Breaking the Silence: Terrell Latchinson on Writing, Trauma, and Healing
Send us a text Vulnerability becomes a superpower in this raw, emotional conversation with author Terrell Latchinson, who transforms personal tragedy into purpose through writing and advocacy. After losing his brother to PTSD-related complications a decade ago, Latchinson found himself turning to writing as a therapeutic outlet – eventually launching a career crafting fiction that tackles mental health issues within minority communities. The power of Latchinson's story lies in its authentici...
RSS Feed Vulnerability becomes a superpower in this raw, emotional conversation with author Terrell Latchinson, who transforms personal tragedy into purpose through writing and advocacy. After losing his brother to PTSD-related complications a decade ago, Latchinson found himself turning to writing as a therapeutic outlet – eventually launching a career crafting fiction that tackles mental health issues within minority communities.
The power of Latchinson's story lies in its authenticity. He doesn't claim expertise as a mental health professional but rather speaks from lived experience, creating fictional narratives that spark essential conversations about conditions like narcissism, depression, and PTSD. His debut novel, "Nehemiah the Narcissist," subtly explores how environmental factors might shape narcissistic tendencies without explicitly pathologizing its characters. This approach makes difficult mental health concepts accessible while honoring the cultural nuances often overlooked in mainstream mental health discussions.
What makes this conversation truly remarkable is Latchinson's courageous transparency about his own current battle with depression and suicidal thoughts. Despite his success as an author, supportive family, and growing platform, he reminds us that mental illness doesn't discriminate based on achievements, education, or social status. This powerful testimony shatters stigmas that prevent many, especially within communities of color, from seeking help. Whether you're struggling with mental health challenges yourself or supporting someone who is, Latchinson's message is clear: show up authentically, listen without judgment, and recognize that healing often begins with honest conversation. Subscribe now to join our community of dreamers committed to mental wellness, authentic connection, and living life without limitations.
0:00 Welcome to the Living the Dream Podcast with Curveball, if you believe you can achieve. Welcome to the Living the Dream with Curveball Podcast, a show where I interview guests that teach, motivate and inspire. Today I am joined by one of my classmates 1997, deritter High School, terrell Latchison. He is an author. You know, terrell grew up you know military, family and all that good stuff, and finally I came out to DeRitter all that good stuff and finally came out to the Ritter and what his book is focused on is mental health and the minority community.
0:52 So we're going to be talking to him about how we got into writing and why mental health and the minority community is so important. So, terrell, thank you so much for joining me. Curtis man, thank you so much. It's definitely been a pleasure. I've been excited this whole week. I apologize for us having to push back, but I've definitely been excited this whole week. One to speak about, to be on your platform as well as to just speak to a classmate. Like you said, we're classmates. We've been knowing each other for a long, long, long time. Haven't connected with you in a while, so I'm definitely excited to be able to just talk, just have a conversation with somebody that comes from where I come from, cut from the same cloth that I'm cut from oh, absolutely, man, and I've been excited as well.
1:36 So I started off by telling everybody a little bit about yourself. Again, I am a military brat. My dad served in the army so of course we were stationed in Fort Polk, louisiana, which is just down the street from Derrida. We decided to attend Derrida High School. Myself and my brother and I graduated in, like you mentioned before I graduated in class of 97. Decided to be to come out of that area. Learned a lot from, like you mentioned before I graduated in class of 97. Excited to come out of that area. I learned a lot from my classmates from the area, from just a lot of life lessons.
2:16 I continued my education at Magne State University here in Lake Charles Louisiana. I've been here since I married my wife and raised my kids here and been here ever since and, of course, like you mentioned, started writing books about six to seven years ago and still been on that journey today. So kind of talk to the listeners about you know how you got in writing, because I know that when we were going to school, you know you might not have been thinking that you were going to become an author. So kind of talk to the listeners about how you got into that. Well, certainly I will say, you know, in high school as well as in college, I wasn't an avid reader, I wasn't a writer.
