Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Reasons NOT to Commit Suicide
If you are considering committing suicide, please read this entire list.
the ocean
the waves
the sand in between your toes
finding sea shells
watching a whole ecosystem develop before your eyes in tide pools
the moon
how the moon is always there, night after night
the sun
how it gives life to everything on this planet
the universe
the stars
a tiny little speck in the universe developed into a planet, which developed into a world populated with people over millions of years, just so an even tinier speck (you) could live here
nature
trees
forests
squirrels and mice and chipmunks exist on this earth...if they can survive living, so can you
even insects and tiny little creatures
the rainforest
the way you can see a single ray of sunlight shining down through the treetops
your pet
how they care about you being happy and lick your tears or let you pet them when you are sad
sunrises
sunsets
puppies
kittens
all manner of baby anythings
the way their eyes are so big and they were evolutionarily designed to make you love them so that you would care about keeping them alive
your baby
your child who once was just a tiny baby, but you've watched them grow into themselves and become their own person
how you're going to continue to watch them grow
your niece
your nephew
your siblings
watching your siblings become parents themselves
rain
that kind of rain that just pours, and completely transforms your view of the world for a few minutes
thunderstorms
when they're not scary but they are just reminders that you ultimately don't have to control everything in your life
the way the thunder sounds so comforting with the rain beating down on the roof, and you feel so safe and calm knowing you're inside
lakes
ponds
rivers
the sun reflected on a body of water
the little ripples in the surface that remind you there's a whole different way of life underneath the water's surface, different from anything you've ever known
boats
swans
the way they glide over the water so gracefully and calmly
learning about different parts of the world
different cultures and languages and people
that live life a totally different way than you do
delicious food
all the different types of tastes and flavors that are universally delicious
writing
words
how you can use words to convey a message that was once only in your own mind
little kids
how they are so innocent and don't understand anything
how they are so easily entertained and easy to please
charities
organizations that exist solely for the purpose of helping people
people that genuinely are trying to make the world a better place somehow
airplanes
how it's possible to get to any spot in the world
computers
the Internet
how you can take something from your mind and convey it to millions of people all with the click of a button, and never having to move from the spot you are at
phones
how they allow you limitless opportunities for communication
how they can entertain you for hours while you're just moving your fingertips
elephants
how silly and playful and gentle and calm they are
rainbows
how there's even such a thing as rainbows...where we can see all the colors altogether in one phenomenon
grandparents
how they can be so kind and wise
how they love to tell stories of their lives
how they've lived through so much history
sometimes they do stuff like this
history
how it teaches us so many life lessons
how people throughout time knew how important life was
they recorded everything just so that we could know about it
for thousands of years, people have been recording their history so that YOU could know about it
people for thousands of years have cared about YOU, and thought about you
the future
how you're thinking about it right now
how not a single soul on this earth really knows how the future is going to turn out
not knowing is kind of beautiful on a grand scale
music
instruments and itunes and downloads
how it can convey a message to you that you understand so well, that words wouldn't have been able to describe
art
painting
how one person can create something entirely different than another person
the human mind is absolutely endless in its potential
softness
puppy fur and pets and all sorts of animals. blankets and pillows and feathers. anything soft that brings us so much comfort and relief, just by feeling something
people
how we can talk to them and help them
how they can help us
how we as human beings are innately understanding and sympathetic, and how there are people you don't even know that legitimately don't want you to suffer
baby rhinos
because this
fishing
country air
that fresh air where all you can smell is nature, nothing man-made or pollutant
love
that feeling in your stomach like butterflies when you know you're in love
when you know they love you back
validation
when someone knows and understands your feelings, and why you feel that way
education
the fact that we are infinitely able to learn new things
warmth
that amazing feeling when you're super cold and you finally get warm and cozy
having cold hands and wrapping your fingers around a warm mug of tee or coffee or hot cocoa
hoodies/sweatshirts, sweatpants, warm blankets, bed, clothes straight out of the dryer
relief
when you finally realize you don't have to worry about something anymore
colors of leaves in the fall and in the spring
pure joy and hilariousness of how excited dogs get over the simplest things, like a walk or some food
when you really make someone laugh or make them happy
Singing along to favorite music at the top of your voice
campfires and bonfires, the way they crackle, the way they spark like fireworks into the sky, and the way they inspire ghost stories, singing, and deep conversation; and bring a group of people closer together
total relaxation when you lay your head back, let your shoulders relax, and close your eyes while your hairdresser or barber shampoos your hair (I don't know why it's so relaxing but it is at least for me!)
