Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Suicide Awareness Information

Suicidal thoughts, much like mental health conditions, can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background. In fact, suicide is often the result of an untreated mental health condition. Suicidal thoughts, although common, should not be considered normal and often indicate more serious issues.

If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or call 911 immediately.

Every year thousands of individuals die by suicide, leaving behind their friends and family members to navigate the tragedy of loss. In many cases, friends and families affected by a suicide loss (often called “suicide loss survivors”) are left in the dark. Too often the feelings of shame and stigma prevent them from talking openly.

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month—a time to share resources and stories in an effort to shed light on this highly taboo and stigmatized topic. We use this month to reach out to those affected by suicide, raise awareness and connect individuals with suicidal ideation to treatment services. It is also important to ensure that individuals, friends and families have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention. NAMI is here to help.

Informational Resources

• Know the Warning Signs and Risk Factors of Suicide
• Being Prepared for a Crisis
• Navigating a Mental Health Crisis
• Need more information, referrals or support? Contact the NAMI HelpLine.

Crisis Resources

• If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call 911 immediately.
• If you are in crisis or are experiencing difficult or suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273 TALK (8255)
• If you’re uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can also text NAMI to 741-741 to be connected to a free, trained crisis counselor on the Crisis Text Line.

Awareness Resources

Help promote awareness by sharing images and graphics on your website and social media accounts. Use #SuicidePrevention or #StigmaFree.

While suicide prevention is important to address year-round, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month provides a dedicated time to come together with collective passion and strength around a difficult topic. The truth is, we can all benefit from honest conversations about mental health conditions and suicide, because just one conversation can change a life.

How To Engage Online With You Are Not Alone

NAMI.Org Personal Stories  

Throughout the month of September, we will feature personal stories about how suicidal ideation/behaviors or suicide prevention have affected people’s lives or what the message of “You Are Not Alone” means to them. Personal stories are brief, informal snapshots of lived experience, making them unique from pieces published on the NAMI Blog. By sharing these stories, we aim to raise awareness and make people feel less alone in their mental health journeys. nami.org/yourstory

Please share the link with your networks, and they could be featured on
nami.org/personal-stories and NAMI social media channels.

NAMI Blog 

During the month of September, the NAMI Blog will focus on preventing and
preparing for a crisis, as well as how to respond in the aftermath. New posts will be added weekly. Be sure to check out the NAMI Blog at nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog and look for posts on our social media featuring quotes from our authors.

Social Media

Content posted on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter will highlight facts about suicide and key resources for support. We will also feature videos with members of the NAMI community telling their personal stories that we invite you to share. 

It is important to reference crisis resources throughout the month. Here are some
suggested social posts featuring helpful information: 

• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (@800273TALK) offers free, confidential crisis counseling 24/7/365 – and you don’t have to be in crisis to call. #SPM20 #NotAlone 
• .@CrisisTextLine is free 24/7 mental health support at your fingertips. Text “NAMI” to 741741 for help. #SPM20 #NotAlone 
• Crisis episodes related to mental illness can be incredibly difficult. To help navigate through them, NAMI created this downloadable guide available in English and Spanish: nami.org/crisisguide #SPM20 #NotAlone

We also encourage you to post relevant content on the following days: 

• Sept. 6-12 Suicide Prevention Awareness Week 
• Sept. 10 World Suicide Prevention Day 

Hashtags to Use: #SPM20 or #NotAlone

Fast Facts

These are only a few of the reasons why it’s important to take part in promoting Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Please use these facts and others, including the “It’s Okay to Talk About Suicide” infographics on our website, to encourage discussions with your community through social media or other forms of outreach.

Individual Impact: 

• 75% of all people who die by suicide are male.    
• Although more women than men attempt suicide, men are nearly 4x more likely to die by suicide.  
• Suicide is the 2^nd leading cause of death for people ages 10-34 and the 4^th leading cause of death for people 35-54      
• The overall suicide rate in the U.S. has increased by 31% since 2001  
• 46% of people who die by suicide had a diagnosed mental health condition  
• While half of individuals who die by suicide have a diagnosed mental health condition, research shows that 90% experienced symptoms.

Community Impact: 

• In 2017, suicide was: 
  • the second leading cause of death for American Indian/Alaska Natives between the ages of 10-34.¹  
  • the second leading cause of death for African Americans, ages 15-24.¹  
  • the leading cause of death for Asian Americans, ages 15-24.¹
  • the second leading cause of death for Hispanic people in the U.S., ages 15-34. 
• American Indian/Alaska Native adults die by suicide at a rate 20% higher than 
• non-Hispanic white adults.  
• Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than straight youth.  
• Transgender people are 12 times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population.  
• 10% of young adults say they experienced suicidal thoughts in the past year.   