3:02 I didn't go to school for writing. I didn't, I didn't, I didn't partake in book clubs and things of that nature. You know, writing kind of fell in my lap. Unfortunately it was, it was it fell in my lap in regards to dealing with trauma. Unfortunately, 10 years ago I lost my brother. You know who you know, of course you know, graduated a year before us. You know who you know, of course you know, graduated a year before us. I lost my brother and writing was a coping mechanism that my, my counselor suggested to me. So I started off writing just my thoughts, you know, expressing my anger, expressing my hurt, expressing, you know, my, my pain, any and everything, every emotion that I had.
3:42 I expressed it. You know, most of most, a lot of therapy, and I go to a lot of therapy right now. A lot of therapy result is centered around writing. You know, just expressing and just kind of just. If you can't articulate it verbally, you express it, you know, through a form of healing and it evolved later on into me just researching about mental health because my brother, he had PTSD. He served our country, he was in the army, he had PTSD and he ended up dying as a result of result of it. I'm not going to go too, too deep into the details.
4:24 I don't want to get too emotional in regards, but, um, I wanted to be an advocate for, for mental health. Um, I'm not, I'm not asian, I'm not, I'm not white, I'm not anything. I'm an african-american man. So I wanted to. I wanted to write about mental health as it regards to African-Americans or just people of color in general. So I got into writing from trauma. Yeah, well, I definitely know, Titus. I didn't realize about that until I read your bio, so I'm definitely sorry for your loss. No problem, I appreciate that.
5:04 So do you have any kind of influences, you know over the years when you started writing? Is there somebody that you look up to or who influences you to do what you do when it comes to writing, what you do when? it comes to writing, so I didn't know anybody that wrote a book the closest I got to, and this was maybe six years ago, I don't know. I'm sure you're familiar with her. She's from Derrida, jamie Mays, yep, absolutely. So Jamie Mays has written a number of books. I actually just finished another one of her books this morning. Jamie Mays was the only person that I knew that looked like me, sound like me and was cut from the same cloth. Comes from the root of a small town, educated young lady and I from afar.
5:48 I always kept up with her, you know, through LinkedIn, through buying her books, just supporting. So I'm not going to say that that was an inspiration, but that was definitely a person that I felt like, okay, she's doing it, so let me reach out to her and see if she can help me with my journey. And then she later on became my editor for my book. So shout out to Jamie Mays great person, great books. That's what made me feel comfortable enough to say that I think I can do this, because I know someone that can do that, that is doing it and is thriving and is doing a great job. Yeah, well, that's great. That definitely sounds like Jamie is doing some great things and maybe one day I can get her on.
6:32 That will be. I think you would be, you'll be, pleasantly, you would be, you'll be you, you would be, you'd be you. I'm sorry my words out, but she's definitely somebody that I would certainly reach out and highly recommend because she's she's a great person. Absolutely so. Do you have any, any statistics as far as when it comes to mental health in the minority community? I don't. I have statistics but I don't want to share the statistics and the reason I say this is because I am not a mental health expert. You know, I didn't. I didn't go to school. So I don't want to disrespect anybody that's in their profession in regards to throwing out statistics and given you know, given definitions in regards to what a narcissist is and things of that nature.
7:15 My book is a fictional book, you know, and the title is Nehemiah the Narcissist. Now, the title is subjective because I want my reader to read the book and if they feel like this gentleman is not a narcissist, then great it's. Don't like having this conversation about mental health. If they have it, or if they have someone that does have it, it's more of a taboo subject. So I'm writing just so I can have, so we can spark that conversation for mental health. So I don't want to get on and I want to disrespect anyone that is a that's in their profession and start throwing out numbers when I'm not really that person to do so.
7:59 I wrote a fiction book. Yeah, I definitely understand. Well, you know, just kind of talk about your book, you know, let the listeners know where they can get it and tell them what they can expect when they read it. So the book is on Amazon. I have paperback hard copy as well as it's on Kindle. I'm working on an audio book. I'm waiting, I'm working on the completion of the audio book, as we speak, the last stages of it. So you can find any of that information. You can find any of this literature on Amazon. You can find it if you Google my name. I mean I have a website you can.