If you have another reason not to commit suicide, please submit it in the comments section, and it could end up on this list! Let's grow this list so that anybody thinking about committing suicide will have to think twice. You could end up saving a life.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Local Mental Health Care and Suicide Coverage—A Peoria Problem
Yesterday (Monday, September 7th), marked the beginning of National Suicide Prevention Week. I was driving to work this morning, officially starting my work-week (since yesterday was Labor Day), and I heard a disturbing story on the radio.
A man had, ironically, tried to commit suicide this morning in our local community. He jumped off a heavily-used bridge.
What really shocked me, though, was the story they were reporting. It was not, in fact, about a man attempting suicide during National Suicide Prevention Week in our local community; it was actually about delays in traffic on I-474...the man attempting to take his own life was just the cause of the traffic delay. This suicide attempt was literally treated as an afterthought, as something that just happens sometimes and you have to deal with it, like a weather condition or road construction or something.
HOW, in the year 2015, is this STILL HAPPENING? Who in the newsrooms thought it was okay to treat a story like this as an afterthought? As just the reason to why traffic was delayed this morning?
I was absolutely appalled at the treatment of this story by the media. As I got settled into work later, I looked up the story online to see if there was any more coverage. There were 2 articles online that I found, and they were both almost the exact same thing that I heard on the radio. That a local 20 year old man had jumped off the bridge, causing delays on I-474. He was treated on the scene and taken to a local hospital. THAT'S IT!
There are even guidelines among the reporting/journalist community on how to treat stories about suicide, to prevent situations like this from ever happening. I did a quick google search and an entire website devoted to informing reporters of these guidelines came up as one of the first results. According to that website,
It's no wonder why the Peoria Area has higher levels of depression than the state average (16.6% to 15%). That statistic is from the 2014 United Way Peoria Area Community Assessment, and the ONE statistic that even mentioned mental health (in this case, it was depression), was from 2012.
This statistic has steadily risen since their 2011 Peoria Area Community Assessment, which stated, "People who reported feeling sad or depressed for more than 2 days, 2009 compared to 2004. Peoria County 29.1%; % change from 2004, +7.6%; Tazewell County 30.5%; % change from 2004, +10.8%; Woodford County 18.9%; % change from 2004, - 2.9%.
So in 2014, 16.6% of people living in the Peoria Area were struggling with depression. That is not a small percentage, people. And it should scare you that that number has been consistently rising for over 10 years.
If you peruse the Peoria County Government website, you will see a ton of links to health-related resources. With an increase in numbers like this, you would expect the community to be doing something about it. There is a long side-bar on the main page that lists a lot of different pages related to health, and not one of them has anything mental-health related. So if you go straight to the Peoria County website to try to find resources available for mental health, you will have a very hard time finding anything.
In 2010, the county of Peoria released the results of its own Peoria County National Citizen Survey, a document of statistics that is over 12 pages long. There was only ONE mention of anything even related to mental health. And what it said absolutely astounded me:
The HIGHEST percent of satisfaction is 39%, and that's in the demographic of earning $100,000 per year.
So only 39% of people in the WEALTHIEST category are satisfied with Peoria's mental health care...and that's to say nothing if you don't happen to make over $100,000 year.
The lowest percent of satisfaction reported (29%) was in the $50,000 to $99,999 range...that's the everyday average person. And they are the most unsatisfied with mental health care here in Peoria.
That is ridiculously appalling. If 16.6% of us struggle with just depression (who knows how high the statistic is if you factor in every single other type of mental illness), and the average satisfaction rate (based on annual household income) here is 33.7%, there is a HUGE problem.
That means there is an enormous need for mental health care, and an even bigger gap in the QUALITY of mental health care services.
That is not okay. This is 2015. We have three major hospitals in the city of Peoria alone, and countless other health programs/organizations; we have state-of-the-art medical technology and beautiful architecture and millions of dollars that go into our healthcare system. And our average satisfaction with mental health is 33.7%. I understand that you can't please everybody, but when the vast majority of people are not pleased, it is a much bigger issue.
From my own experiences and those that I love, I have seen how decrepit our mental healthcare system is...but I never knew the actual statistics until now...and it's absolutely despicable. There is just no excuse for this.
The biggest problem here is awareness and understanding. This is why I am so passionate about this...because people NEED it! PLEASE share this with as many people as you can. We have to get this message out to our community. Most people probably don't even realize that our system is so ineffective. If we spread the message, think of all the countless people we can help to have better quality lives—not to mention the number of lives we can save.