¹CDC. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). [Accessed 08/02/2019]. https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html 

Come visit all our sites

Living on the Borderline in Bipolarville  This site deals with sharing our unique paths through mental illness. I just started this site, so it’s a work in progress. I’m very excited about people contacting me already with an interest in these subjects. So come on over! We’ll sort these things out together. (Note: Back in the early 2000’s I was an assistant manager for a 1200 member bipolar disorder website. I’ve dealt with a lot of different people, so hopefully that will comfort you some. lol)

sharinHislove I created this site in an effort to share with people who need a little extra love and encouragement. We all need that, huh? Started in 2006, this site has reached many people around the world from really unexpected places. Over 270,000 visits confirms that the encouragement and inspiration that we generate and share really is helping. We hope you will join and share your thoughts with us.

If we the people We realized that there is a need to have resources at your fingertips that help us all get more involved in positive activism. We’re always working to make this site better and hope to throw in some real life stories, our concerns and ideas to make our country and our lives less frustrating and scary.

I have branched out into a few other areas other than If we the people. I think there are a lot of people who have a variety of interests. Hopefully, we have something for everyone to participate in. All of our sites depend on my acceptance of all comments. If I perceive anything that would hurt others, I will not approve it. So you are safe in posting. If you need an email subscription, just click on the contact button at the top of this site and let me know what you need.

So just click on any of the sites, come over and visit us. Join one, or all, of the sites, and let us know about your site or blog.

The Wildlife Art of Sharon Rule Well, this is just my fun little site that mostly just has my oil paintings that I do to support my daughter’s African Wildlife Sanctuaries that provide education for the children of the wildlife workers. I’m not such a great artist, but my heart is in the right place, lol.

Prophecy Unfolding This may not be interesting to many people, but it is especially interesting to me since I’ve been searching this topic since I was  12 years old. Hey, it may not be terribly exciting, but it certainly relates to what’s going on in our world today.

Borderline Personality

National Alliance of Mental Illness regarding Borderline Personality

I promised a friend that I would post on this subject today. Here goes. Hope it helps draw us together to discuss this information.

After my personal comments on the subject, you can read from NAMI regarding Borderline Personality.

I would strongly suggest that you not self-diagnosis. However, if you feel you may have this disorder, or any other disorder, please see a doctor who can confirm or assure you one way or the other. If you need courage to do so, let me know. I’m full of it!

OK.  Here I go. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder in 1999. I went to many group therapy sessions, saw a psychologist for a long time, and had one-on-one therapy. The various therapists had me try different medications until I found one that worked somewhat for me enough for me to get some relief. My personal experience wasn’t really very good for a few years, but I did learn from one therapist that I had Borderline Personality as well as Bipolar Disorder. I was fortunate to get married to a wonderful man in 2003 (and yes, he has all the mental stuff I do, so that helps in many ways, because at least we fully understand each other.)

It’s very important that you are diagnosed properly so you don’t run down a road that isn’t the road you should be on. I’ve been blessed that I research a lot, apply what applies to me, and throw out the stuff that doesn’t. I discovered I also have PTSD (like how can you go through all these other illnesses without having Trauma, huh? lol). I have Social Anxiety Disorder and discovered that disorder only when I had the opportunity to NOT have to be near a lot of people at a time. Seasonal Affective Disorder haunts me, especially when the skies are grey, the weather is cold or rainy for weeks on end. I have a difficult time in absorbing, comprehending things that are said, or things that I read. My concentration goes out the window in about 5 minutes, so I guess you can say I have Attention Deficit Disorder as well. Wow, I feel like I’m a mess sometimes! Well, I’m laughing right now, because even with all these so-called disorders, I have chosen to just recognize them, accept them, embrace them and are thankful for them.  Ultimately when I can wade through a day and succeed with reaching others and helping them, I feel pretty satisfied.

There are so many different facets of all these “fun-things” (lol), so today it would be impossible to address all of them.

But today . . . Let’s just say we are starting to share with each other. We’ll work on more details another day because I have now put a lot of thought and time into this post. And, yes, I did get distracted by all the ugly news of the Syrian Chemo Attack today, so I’m depressed. But . . . we will survive, because we have to reach others with much love today! Hope you are blessed and feel a little more normal, when compared to me. lol, again!