8:39 You can send an email to me. I can get it to you. If you're local, I can bring it to you. It's just, you know it's. It's definitely definitely kids, older son, daughter, as well as Nehemiah. He's the baby of the group and again, like I said, the title was subjective. The title could have been Nehemiah the cat or Nehemiah the dog. I don't mention narcissism anywhere throughout the book.
9:20 Again, the title was subjective. But in regards to this young man, I try to paint a picture of how a person could become a narcissist helicopter mom. Very, very. You know she smothers him with love. She has an over supportive sister. He can't do anything wrong. He goes through a lot of tragic, tragic events in his life in regards to witnessing a murder, in regards to having the same first and last name as his dad. So he has. He has this disparity of, you know, of growing up with a man, growing up looking up to a man that he's never met. He hates the man but he loves the man and he has to carry that. And everyone's talking about this gentleman, nehemiah Sr, and he's never met him and he left before Nehemiah was born.
10:06 So he carries that weight and that guilt but his mom's reassuring him every day that everything he does is perfect. You know you're a great guy, you assuring him every day that everything he does is perfect. You know he's you're a great guy, you're a great kid. Nothing you do is wrong. So he never learns to take accountability. And of course he's. He's a liar, he likes the gaslight, he likes to exaggerate. So the book takes you on a. It chronologically takes you through a journey from a kid, that's from third grade, all the way up to a senior year. And again, I'm writing a number of books. I'm already finished with the conclusion of, I'm already finished with the sequel of this particular book. So this book kind of introduces Nehemiah and it introduces how he you know, the things that created it, the things that suggest that he may be a narcissist.
10:49 The second book is going to open up because he's going to be a. He's going to be a young adult at that point, so I can open it up. It's hard to write about a kid being a narcissist because he's a kid. So I'm just kind of painting the picture in regards to how this gentleman became a narcissist, and then, of course, the second book is going to open up and then I continue to. I'm going to continue to keep writing different books in regards to Nehemiah to kind of show the evolution of his narcissism. Well, that was going to be my next question what else are you working on that listeners need to know about? So, besides your books, are you working on anything else that we need to be aware of? I actually well, I'm actually finished with three different books the sequel of this book, I have another book about depression and I have another book about, finished with a book about depression.
11:33 And I have another book about um um, finished with a book about depression. And I have a third book that I'm writing that's almost complete and it's going to be dealing more, more along the lines of PTSD. So I'm taking my time on that book because, of course, that subject is near and dear to my heart because of my brother. So, but again, every book that I'm writing, I'm writing books that people of our culture can relate to. You know, you know, the best example I can give you is if you watch the movie boys in the hood, you're going to get gyms and it's it's more about our culture, but it's dropping gyms. I want to do the same thing, but I want to make a book about PTSD as it pertains to our culture. Yeah, absolutely so.
12:14 I know you mentioned that you had a website, so throw out that website so listeners can keep up with everything that you're up to. It's pretty long. So I'm going to say, I'm going to say this my first and my last name, terrell Atchison. T-e-r-r-e-l-l-l-a-t-c-h-i-s-o-n. Dot U-S. The number two dot author homepagecom, and there it gives you. All of you know it. It kind of it kind of highlights everything I'm working on, everything I've done, as well as I like to. I like to highlight other authors. So I have a couple of books. I have the books that Jamie has. I have the books of another author that's on there. You know she, she's a child author.
13:08 She writes children's books. But I want to highlight other authors as well. So the name of my company is Authors of Melanation, melan their information. I definitely highlight them and put them on my website. So not only am I writing books about mental health, I want to spotlight other authors that are doing so as well. Okay, yeah, there you go, so close us out with some final thoughts. Maybe, if that was something I forgot to talk about that you would like to touch on, or any final thoughts you have for the listeners. Most importantly, of course. Yes, I'm here speaking about my book, nehemiah the Narcissist, but also I want to, like you know, I want to make sure I shed light on mental health. I want to make sure that if you have mental health, if you know someone that has mental health, I want to make sure that you are there.
