Hello,

My name is Ruth Golden, and I am a 32-year survivor of suicide loss. My mother died in 1985 when I was 19 and a sophomore in college. For 30 years no one in my family spoke about it. Approaching 47, her age at death, a severe panic attack and the major depression that followed led me to seek help at CNS Integrated Behavioral Health & Medicine under the care of Dr. Michael Mamoun.

Therapy opened my eyes to the possibility that while I had intellectually come to terms with her suicide, I had not ever truly grieved her or come to terms with her loss. When I joined a survivor support group, I was stunned to discover how my family’s silence and my problems mirrored so many others’ stories.

The comfort and validation I found sharing stories inspired me to open up these long overdue conversations with my family, and my 25 years of professional experience as a TV producer told me this journey would make a powerful documentary. I hope the film will serve as a voice for the millions of others affected by suicide and bring attention to our struggles – especially for long-term survivors.

Because Dr. Mamoun plays an integral part in my story and has witnessed the development of this film, he has graciously agreed to help me spread the word about the project to colleagues.

I am hoping to crowdfund money needed to film this project from the survivor community and those active in mental health to add their name to a list of people willing to speak about suicide. We also welcome memorial donations of any amount, which are listed on our memorial page and are currently looking to raise $150,000 to cover principal filming beginning in April.

Donations are tax deductible through our 501(c)3 fiscal sponsorship with the International Documentary Association and are eligible for corporate matching.

Please note, we will contact you for credit and memorial information once we are notified of the contribution as there is no way to indicate it on donation form.

Another great way to help is by following us on Facebook and Twitter and sharing our website thesilentgoldens.com on social media to reach others who might be interested in this project and cause. We would be thrilled to get leads on big donors or companies that might help as well, and I’m happy to provide a detailed proposal and budget upon request.

I truly appreciate your consideration.

Sincerely,

Ruth Golden