Borderline Personality Disorder (according to NAMI)

• Overview
• Treatment
• Support
• Discuss

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a condition characterized by difficulties in regulating emotion. This difficulty leads to severe, unstable mood swings, impulsivity and instability, poor self-image and stormy personal relationships. People may make repeated attempts to avoid real or imagined situations of abandonment. The combined result of living with BPD can manifest into destructive behavior, such as self-harm (cutting) or suicide attempts.

It’s estimated that 1.6% of the adult U.S. population has BPD but it may be as high as 5.9%. Nearly 75% of people diagnosed with BPD are women, but recent research suggests that men may be almost as frequently affected by BPD. In the past, men with BPD were often misdiagnosed with PTSD or depression.

Symptoms

People with BPD experience wide mood swings and can display a great sense of instability and insecurity. Signs and symptoms may include:

• Frantic efforts to avoid being abandoned by friends and family.
• Unstable personal relationships that alternate between idealization—“I’m so in love!”—and devaluation—“I hate her.” This is also sometimes known as “splitting.”
• Distorted and unstable self-image, which affects moods, values, opinions, goals and relationships.
• Impulsive behaviors that can have dangerous outcomes, such as excessive spending, unsafe sex, substance abuse or reckless driving.
• Suicidal and self-harming behavior.
• Periods of intense depressed mood, irritability or anxiety lasting a few hours to a few days.
• Chronic feelings of boredom or emptiness.
• Inappropriate, intense or uncontrollable anger—often followed by shame and guilt.
• Dissociative feelings—disconnecting from your thoughts or sense of identity, or “out of body” type of feelings—and stress-related paranoid thoughts. Severe cases of stress can also lead to brief psychotic episodes.

Borderline personality disorder is ultimately characterized by the emotional turmoil it causes. People who have it feel emotions intensely and for long periods of time, and it is harder for them to return to a stable baseline after an emotionally intense event. Suicide threats and attempts are very common for people with BPD. Self-harming acts, such as cutting and burning, are also common.

Causes

The causes of borderline personality disorder are not fully understood, but scientists agree that it is the result of a combination of factors:

• Genetics. While no specific gene has been shown to directly cause BPD, studies in twins suggest this illness has strong hereditary links. BPD is about five times more common among people who have a first-degree relative with the disorder.
• Environmental factors. People who experience traumatic life events, such as physical or sexual abuse during childhood or neglect and separation from parents, are at increased risk of developing BPD.
• Brain function. The way the brain works is often different in people with BPD, suggesting that there is a neurological basis for some of the symptoms. Specifically, the portions of the brain that control emotions and decision-making/judgment may not communicate well with one another.

Diagnosis

There is no single medical test to diagnose BPD, and a diagnosis is not based on one sign or symptom. BPD is diagnosed by a mental health professional following a comprehensive psychiatric interview that may include talking with previous clinicians, medical evaluations and, when appropriate, interviews with friends and family. To be diagnosed with BPD, a person must have at least 5 of the 9 BPD symptoms listed above.

Treatment

A typical, well-rounded treatment plan includes psychotherapy, medications and group, peer and family support. The overarching goal is for someone with BPD to increasingly self-direct her treatment plan as a person learns what works as well as what doesn’t.

• Psychotherapy, such as dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic psychotherapy, is the first line of choice for BPD.
• Medications are often instrumental to a treatment plan, but there is no one medication specifically made to treat the core symptoms of emptiness, abandonment and identity disturbance. Rather, several medications can be used off-label to treat the remaining symptoms. For example, mood stabilizers and antidepressants help with mood swings and dysphoria. Antipsychotic medication may help control symptoms of rage and disorganized thinking.
• Short-term hospitalization may be necessary during times of extreme stress, and/or impulsive or suicidal behavior to ensure safety.

Related Conditions

BPD can be difficult to diagnose and treat—and successful treatment includes addressing any other disorders somebody might have. A person with BPD may have additional conditions like:

• Anxiety disorders, such as PTSD.
• Bipolar disorder.
• Depression.
• Eating disorders, notably bulimia nervosa.
• Other personality disorders.
• Substance use disorders.

– See more at: https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Borderline-Personality-Disorder#sthash.HG32vTow.dpuf

We’re not broken, we’re unique and beautiful!

Reckless?

ATTITUDES

Don’t let someone rain on your parade!

