Suicide Awareness Day

[JosShavaughn]

In case you didn't see it on Facebook, it's Suicide Awareness day.

This is something I feel very strongly about, being as I have once attempted myself due to undiagnosed/uncontrolled bi polar. My attempt was November 24, 2007. In December 2007, I was officially diagnosed as Bi-Polar and began treatment. I struggled for almost 2 years to get my bi polar under control, I was hospitalized in May 2009 and have been on my current treatment AND stable since June 2009. I choose to be fairly open about my BP and my suicide attempt.

Anyways, today is apparently Suicide Awareness day, if you or someone you know has been affected by, or feelings strongly about suicide, please wear a blue shirt today.

Also check out Bring Change 2 Mind which is helping to dissolve the common stereotypes about those w/ mental illness. We're not as crazy as you think. I lead a very normal, pretty boring actually, life. No one would ever know unless I told them. There are some of us who choose not to use proper treatment and have little to no control of their lives, but that is not how we all are.

Anyways, just wanted to share.

[Cajungaltx]

Joshlyn - Thanks for sharing.

And for sharing your experience - I always grimace at stuff like this - I admire the brave soul who is willing to put their stuff 'out there' in hopes that it helps someone else - but oh so many times I have (or have friends) not asked for help because of the perceptions that you think go along with whatever problem your dealing with.

We were at a military function recently - one of those 'there's help available if you need it' sort of things. There's this concept of 'not going to be the weak link in the chain' that is so pervasive in our society....even MORE so in the military.... and this brave mom and dad got up and talked about having to admit their son to a facility to get help... mom had been trying to keep it all together for dad (who was deployed)... and was at the end of her rope because she was afraid to say 'I can't do this'... She finally asked for, and got them all help....and life returned to manageable for them....from a very unmanageable/chaotic state.

So thanks for sharing... I hope you have an amazing week! ;-)

[L Stegall]

Well, I'm wearing a blue sweater and I didn't even know that it was the color of the day. Sadly, I am reminded of losing one of my closest high school friends 31 years ago to suicide. Looking back, I am quite sure she was never diagnosed as bipolar, but probably was. I often think about her when I see an amazing sunset and realize many wonderful moments she's missed over the years. Glad you got help and are a voice for openness. We don't keep a cancer diagnosis a secret anymore, and this shouldn't be either.

[Rich Gibson]

Thanks for posting this. I lost a sister to suicide in 1960. In a casual conversation recently a psychiatrist said it sounded like an undiagnosed bipolar disorder. She was pregnant and had two children under four. It devastated the family; one boy never adjusted, became a street person later in life and has disappeared. After we moved to our current residence a a former pastor committed suicide. In both cases no one noticed the (now obvious) signs.

Rich

[JosShavaughn]

I've found that there really are very obvious signs, but if you know nothing about BP you have no idea that they're not just extreme depression, or extreme whatever else. For me, there's been signs since I was a kid, like extreme, very emotional, tantrums, that were much worse than your average tantrum. After being diagnosed I learned that that's a sign in childhood, and it's actually very rare in children, most signs don't appear until young adulthood. Mine have been there as long as I can remember.

Like when I'm manic, I can't control my spending. That's why I have very little control over my own money. When I get my student refund check, I pay my rent and utilities through like 4-6 months ahead, then send the rest to my mom, and she gives me small amounts of money about once a week. I have a prepaid credit card, she goes to walmart and gets a special code and I type it in my account site and I have money. Sometimes I could manage my own money just fine, but if I was to get manic, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from using up whatever money I have left. So by choice, I give her all my money. This is just one of the ways I've had to adapt my life around my BP. I also take 9 different medications a day.