Tag: suicide

Posted on

Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Staying

It’s the final day of September.

We’ve been focusing on National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. I almost skipped on to a new topic this week, but I think I’ll share a closing thought as we think about suicide prevention.

Stay.

I know life is painful sometimes. It can be frustrating and scary and uncertain.

People often try to convince someone not to take their own life by saying, “Stay for those who love you.” I know they mean well, but that just heaps more guilt on someone who is hurting and has gotten so sick that they can’t see another way out.

I want to encourage you to stay for yourself.

Depression is a highly treatable illness. Even if you can’t feel hope right now, if you hang on and get help you will eventually feel better.

For me, I want to stay because I don’t want to miss out on all of the good things in life.

Sunrises and sunsets.

Mountains and oceans.

A long hike in the woods.

Hauntingly beautiful musicals.

Flocks of birds soaring overhead.

Laughter and tears shared with the ones I love.

The list could go on and on and on. When I focus on those things, it makes it easier to hold on through the hard times.

It might help to hear the stories of people who thought they wanted to die but changed their minds immediately after attempting to die by suicide.

Kevin Hines jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. He felt instant regret as he fell. Miraculously, he survived the fall and went on to become a writer and speaker. You can find lots of info and videos online, and check out his book Cracked, Not Broken: Surviving and Thriving After a Suicide Attempt.

Kristen Jane Anderson wrote Life, In Spite of Me: Extraordinary Hope After a Fatal Choice (with Tricia Goyer) after she attempted to die by suicide by lying down on a set of train tracks. She lost her legs, but she inspires so many people with her story.

The month of September is over, but the need to prevent suicide will continue. Check in on your friends and family, reach out to others if you’re struggling (you can always call or text to 988), and never give up hope.

Stay.

“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you.” (Psalm 139:16–18 NIV)

What are the good things in life that help you decide to stay? How can focusing on God help you never give up hope?

Posted on

Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Talking about Suicide

We’re coming to the end of National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. It’s good to have a special month to get the word out and make people aware of the statistics and encourage them to get help (or help others), but let’s not let the conversation end when we hit October first.

Let’s keep talking about suicide. Oh, I know it’s an uncomfortable topic. I know it’s easier to push it aside and pretend everyone is fine.

Everyone is not fine. If you keep your eyes and ears open, you just may have an opportunity to talk to someone about suicide.

If you see drastic changes in behavior for a friend or family member (especially in their sleeping, eating, and mood), it’s probably time to have a tough conversation with them and ask if they’ve been thinking about suicide. It won’t give them the idea or push them to do it, but if they have been thinking about it, your question may bring relief and help.

If you see someone giving away their possessions, that could be a sign that they’re making plans to die by suicide. Ask them about it.

If you have been thinking more and more often about ending your own life, it’s time to get help.*

We can live full and rich lives, even if we have been diagnosed with a mental illness. A big part of staying healthy is to keep talking. Keep talking with your doctor. Keep talking with your family. Keep talking with your friends.

It just may save a life.

“The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10 NIV)

Have you ever talked with someone about suicide? How can focusing on God give you the courage to bring it up if you’re worried about someone?

*If you are having thoughts of suicide, please get help! You can call or text 988 (a suicide and crisis lifeline). Another place to get help is freshhope.us (you can find a support group near you, join an online group, or check out their other resources).

Posted on

Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Preventing Suicide

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. It’s not something we like to think about, but it’s important that we do.

There are few things sadder than hearing that someone took their own life.

We wish we could have done something. We wish they would have reached out for help instead of taking that fatal action. We wish they were still with us.

So as we begin the month of September, let’s focus on preventing suicide by keeping a few things in mind.

*If you never have suicidal thoughts, thank God for that. Keep in mind that many of the people around you do struggle. Be ready to point them to someone who can help if they share their thoughts with you.

*If you sometimes (or often) have suicidal thoughts, please don’t act on them. Reach out for help. Do whatever you have to do to stay alive. There are many testimonies out there from people who have lived through a suicide attempt and have gone on to enjoy fulfilling lives. Look for those stories and hold on to hope until those suicidal thoughts pass.

*Remember that God has a purpose for you. Right now you may not know what that purpose is, but if you keep reading the Bible, talking to him, and living, eventually he’ll make that purpose clear.

Suicide is a heavy topic, but if we get more comfortable talking about it, maybe we can keep it from happening as often as it does. (A 2019 news release from the World Health Organization says that one person dies every forty seconds from suicide!)

Please don’t give up on yourself or others! You can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for help in the U.S.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NIV)

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)

Do you ever have suicidal thoughts? How can focusing on God help you reach out for help instead of acting on those ideas?

Posted on

Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Suicide

We don’t like to think about things like suicide, do we?

It’s so dark and scary and…depressing.

Even if your life hasn’t been touched personally by a family member’s suicide, most of us have been saddened to hear about someone’s suicide in the towns where we live or by celebrities like actor Robin Williams, designer Kate Spade, and chef Anthony Bourdain.

And then there are those of us who have actually contemplated ending our own lives.

I got to that place back in 2014 when I became clinically depressed and could find absolutely no hope in life. I was still a Christian and I knew where my hope should be found, but I was too sick to grab hold of that hope and be happy.

Thankfully, I was able to talk to my husband about those frightening thoughts and he took me to the hospital where I could be safe until I felt better.

While I was there I met other patients, people who had actually attempted suicide. I’m so glad they didn’t succeed. We talked and laughed and learned together about our illnesses during our stay. We all had families that loved us and wanted us healthy again.

Since that time, I have worked hard at making sure I do the things I need to do to stay healthy emotionally. If I feel myself starting to get into that downward spiral, I’m quick to reach out to my husband or a friend so I don’t get too far away from hope.

That’s why I want to focus on suicide this week.

Maybe you have a family member or friend who struggles with depression. Watch for the warning signs that their depression is getting worse and reach out to help them before it gets too bad.

Maybe you deal with depression at times. Don’t settle for feeling bad most of the time. You may have gotten so used to it that you think it’s just normal for you. It doesn’t have to be! Medications, counseling, exercise, and changing the way you think and act can all lead to a happier, more fulfilling life. 

Please don’t give up! Talk to someone, reach out to anyone. Hopefully you have a supportive friend or family member, but if you don’t, you can always call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text CONNECT to 741741 at the Crisis Text Line

I’m not a professional, but you’re also welcome to talk to me by email (robynmulder @ hotmail.com) or a private message on Facebook.

We can do this hard thing…this amazing thing called Life…if we just don’t give up.

“The thief [Satan] comes only to kill and steal and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10 NIV – brackets added)

Have you ever had suicidal thoughts? How can focusing on God help you to get support and embrace life again?