On average, there are 130 suicides per day, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and individuals who work in financial services are 1.5 times more likely to commit suicide than the national average, according to the National Occupational Mortality Surveillance.
Right before advisor Larry Sprung was set to break away and launch his own firm, his brother-in-law Keith Milano, who had suffered from bipolar disorder, died by suicide. Now Larry’s dedicated much of his time and energy to bringing awareness to mental health and suicide prevention, including serving on the board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and raising in excess of $1.7 million for that organization.
In this episode, WealthManagement.com’s Managing Editor Diana Britton is joined by Larry Sprung, founder and wealth advisor at Mitlin Financial in Hauppauge, N.Y. Larry shares the story of his brother-in-law’s suicide and recounts what lead up to the loss, how it has changed his personal and professional values, and the importance of increasing knowledge and understanding around mental health every day.
Larry Sprung (left) with his brother-in-law, Keith Milano
Larry discusses:
- The events leading up to his brother-in-law’s suicide and how he coped with it
- How Larry and his wife have brought awareness to mental health issues
- How the industry deals with issues of mental health
- How advisors can incorporate mental health into their practices
- The need for destigmatizing mental health disorders
If you have a struggle and wish to share your experiences and help others in similar situations, please reach out to Diana at [email protected].
The Healthy Advisor podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever podcasts are found.
