Yea me - Happy Birthday...

[tg_myths_secret]

. . . and all that crap. I had a definite urge to go bungee jumping with rope instead of elastic; tied around my neck instead of my feet. Unfortunately with today being 47, the symmetry would be all wrong

Comments

being blunt

[tg_myths_secret]

Of course I’m blunt about suicidal thoughts and feelings. I’ve found that facing them head on and honestly is the only way to rob them of their power. When I’m dealing with someone else who is feeling suicidal, I don’t dance around the issue, that only makes things worse by demonstrating a lack of understanding. Rather I take the issue on in a very blunt and straightforward way. I know what it’s like to be there and talking about it won’t make it happen, it’ll help to center the thinking and reveal the errors in the mind that is coming up with these crazy thoughts.

One of the things other people try when dealing with suicidal people is, “Think of your family, pets, friends, etc.” In my experience this is totally ineffective and triggers thoughts of, “They’ll be better off without me.” This should be avoided. Talk about the feelings, talk about the thoughts. If you’ve had similar thoughts and feelings, share them so the other person knows you’ve been there and aren’t filling them full of crap.

Re: being blunt

[tg_myths_secret]

Thank you for the warm b-day wishes; I smiled.

I occasionally run into professionals who don’t have a clue how to defuse potential suicides, they want to de-escalate the situation or involuntarily confine a person to someone else’s care, but they won’t face the issue honestly. At what point is sidestepping a serious issue the professionally accepted technique? When is it unethical incompetence?

Allie spent the last few days feeling seriously suicidal and I’ve spent a while talking with her and I believe she can now avoid the hospital without doing herself any harm. (A condition that was unlikely when we started talking.) My technique has worked many times, so how do I get paid?

I never know when the phone rings what sort of call it’ll be. I never know when I run a support group what sort of support is needed. Surprisingly enough these times are therapeutic for me as well as the other person.

Re: being blunt

[tg_myths_secret]

Good job in school. I was in special-ed and found myself talking to the other sped students about their problems. I never thought anything of it and never had any official sanction, but that may be why I do it still. Perhaps I never progressed beyond those school conversations. One of the labels they had for me (and they had a lot) was, “Socially retarded.” Is it any wonder I started having suicidal thoughts so young? I knew, and was constantly reminded, that I am defective. I bet that had we been in school together we… well, actually we would have been operating in entirely different social strata and probably wouldn’t have met, but I’m glad to have the chance to know you now.

Re: being blunt

[tg_myths_secret]

Considering that I had one friend in school, and sort of knew about a dozen other students. It’s unlikely that I could have held up my end of a social relationship, but had you made the initial effort I would have tried to maintain a conversation. I realize that I make it sound worse than it actually was, but I was limited socially as a direct result of my “brain injury.” I’ve always been satisfied with my childhood and the one thing I would change is my father’s addiction problems. One friend was enough. Now I have four, and a bunch of acquaintances