I feel SO much sympathy for the 20 year old man who attempted suicide on I-474 this morning. Not only did he not have access to quality care that he deserves as a human being, but also for the fact that his biggest struggle in life was made into a headline about the cause of traffic delays. That is just not acceptable, and I, for one, will not stand for it anymore.
A man had, ironically, tried to commit suicide this morning in our local community. He jumped off a heavily-used bridge.
What really shocked me, though, was the story they were reporting. It was not, in fact, about a man attempting suicide during National Suicide Prevention Week in our local community; it was actually about delays in traffic on I-474...the man attempting to take his own life was just the cause of the traffic delay. This suicide attempt was literally treated as an afterthought, as something that just happens sometimes and you have to deal with it, like a weather condition or road construction or something.
HOW, in the year 2015, is this STILL HAPPENING? Who in the newsrooms thought it was okay to treat a story like this as an afterthought? As just the reason to why traffic was delayed this morning?
I was absolutely appalled at the treatment of this story by the media. As I got settled into work later, I looked up the story online to see if there was any more coverage. There were 2 articles online that I found, and they were both almost the exact same thing that I heard on the radio. That a local 20 year old man had jumped off the bridge, causing delays on I-474. He was treated on the scene and taken to a local hospital. THAT'S IT!
There are even guidelines among the reporting/journalist community on how to treat stories about suicide, to prevent situations like this from ever happening. I did a quick google search and an entire website devoted to informing reporters of these guidelines came up as one of the first results. According to that website,
...Certain types of news coverage can increase the likelihood of suicide in vulnerable individuals.
In a world where there are rules widely protecting the rights and feelings of minorities and people who are different than "the norm," how on earth do we get a news story with the headline of:
??????
This statistic has steadily risen since their 2011 Peoria Area Community Assessment, which stated, "People who reported feeling sad or depressed for more than 2 days, 2009 compared to 2004. Peoria County 29.1%; % change from 2004, +7.6%; Tazewell County 30.5%; % change from 2004, +10.8%; Woodford County 18.9%; % change from 2004, - 2.9%.
So in 2014, 16.6% of people living in the Peoria Area were struggling with depression. That is not a small percentage, people. And it should scare you that that number has been consistently rising for over 10 years.
If you peruse the Peoria County Government website, you will see a ton of links to health-related resources. With an increase in numbers like this, you would expect the community to be doing something about it. There is a long side-bar on the main page that lists a lot of different pages related to health, and not one of them has anything mental-health related. So if you go straight to the Peoria County website to try to find resources available for mental health, you will have a very hard time finding anything.
Are you starting to be bothered yet? Just wait...
The HIGHEST percent of satisfaction is 39%, and that's in the demographic of earning $100,000 per year.
So only 39% of people in the WEALTHIEST category are satisfied with Peoria's mental health care...and that's to say nothing if you don't happen to make over $100,000 year.
The lowest percent of satisfaction reported (29%) was in the $50,000 to $99,999 range...that's the everyday average person. And they are the most unsatisfied with mental health care here in Peoria.
That is ridiculously appalling. If 16.6% of us struggle with just depression (who knows how high the statistic is if you factor in every single other type of mental illness), and the average satisfaction rate (based on annual household income) here is 33.7%, there is a HUGE problem.
That means there is an enormous need for mental health care, and an even bigger gap in the QUALITY of mental health care services.
That is not okay. This is 2015. We have three major hospitals in the city of Peoria alone, and countless other health programs/organizations; we have state-of-the-art medical technology and beautiful architecture and millions of dollars that go into our healthcare system. And our average satisfaction with mental health is 33.7%. I understand that you can't please everybody, but when the vast majority of people are not pleased, it is a much bigger issue.
From my own experiences and those that I love, I have seen how decrepit our mental healthcare system is...but I never knew the actual statistics until now...and it's absolutely despicable. There is just no excuse for this.
The biggest problem here is awareness and understanding. This is why I am so passionate about this...because people NEED it! PLEASE share this with as many people as you can. We have to get this message out to our community. Most people probably don't even realize that our system is so ineffective. If we spread the message, think of all the countless people we can help to have better quality lives—not to mention the number of lives we can save.
I feel SO much sympathy for the 20 year old man who attempted suicide on I-474 this morning. Not only did he not have access to quality care that he deserves as a human being, but also for the fact that his biggest struggle in life was made into a headline about the cause of traffic delays. That is just not acceptable, and I, for one, will not stand for it anymore.
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