This week’s video touches on something that can be very scary to talk about, suicide. The reason that I wanted to take the time to talk about this topic is because I have heard from many of you that either you have had suicidal thoughts or you know someone who is. Due to the way I was trained I believe that the worst thing I could do would be to not talk about it. It is my belief that the more we talk about things, the less power it has over us. That is why I created my site and these videos; to increase the amount of positive “talk” our there, because our ED’s thrive in isolation and silence.
First I want to address what to do if you yourself are having thoughts of suicide. Obviously, based on what I just said, the first thing to do would be to contact someone you trust. This could be a best friend, a therapist, a parent, whoever. Just make sure that they are supportive and loving and they have a great history of acting that way with you. You do not need to dump all of your thoughts and concerns right away, it is okay to just let them know you have been struggling and having a hard time motivating yourself to do anything to help. Or whatever it is you are feeling, but do not feel like you have to dump all of your suicidal thoughts on them at once. What we are working to create with this is a safe place to talk about your struggles and to get some support. You can also create videos and post them on my site or create your own youtube channel and post them there. Also, journaling can be a great tool to help us really think about what it going on and maybe get some insight into why we are feeling the way we are. If we can figure that out, we will be better armed to deal with the thoughts the next time around.
Secondly I want to discuss what to do if someone you know is having suicidal thoughts and they told you about it. Well first I would refer them to a hotline or a teen help line. These can differ depending on where you live, but I would just search for the ones in your area and have them written down somewhere so that you have them in a crisis. After giving them that information I would be supportive and caring, but be cautious of getting wrapped up in it. Just like we talked about last week, we need to protect ourselves and our recovery. You can still be supportive and loving, but you don’t want to get to so wrapped up in it that we ourselves begin to struggle. You can also let me know about it. I would be more than happy to help out. I will not post anything publically or anything, but I will do my best to contact them privately and offer some support and understanding.
Obviously there is a lot more to talk about when it comes to dealing with suicide and suicidal thoughts, but these are just some helpful tips so that if something happens, we have a plan and can work together to continue building this community working towards a healthy mind and a healthy body.