September 14, 2026

 

     “Please, save your life and potentially save others. Don’t keep emotions inside where they can fester and possibly lead to an increasingly unhealthy brain that tells you irrational things. You and so many others — both within your circle and far beyond it — will be glad you did,” urged Shauna Fuzes, Vice President, Public Affairs and Member Services, in an opinion-editorial piece published on northjersey.com.

Leading up to this advice, Fuzes shares her experience of surviving suicide in two ways: losing her brother and attempting it herself several years later. Suicidal thoughts and actions illustrate “the irrationality of an unhealthy brain…an organ like all others,” Fuzes stated.

“I appreciate this opportunity to help others realize that healing is possible. Opening up about mental health struggles is the first step. Of course, it doesn’t have to be public. On any scale, sharing makes a tremendous difference − for ourselves and others,” Fuzes wrote.