March 30, 2009

Raw Emotions

Today was tough. SO many crappy things happened. One particular interaction I had today prompted some strong emotions. This leads me to sharing with you some very important life saving information...


Did you know...

  • 1 of 4 will experience a depressed mood before they are 24 years old
  • Almost 1/2 of college students reports being depressed at some point to the point of having trouble functioning
  • Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in people ages 15-24 and 2nd leading cause of death among college students
  • Over 32,000 people die by suicide every year (USA)
  • It is estimated that a suicide attempt is made every minute, and a person dies by suicide every 16 minutes (USA)
  • 1,500 people attempt suicide each day (USA)

Warning signs...
  • Indications of an abusive relationship
  • Mood Swings and/or sudden personality change
  • School or work performance significantly declining
  • No friends, or suddenly not spending time with friends
  • Signs of an eating disorder
  • Cutting
  • Fixation with violence/death
  • Depression
  • Comments such as: "I'm going to end it all", "What's the point of living", Who cares if I'm around anyhow".
  • Giving away important items
  • Saying there is a plan to to end things

If you suspect someone you know is considering suicide, it is essential to talk to them. Do not be afraid to directly, but gently, ask them if they are considering suicide. Contrary to some belief, this does not give them the idea. Instead it gives them permission to honestly talk about it. By opening up this line of communication, it shows that someone really does notice them, and cares about them. Ask open ended questions, giving them the opportunity to answer with more than a "yes" or "no".



If you feel the person isn't in immediate danger, work with them to create a plan of action. Help them find resources, such as a doctor or counselor. It may also be helpful to offer to take the person to the appointment.



If the person has a plan, this is one major indication of level of seriousness. If the person is in immediate danger, call 911 or if needed, take the person to the ER or nearest hospital.



If you are considering suicide, remember you are not alone. There are MANY people that care about you and want to help. Please talk to someone. If you are not comfortable telling someone you know, please call 911.



Additional information can be found on the Mayo Clinic web site. Please take a couple moments to read through it. You never know when you could save someone's life.


Additional resources/and references for above stats:

8 comments:

  1. I hit the button before I meant to. I think some people fail to realize how common depression is. Personally I have suffered from depression, people in my family have and I have lost someone to it as well. Thanks..

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  2. Sorry to hear you had such a rough day. I hope everyone is ok!

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  3. I'm really sorry to hear you had a bad day.

    The info you've provided is good. Like White Hot said above, depression really is actually pretty common - and so it's odd how isolating those feelings of darkness can be. I've certainly experienced them myself.

    I hope today is a better day for you...

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  4. Those are some of the most depressing stats ever.

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  5. Thank you to everyone that has commented, expressed concern and reached out to me. I appreciate your words and thoughts.

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  6. Depression is very common, but everyone isn't not okay yet to talk about it openly. Sounds like it's good you were there, although the fallout afterwards can be hard to deal with. ((Hugs))

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  7. thanks for sharing. I hope I will never be there, or find someone being there..

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