Hospitalizing a loved one

Hospitalizing a Loved One

In Ep. 008 “Hospitalization for Suicide” we discuss important information when considering mental health treatment centers for someone who is at the bottom of “The Ramp” to suicide. Hospitalizing a loved one against their wishes is likely to result in you feeling guilty about the decision.  Even when hospitalization is absolutely the right call, you may ask yourself questions like: Did I make the right decision? Will it be a terrible experience for them? What …

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First Responders and Suicide. If we want to help, we first must understand their culture.

First Responders & Suicide: The Culture Question

As described in Ep. 007 “How to Find a Therapist for Thoughts of Suicide,” working with a mental health professional who understands your culture is critical. Without understanding a client’s culture, counselors can unintentionally be insensitive towards their client’s values. (*Understanding someone’s culture doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be from that culture.) When we think of “culture”, images of people in traditional clothing and notions about racial groups may come to mind.  Culture, though, …

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The Good and Bad of Antidepressants

Suicidal people typically receive medications such as antidepressants as part of their treatment. This is because, in addition to thoughts of suicide, these individuals may also suffer from other symptoms: depression, sleeping problems, anxiety, disturbances in their thinking, and, possibly, difficulty in concentrating. Those who are suicidal are often are prescribed multiple medications (e.g. an antidepressant for suicide plus something for sleep or a mild tranquilizer and a mood stabilizer).  The Good– The good thing about …

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What Should Be on a Suicide Safety Plan?

If you’ve listened to Ep. 005: What Does Treatment for Suicide Look Like?, you know what a suicide safety plan is. A suicide safety plan is a set of instructions for what to do if you begin to consider suicide. We’ve created some ideas and suggestions to give you inspiration for things that you may want to include on your suicide safety plan. Know your Early Warning Signs Early warning signs are the first indications …

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Suicide and Global Crisis Are Linked

Global Crisis and Suicide Are Linked

In Episode 4: Suicide and Global Crisis we discuss the link between these phenomena, give some strategies for coping, and provide targeted info for groups that are the most vulnerable to suicide. All the way back to the middle ages there are accounts of suicide increasing during a time of widespread crisis. Ovid, in his book, The Metamorphoses, described people taking their lives at the time of the Great Plague. We witnessed this again in …

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