Suicide attempts increase during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, right? Wrong. Suicide rates actually decrease during the holidays. It is commonly thought that holiday stress increases suicide attempts, but that simply isn’t the case. Actually, the lower incident of suicides is now thought to be related to family time...
Financial difficulties are common for survivors of abuse for a complicated and manifest set of reasons. The recent pandemic lock-down hit middle class and financially fragile homes the worst. It has astonished me the degree to which fellow survivors suffer food insecurity – or worse. Feeding America is an...
Here are a few articles on how to maintain your well-being during the holidays. These tips apply to people who are overwhelmed by loneliness and/or by pressures related to expectations. (They are dated 2020 and make reference to the pandemic, but are not focused on that one issue.) Stress,...
This video features inspiring stories from three people who survived an attempted suicide. These individuals and their families personally recount their journeys from the suicide attempt to a life of hope and recovery. A video guide is included. From the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, this...
The U.S. Department of Justice has released a report on how law enforcement has an ongoing and continuously improving skills-based approach during calls which involve persons whose behavior is being driven by mental illness. This makes these encounters safer for the individual, for bystanders, and for police. This report...
Everyone experiences emotional numbness from time to time in life. It can be a very healthy defense against being overwhelmed in the middle of a shock or trauma, such as the death of a loved one. The problem is that sometimes we stay numb. The defense comes a habit...
The causes of suicide are complex and determined by multiple combinations of factors, such as mental illness, substance abuse, painful losses, exposure to violence, and social isolation. Warning signs that may mean someone is at risk include: Talking about wanting to die or kill oneself Looking for a...
Here’s an important, highly confidential resource. The Early Serious Mental Illness Treatment Locator is a confidential and anonymous source of information for persons and their family members who are seeking treatment facilities in the United States or U.S. Territories for a recent onset of serious mental illnesses such as...
Tips for responding to people in grief can be learned from people grieving loss of many types, including this facilitator for Christian Survivors of Suicide.
Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance-use issues. There are online options (as of this writing, during lockdown), and you can also study to be a certified teacher. This course is offered to professionals and to all sorts of...