13:50 If you, or if you know someone that has mental health, make sure that you are there. If you know someone that has mental health, make sure that you show up for that particular person. However, that looks for them. You know that person. You know if they need just conversation, show up for the person that has mental health so that they can feel comfortable. Because the hardest thing for someone that has mental health and I will say it myself, I'm suffering through depression right now, today, as we speak, I personally, as we speak, am battling with suicide. You know that's something that I'm battling with. I'm going to therapy pretty aggressive and I'm not trying to highlight it and make everything about me. I want to speak to the subject because I want to make sure that people understand that I'm just not up here just trying to promote my book.
14:30 I'm promoting mental health and I'm very vocal about what's going on with my mental health. I you know I've been diagnosed with severe depression from a number of things and you know, at the top of it is going to be the loss of my brother and how I'm dealing with it. But in regards to everyone else, if you know someone that has mental health, they're suffering from mental health. Be their shoulder, be their rock so that they can help get through it and also recommend that they go to some kind of therapy. If they don't want to do therapy, be their therapy. Listen, you know, don't make it about you. Make it more. Listen to them and hear them out, because they're struggling and they need, they need help. I know personally I was struggling. I know it sounds oh, you sound so strong because you're out, you're on this podcast and you're speaking about your mental health.
15:16 But it took time, it took steps and I didn't do it before I was attempting to commit suicide. I was in the process where I was ready to go, I was ready to kill myself and it didn't matter about me having a book out. It didn't matter that I'm doing. I'm doing speaking events all over the country. It didn't matter that I have education or that I'm doing speaking events all over the country. It didn't matter that I have education or that I have a daughter that's about to graduate high school. I have a son that graduated from college already. It didn't matter that I have a loving household and a network of supporters. Mentally, my mind was telling me that I wasn't good enough and I wasn't worthy. So depression doesn't have a name, it doesn't have a race, it doesn't have a creed, it doesn't have a color, it's not a status thing, it doesn't care about any of that.
15:58 Once it's in your mind, it's in your mind. So I want to be an advocate for social media and push it, because I don't want anybody to go through what I went through in regards to my loss of my brother. I don't want another mother to have to mourn for their son in regards to to mental health. I don't want kids to to to lose their parents because of mental health. As you know, so I'm, I'm preaching to the choir. I know you can say well, you know, you just were contemplating, doing that and knowing everything that you, that your brother, went through. But I never would have thought in a million years. I didn't think in December that I'd be in this position. But, lo and behold, I'm here and I'm not ashamed of it because I'm, because this is one of the things these are. This is one of the steps that my therapist has happened me go through, which is be open and honest and share.
16:42 And if my pain helps another person get through their, their, their troubling times, and I'm, I'm. If I have to be the man to do it, then I'm okay with that. But again, to be the man to do it, then I'm okay with that. But again, any takeaways from this? I would honestly say take care of your mental health. I am trying to take care of mine and in the process, while you're taking care of your mental health, make sure you go out and purchase the book Nehemiah the Narcissist by Terrell Latchston. I thank you, guys, and I thank you, curtis, for giving me the platform to get to sit out here and talk with you.
17:25 I'm excited to to see you grow, excited to hear that they watch you become this big, mega superstar, interviewing you know the stars of the world, and I can easily say, hey, look, I was there and I know the guy. You know I was there. Whenever you know we had a, he gave me, he gave me a couple of seconds of my time, of his time, to speak about me and speak about my book. So I thank you so much, sir, for any and everything, and I hope to have a continued relationship with you. Oh, most definitely, man. You already know that and I want to say that I thank you and say RIP to your brother, man, and I wish you the best and hope you know that, be praying for you, that you can make it through your issues, because you're a great person and you're doing great things. So hopefully you can fight through what you're, what you're battling and help others fight through what they're battling.
18:06 And I want to let the listeners know, like Terrell said, if you or someone else has mental health issues, you know, follow Rate Review, share this episode to as many people as possible. Get the help that you need. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Visit us at wwwcurveball337.com for more information on the Living the Dream with Curveball podcast. Thank you for listening and supporting the show. Terrell, thank you for willing to come on the show and be so vulnerable and for all that you do, and thank you for joining me. No problem. Thank you, sir, and God bless you, and God bless your followers as well. Thank you for everything. For more information on the Living the Dream with Curveball podcast, visit wwwcurveball337.com.
18:54 Until next time, keep living the dream.