Widow of fallen Utah officer using experience to help others heal

UTAH COUNTY, Utah — Prioritizing our mental health no longer carries the negative stigma it used to, but it all starts with getting help.

A Utah County woman knows about as well as anyone how important this is. Her husband, Utah County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Cory Wride, was killed in the line of duty eight years ago, and she thought her own life was over.

“To be really honest, I am afraid when this is all over, that in my alone times, I don’t know what I am going to do. I’m frightened,” Nannette Wride said during an interview in 2014 after the shooting.

Today, Wride says she’s doing great and is as happy as ever, but it was a long journey to get there.

Her journey included a lot of mental therapy. That’s why she is now opening her own practice to help others who are in dark times. She calls it Z-Energy, and says it’s a form of kinesiology that helps with energy, emotions, and trauma.

No matter what you may be struggling with, Wride says it is important to get help and talk to someone.

“You know, it shouldn’t be a shameful thing if you need to talk about it,” she said. “If you have something that you’ve seen or experienced, you need to be able to talk about it and have people actually see you as important and listen to you. We’re all doing the very best that we can, and we should love each other.”

Wride says she is proof you can come from the lowest depths of despair and make it to the other side.

After her husband was killed, Wride helped create foundations to assist widows of law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty. She also helped get better armor for police cars and bullet proof glass windows on them. However, Wride admits she didn’t focus a lot on herself.

When she started getting mental therapy herself, she says she noticed a difference and now credits that help to get through the pain.

Because of the positive impact it had on her life, she decided to open her practice to help others with trauma, emotions, and bad memories.

“You know what? It 100% works,” she said. “I was in the deep dark trenches of despair, and I didn’t want to live anymore. I didn’t know how to live anymore. It’s not that I didn’t want to leave my kids or do anything like that, not in my logical brain, but in my heart and in my soul, I felt such hopelessness.”

After everything she has been through, Wride says it feels good to be happy again.

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Suicide prevention resources

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or exhibiting warning signs, call, text, or chat the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 which is answered 24/7/365 by crisis counselors at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute. All calls to legacy crisis hotlines, including the old National Suicide Prevention hotline, 1-800-273-8255, will also connect to a crisis care worker at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute as well.

Additional resources

• SafeUT: Parents, students, and educators can connect with a licensed crisis counselor through chat by downloading the SafeUT app or by calling 833-3SAFEUT (833-372-33888)
• SafeUT Frontline: First responders, including firefighters, law enforcement, EMS, and healthcare professionals can chat with a licensed crisis counselor at no cost 24/7/365 by downloading the SafeUT Frontline app.
• SafeUTNG: Members of the National Guard can chat with a licensed crisis counselor at no cost 24/7/365 by downloading the SafeUTNG app.
• Utah Warm Line: For non-crisis situations, when you need a listening ear as you heal and recover from a personal struggle, call 1-833 SPEAKUT 8:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m., 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
• The Huntsman Mental Health Institute offers a wide variety of programs and services including suicide prevention and crisis services, hospital treatment, therapy & medication management, substance Use & addiction recovery, child & teen programs, and maternal mental health services including birth trauma, pregnancy loss, infertility, and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
• LiveOnUtah.org is a statewide effort to prevent suicide by promoting education, providing resources, and changing Utah’s culture around suicide and mental health. They offer resources for faith based groups, LGBTQ+, youth, employers, firearm suicide prevention, and crisis and treatment options.

Other community-based resources

• NAMI Utah provides education, support and advocacy for individuals and families impacted by mental illness.
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention offers prevention programs, public education, support for loss survivors, and fundraising for research.
• Encircle Utah: LGBTQ+ family and youth resource center.
• Utah Pride Center empowers Utah’s diverse LGBTQ+ community.
• The Trevor Project: LGBTQ teen resource center.
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health
• Latino Behavioral Health Services
• Center for Workplace Mental Health offers suicide prevention and response for employers.