Episode 16: Denise Collins

Akathisia Stories

On this episode, we hear from Denise Collins, whose husband, John, died in 2018, nine days after going on the antidepressant Citalopram, better known in the United States as Celexa. Earlier this year, her book, What Happened To John?: A memoir of enduring love, mental health, and suicide, was released and is available now in paperback and for Kindle. Denise spent three years researching, writing, and doing her best to recover following the tragic death of John and her experience of becoming a widow. The book opens on what Denise calls Day Zero, Monday, the 29th of October, 2018, a day that began "quite unremarkably," she says, but later that day, two uniformed police officers appeared at her front door. "In that moment," she writes, "I was blissfully unaware that life as I knew it had ended and that a living nightmare was about to begin."

Her website, denise-collins.com, is aimed at what she terms "corporate clients." She coaches female executives on developing their authentic leadership style and building a sustainable work/life balance. Her specialties are: Guiding People In Discovering and Celebrating Their Unique Personal Power (UPP©) Supporting Those Navigating Life After Loss and Teaching Resilience And How To Embrace Change.