A new-found wealth of wisdom. Just had to share some of her great posts. MissPurpleheart  Enjoy! I sure did! ~ Sharon

There are a lot of them in the world…the ignorant i mean…they are usually full of drama and negativity and maybe envy…and sometimes we even find them among our “friends”…

If its your friend, you may find yourself trying to dim our shine because you don’t want them to feel bad…or maybe its not a friend, its just some person at school or work that picks on you and makes you feel like you don’t deserve what you have, listen to me…don’t let them get to you!

Never let someone rain on your parade just because things in their lives aren’t as they want them to be, …instead, use the bright light shining inside of you, that positive energy, to brighten their dark world.

Be humble and cool headed in everything you do, keep positive thoughts, think before speaking and be very modest in your actions…there will always be those ones that will think negatively and say you’re “over-doing” and may try to mock you and dampen your spirits…yea! that’s just the way life is…but always keep in mind your goals in life, keep in mind where you want to be and the kind of person you want to be…and believe me, all their drama won’t even move a hair on your skin.

Try and surround yourself with positive people…people who will meet you where you are rather than bring you down, people that will motivate you to reach higher heights…people who are full of life! It is very refreshing trust me.

The Dark Side Of Chronic Illness/Pain

I know so many need to read, and hear, this message today. I am one of those. It IS hard, every day! We must reach out to each other with an unconditional love and acceptance. That is the key for me. Thank you for sharing. I’m reblogging on my own new site Living on the Borderline in Bipolarville Please come and join my site and share your incredible insights. What we say in encouragement to each other may “save a life”. Sharon

Beauty and Bruises

Love to read the messages from this beautiful person. I know you will be inspired, also.

A Wise Woman Writes

If you can no longer handle my truth

If you can no longer handle my voice

If you can longer handle my strength

If you can no longer handle my beauty

If you can no longer handle my bruises

You no longer get to be in in my tribe

View original post

Scream

Depression can be treated and sometimes, it can be defeated.. by a scream.

via SCREAM — The Neighborhood

Extreme Measures

So many of us feel this way . . . 

by 1Wise-Woman

Can you see me

Breaking chains

Mend your own fence

I’m busy building walls

With secret doors and secret codes

Fending off facetious followers

Who plague my peaceable Queendom

The time for niceties is done and over

Worrying what I give you and you take from me

Fearing rejection and reckless promises

No more fabricated fanciful freeloaders

Make-up and masks

Burn in the flames of your malevolence

New laws have been written

To protect the real and resplendent

I run with my own broken pack.

Enter a caption

Sign of the Times

(When I come across a song that touches me, I try to share it. I thought you might enjoy this also. It’s very thought-provoking.)

With his debut single “Sign of the Times,” Harry Styles delivered an instant pop-rock classic on Friday (April 7). Embarking on a solo path after One Direction announced a break, the singer channels singer-songwriter vibes with the help of songwriters Tyler Johnson, Alex Salibian, Ryan Nasci, Mitch Rowland, and Jeff Bhasker. The power ballad pulls influences from the likes of David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Prince, but it’s likely the honest lyrics that will really get to Directioners — and anyone who gives it a listen, for that matter.

Check out the song’s lyrics below.

“Sign of the Times”

Just stop your crying

It’s a sign of the times
Welcome to the final show
I hope you’re wearing your best clothes
You can’t bribe the door on your way to the sky

You look pretty good down here
But you ain’t really good
We never learn

We’ve been here before
Why are we always stuck and running from
The bullets, the bullets
We never learn
We’ve been here before
Why are we always stuck and running from
Your bullets, the bullets
Just stop your crying

It’s a sign of the times
We gotta get away from here
We gotta get away from here
Just stop your crying
It’ll be alright
They told me that the end is near
We gotta get away from here
Just stop your crying

Have the time of your life
Breaking though the atmosphere,
And things look pretty good from here
Remember everything will be alright

We can meet again somewhere
Somewhere far away from here
We never learn

We’ve been here before
Why are we always stuck and running from
The bullets, the bullets
We never learn
We’ve been here before
Why are we always stuck and running from
The bullets, the bullets
Just stop your crying

It’s a sign of the times
We gotta get away from here
We gotta get away from here
Stop your crying, baby
It’ll be alright
They told me that the end is near
We gotta get away from here
We never learn

We’ve been here before
Why are we always stuck and running from
The bullets, the bullets
We never learn
We’ve been here before
Why are we always stuck and running from
Your bullets, the bullets
We don’t talk enough

We should open up
Before it’s all too much
Will we ever learn
We’ve been here before
It’s just what we know
Stop your crying, baby

It’s a sign of the times
We gotta get away
We gotta get away