I recently found myself entranced by Melissa Etheridge’s documentary, “I’m Not Broken.” I eagerly devoured the episodes and was left craving more after only two. The documentary delves into the opioid crisis and the penal system, particularly focusing on the Leavenworth, KS facility. It’s a poignant exploration of the cycle of hurt people hurting others, highlighting the pervasive trauma, violence, and abuse that so many women in the facility have endured.

In Leavenworth, many women have turned to drugs as a means to cope with their pain. While drugs offer temporary relief, they often lead to a destructive path marked by overdose, fractured relationships, deteriorating health, and imprisonment. This cycle begs the question: Can there be another way?

Yes, there is another way. The documentary highlights a system of rehabilitation that treats individuals with love, kindness, and respect. It shows that helping people recognize their own beauty, gifts, and worth can spark a transformative journey of self-discovery and healing. Whether through the gym, crafts, or music, finding a passion can be a powerful catalyst for change. Healed people heal others, while hurt people hurt others.

In my extensive work in suicide prevention, I’ve observed that suicidal ideation often stems from overwhelming and unmanageable pain. Some people project their pain outward, hurting others, while others turn it inward, leading to self-harm and suicidal thoughts. But the root cause remains the same: pain.

I found that the key to healing this intense pain is connection. Having even one person slow down enough to listen, see the pain, and acknowledge it can profoundly reduce suicidal ideation. Speaking my pain out loud and having it acknowledged helped me tremendously. Having someone believe in me, reflecting my value, worth, and light back to me, enabled me to reconnect with myself.

Healing the deep-seated misunderstandings and judgments within ourselves is not a quick fix, but it is life-affirming and rewarding beyond measure. Numbing ourselves with drugs, alcohol, sex, scrolling, spending, or other means only pauses the pain; it doesn’t heal it. We need to improve as a society at not creating these misunderstandings about worth, belonging, and value in the first place.

We must celebrate diversity over conformity and provide safe spaces for exploring identity, gifts, and expression. Allowing for authentic expression, holding inclusive spaces, and living in a way that prioritizes cooperation over competition and learning and growth over winning is essential. By examining societal and community beliefs and structures that create separation and isolation, we can begin the work of preventing suicide.

We need to shine a light on the darkness, the pain, and the ugly sides, rather than isolate people in dark, walled-off spaces. If there’s one thing I took from Melissa Etheridge’s documentary, it’s inspiration. I’m inspired to be myself, to shine my light, to heal my wounds, and to hold space for others to do the same.

Melissa Etheridge shares that her son had a hard time being in the world. He found solace in snowboarding, but after an injury led him down the road of addiction, his struggles deepened. He is certainly not the only one who has felt this way. More and more people find themselves in the same pain of not belonging in this world. Have you ever had the thought: “I don’t belong in this world?” If so, you are not alone.

Many who don’t fit into societal norms are labeled and set aside: bipolar, depressed, neurodiverse, autistic, ADD, ADHD, and so on. These labels make people feel broken. But are they broken? Absolutely not. The way we think about anything outside of the “normal” or “typical” is what’s broken.

Here’s another view: a spiritual perspective. We are souls having a human experience. Younger humans are often older souls, coming to the planet to show us a new way of being—one that embraces more feminine energies over masculine ones. These souls may feel allergic to the old ways of being and often don’t fit in. They get labeled as sensitive, mentally ill, neurodiverse, etc. Yes, they don’t resonate with the current world, but they were never meant to. They are here to show us a new way, one that is more sensitive, emotional, and creative.

There is nothing wrong with you. You are not broken. You are here to help usher in a new age, a new way of being. We need your sensitive heart, your creative brain, and the way you see the world. It is what’s missing. Through this perspective, we can radically shift how we view illness, normalcy, and what it means to be in the world or of it.

The Etheridge Foundation is dedicated to providing support and resources for those affected by opioid addiction and advocating for plant medicines and alternative therapies. Their mission is to inspire, uplift, and help people come home to themselves. Like Melissa, I too want to inspire, uplift, and bring people home to themselves. Together, we can create a world where pain is acknowledged, and healing is celebrated.

In Melissa’s words, “I’m not broken.” And neither are you.