The Dr. Laura Podcast

Episode: "The Most Shattering Calls I've Taken"

Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Release Date: January 8, 2026
Platform: SiriusXM / DrLaura.com

Overview

In this emotionally charged episode, Dr. Laura Schlessinger reflects on some of the most harrowing and memorable calls she’s received during her legendary radio counseling career. Dr. Laura offers listeners a window into the life-and-death moments she’s faced as a talk host – highlighting the weight of her responsibility and the depth of the human struggles that come through her lines. She focuses primarily on two particularly shattering calls: one involving an EMT’s moral dilemma, and another with a young suicidal woman whose outcome proved profoundly moving.

Throughout, Dr. Laura shares her thought process, emotions, and techniques for connection during crisis, with the episode serving as a testament to the power of reaching out and the importance of compassion, even through the anonymity of a radio show.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dr. Laura Discusses Her Most Shattering Calls

[02:00–02:50]

• Dr. Laura recalls being asked about the most shattering types of calls she’s ever received.
• She shares two stories that have stayed with her through decades.

"What's maybe... can't remember how it was worded. What was one of the most shattering kinds of calls? I don't know that the word was shattering. And there's a whole bunch of stuff... But the first thing that came to my mind was an EMT."
— Dr. Laura Schlessinger [02:02]

2. The EMT’s Moral Dilemma

[02:10–02:50]

• Early in her career, Dr. Laura took a call from an EMT responding to an elderly man with multiple serious health issues (drug use, dementia).
• The man coded, and the EMT chose not to resuscitate, citing mercy as motivation.

"He had dementia. I mean, there was everything wrong. And he coded. And [the EMT] didn’t bring him back on purpose because he figured it was a merciful thing to do. That was probably one of the toughest calls I ever took."
— Dr. Laura [02:27]

• The profound ethical dilemma—and its impact on the EMT and Dr. Laura—lingers as one of her most difficult moments on-air.

3. The Suicidal Caller: Compassion and Connection in Crisis

[02:51–10:45]

The Backstory

• Recounts a lengthy, recurring set of calls from a young woman (from Dr. Laura’s early radio days in Orange County, CA).
• The woman had been gang-raped by her boyfriend and his friends; she had no supportive family and was severely traumatized.

The Night of the Call

• Dr. Laura describes the woman’s voice as “a little like this”—weak, defeated.
• The caller had ingested half a bottle of pills and called Dr. Laura to say goodbye.

"She was killing herself. She wanted to say goodbye to me. I figure when you're in the process of killing yourself and you call somebody… it's not to die, it’s to be saved."
— Dr. Laura [04:21]

On-Air Intervention

• Dr. Laura recognized the call as a cry for help and signaled her engineer to contact emergency services for a possible location trace.
• To ground the caller and buy time, Dr. Laura coaxed her to open a window and breathe in the fresh air.

"I did that because I thought reviving her a little bit with the oxygen would help. I was just trying my best to handle the situation."
— Dr. Laura [05:56]

• With police en route, Dr. Laura gave the woman a stark choice: hang up and continue with her attempt, or “stumble to the bathroom and flush [the pills] down the toilet,” staying on the line with Dr. Laura.

"You wanted to say goodbye to me? You must like me for something. No reason to give up on me. So I’ll help you. But you gotta flush them down the toilet for me, please."
— Dr. Laura [08:26]

The Agonizing Wait

• Dr. Laura and her team waited through 50 seconds of silence—uncertain if the woman was alive.

"Fifty seconds, the worst 50 seconds of my existence… I didn’t know if she had dropped dead, decided to take the rest of the pills."
— Dr. Laura [09:10]

• Finally, the sound of a toilet flushing signaled that the woman had chosen to live.

"After about 50, 55 seconds, you heard a toilet flush. The most beautiful sound I had heard up to that point in my life."
— Dr. Laura [09:35]

The Outcome

• With help, the caller recovered and went on to become a peer counselor for kids dealing with substance abuse—proof of the difference a single act of compassion can make.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On callers in crisis:

  "I figure when you're in the process of killing yourself and you call somebody, you feel a connection... it’s not to die, it’s to be saved."
  — Dr. Laura [04:21]

• On her own anxiety during the call:

  "Fifty seconds, the worst 50 seconds of my existence as I keep going like this to the engineer on the other side."
  — Dr. Laura [09:10]

• On the turning point:

  "After about 50, 55 seconds, you heard a toilet flush. The most beautiful sound I had heard up to that point in my life."
  — Dr. Laura [09:35]

• On the power of connection and recovery:

  "She became a peer counselor for kids on drugs."
  — Dr. Laura [10:27]

Important Timestamps

• [02:00–02:50]: Introduction to the topic and the EMT call.
• [02:51–06:11]: Background and setup of the suicidal caller’s story.
• [08:26–10:46]: Crisis intervention, the tense silence, and resolution.

Tone & Takeaway

Dr. Laura delivers this episode with her signature directness and deep empathy, balancing clinical detachment with palpable compassion. The stories and her responses reinforce her core belief: connection, even with a stranger, can be life-saving. The episode is both a reminder of the heavy responsibility borne by those in helping professions and a call to the audience that reaching out matters—sometimes, it can save a life.

For more episodes, advice, or to submit questions, visit DrLaura.com or tune in daily on SiriusXM.