This is probably most difficult subject tackled on the ButteCast. It might also be the most important.

Christine (McGuinn) Nehls reached out to me because she wanted to talk about suicide. Her husband, Aaron, passed away as the result of suicide on Feb. 24, 2009. He left behind Chris and her two daughters.

Chris wanted to do this podcast for a couple of reasons. No. 1 is she hopes it encourages other people to reach out for help — either for themselves or someone they know. Depression is a disease, and it can claim lives just like cancer. Depression, though, is beatable if you get the help.

Call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 if you find yourself in a dire situation. You can also call a friend or talk to a family member.

The second thing Chris wanted to accomplish with this podcast was to have Aaron remembered for how he lived instead of how he died. She said he was just the nicest guy in the world. She met Aaron when she was 15.

The two were accidentally paired together to ride the Zipper at the carnival in the back parking of the Butte Plaza Mall. Chris was a “jock.” After all, her step-dad was the late, great Jim Hanley, a Butte Sports Hall of Famer. Aron was a “head.” He had long hair and he played the drums.

But the opposites attracted, and Chris and Aaron married when they were 21 years old. Aaron was a loving father and husband. He was a talented musician in rock bands, and everyone seemed to like him. He loved to fish and he loved to hunt. That, though, was not enough for him to overcome his depression.

Listen in to this podcast as Chris talks about Arron, his life, his death and how people looked at her differently after his passing. Listen to hear how the suicide impacted the lives of Chris and Aaron’s daughters.

Listen to hear that Aaron showed signs of suicide, and how that might help you identify if a loved one is contemplating taking his or her own life.

If you take anything out of this podcast, it should be that it is OK to reach out for help. Even the toughest of people can feel sad, and Chris does not want you to go through what she has had to endure these last 15 years.

Chris did not want this podcast to be about her. That is why the photo above is of Aaron.

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