to change the lives of thousands, if not millions with his 'Reasons to Stay' campaign.  In this episode we discuss: Why grief changes over time  How to find purpose after unimaginable heartbreak The psychology of hope and why strangers can save lives What supporting someone through suicidal thoughts actually looks like Ben's incredible initiative, Reasons to Stay , and the millions of people it's already reached His two personal rules for protecting his own mental health Why healing isn't about 'moving on' but learning to carry what you've lost Watch on Netflix: HERE Preorder Ben's book:  HERE  Follow Ben: HERE  If you need help, it is available. You are NEVER alone. Please find some further resources HERE. Follow Jemma on Instagram: @ jemmasbeg Follow the podcast on Instagram: @ thatpsychologypodcast Subscribe on Substack: @ thepsychologyofyour20s For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com   The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-psychology-of-your-20s-4434262/episodes/434-i-lost-my-brother-at-16-to-suicide-it-shouldn-t-have-happened-ft-ben-west/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-psychology-of-your-20s-4434262/434-i-lost-my-brother-at-16-to-suicide-it-shouldn-t-have-happened-ft-ben-west.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.