In this episode of Girl Power, Sarah sat down with Aleah Bench for a deeply personal conversation about mental health, trauma, survival, and the lasting effects of growing up in a home shaped by addiction and instability. The discussion was part of Lebanon Now’s ongoing effort to create space for honest conversations around women’s experiences, healing, and the importance of speaking openly about mental health.
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At the beginning of the conversation, Sarah shared her own experience with loss, reflecting on the suicide of someone she had known since childhood. She emphasized how important it is for people to reach out before making a final decision that leaves lasting pain for everyone around them. That set the tone for the episode, which centered not only on Aleah’s story, but also on the broader message that no one should suffer in silence.
Aleah explained that mental health advocacy has been important to her for most of her life. She said she is passionate not only about telling her own story, but also about making sure people know there are resources and support systems available. In her view, conversations about mental health still are not happening often enough, even though almost everyone has been affected by it in some way, either personally or through someone close to them.
She then shared the story of her childhood. Her parents divorced when she was very young, and she described them as coming from very different backgrounds. Her mother had grown up in an unstable home, while her father came from a more structured military family. Over time, however, her father fell deeper into substance abuse, and untreated mental health struggles began to shape his behavior. Aleah said he had a history of threatening suicide and appeared to use drugs and alcohol as a way to self-medicate rather than seeking real treatment.
After the divorce, Aleah and her brother were still required by court order to spend time with their father, despite his abusive history and his drug use. She described spending much of her childhood in environments that were dangerous and deeply inappropriate for children. She remembered seeing evidence of drug activity in the home, witnessing substance use at a very young age, and being exposed to situations that left her constantly afraid. One of the most haunting moments she shared was overhearing her father calmly say that if their mother ever tried to take them away from him, he would kill them all. She said that moment changed her understanding of fear forever. Until then, she had not believed her father could ever hurt her, and after hearing that, she carried the terror of that threat in silence for years.
Aleah explained that as a child, she did not fully understand that what she was living through was not normal. Much of the chaos and fear at her father’s house had become familiar, and only later in life did she begin to recognize how much trauma she had carried. She also described physical and emotional abuse from her father’s girlfriend, whose behavior added even more instability to an already dangerous environment.
The turning point came when Aleah’s older brother, still just a teenager himself, finally ran away. After being sent to his room during an especially tense night, he escaped through a bedroom window, ran barefoot to the sheriff’s department, and called their mother for help. A deputy brought him back with their mother and stepfather, and that night became the last time Aleah and her brother ever saw their father. Less than a year later, he died by suicide.
Aleah was only 11 years old when her father died. She spoke candidly about the complicated emotions that followed. Her first feeling, she said, was relief. It meant the fear was over. It meant she no longer had to live under the constant threat of what might happen next. But almost immediately, that relief was followed by guilt. She struggled with the idea that she felt safer after his death, knowing that people are not “supposed” to feel that way when someone dies. That emotional conflict stayed with her for years.
As she got older, Aleah began to better understand how deeply those experiences had affected her. She described struggling with anxiety as a teenager, including severe stomach aches and frequent absences from school. Looking back, she believes those physical symptoms were tied directly to the emotional weight she was carrying. She also talked about the anger and confusion she once felt toward her mother, before realizing that her mother had not fully known what was happening and had been limited by the legal system at the time.
Later in life, Aleah reconnected with her younger half-siblings, whom she had not seen in more than 20 years. While she was grateful to rebuild those relationships, she also learned that they had continued to suffer abuse in the home after she and her brother got out. That knowledge brought another layer of sadness, even as she found comfort in finally having some connection with them again.
Throughout the interview, Aleah returned again and again to the idea that pain, trauma, and mental illness do not just disappear because someone stops talking about them. She said one of the reasons she now works in education is because of the impact one school employee had on her after her father’s death. She still remembers a school secretary hugging her and telling her never to forget that she was more than the circumstances she was living in. That moment stayed with her, and today she tries to be that same kind of steady, compassionate person for children and families in her own work.
Now several years into a career in public education, Aleah said she loves being a safe and supportive presence for kids and parents alike. She spoke about how isolating parenting can feel, especially for people who are already struggling, and said she wants others to know they can come to her without fear of judgment. Her own history with depression and anxiety has only deepened that empathy. She shared that there was a time in her adult life when she herself needed help and initially did not get the support she needed from a doctor. It was only because others around her recognized that she was not okay and pushed her toward help that she began to recover.
That part of the conversation led into one of the clearest themes of the episode: the importance of accountability, honesty, and human connection. Aleah said everyone needs someone who will speak up when they see a person struggling. She made it clear that she would always rather answer a late-night phone call, show up at someone’s house, or sit with someone in pain than attend their funeral. Sarah echoed that sentiment, saying the same is true for her.
The two also talked about the stigma that still surrounds mental health, especially for men. Aleah said too many men are taught to hide what they feel, to reduce every emotion to either being fine or being angry, and to treat asking for help like weakness. She strongly pushed back against that idea, saying she respects people more when they are willing to admit they need support. She reflected on her father’s life and said that while she understands mental illness played a major role in the choices he made, she still has moments of anger over all that he missed and all that he chose over his children. She said forgiveness does not erase those feelings, and that learning to live with both compassion and anger at the same time has been one of the hardest parts of adulthood.
Even with all of that pain, Aleah said she is grateful for the perspective her life has given her. She believes her experiences made her more compassionate, more aware of what others may be carrying, and more committed to meeting people with understanding instead of judgment. She said those experiences help her do her job well and allow her to be a voice for people who may not know how to speak up for themselves.
By the end of the episode, both Sarah and Aleah came back to a simple but important message: people need to know they are not alone. They encouraged anyone who is struggling to reach out, whether that means talking to a friend, calling someone in the middle of the night, or simply starting a conversation they have been afraid to have. Aleah said every person is important and valued simply because they exist, even when it does not feel that way. Sarah added that the things that make people different are often the very things that make them beautiful.
The conversation closed with thanks to the sponsors who support Girl Power and make these kinds of discussions possible. But the real takeaway from the episode was much larger than sponsorships or programming. It was a reminder that behind many smiles are stories no one sees, that trauma often hides in silence, and that healing begins when people feel safe enough to speak.
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