Info and links

This is a wonderful segment from CBS Sunday Morning regarding suicide intervention.

Although this segment is more about how therapists can intervene with their clients, not all suicidal intervention requires a therapist. Sometimes all it takes is reaching out to someone with kind words during a difficult time; something every one of us can do.

Kevin Hines attempted suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge and lived to tell his story.

Don't be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart. - Roy T. Bennett

We all experience fears. Learning how to push past them and manage them, that's where the magic really begins to take shape. It's not always over night, but when you get there, you will look back with wonder at all you've accomplished.

Take The ACE Quiz — And Learn What It Does And Doesn't MeanFirst developed in the 1990s, the 10 questions of the Adverse Childhood Experiences test are designed to take a rough measure of a difficult childhood. Finding out your score is easy. Now what?

What's Your ACE Score?

ACE is short for Adverse Childhood Experiences - childhood experiences a person has endured before turning 18 years old. This 10 question scale is a guideline to help in overcoming the effects of the adversities, so the individual can live a mentally healthy life. This scale does not take into account the positive contributions, such as a caring grandparent, friend, coach, therapist, or teacher in a person's childhood that may have already helped in building resiliency to the adverse experiences.

Scoring a 4 or more indicates trauma symptoms are most likely manifesting in an individual's behavior. The higher the score the more likely the person will display significant behavioral symptoms.

“There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.” ― Laurell K. Hamilton

Mental health therapy can be a very effective way for individuals who have been traumatized to process and work through their experiences. Therapists can use various approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), to help individuals understand and cope with their feelings and memories related to the traumatic event. The goal is to reduce symptoms of trauma, such as anxiety, depression, and flashbacks, and to help the individual develop healthy coping strategies and build resilience. Therapy can also provide a supportive and safe environment for individuals to work through their experiences and gain insight and understanding into how the trauma has affected them.