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Sharing – I Feel Nothing: Emotional Numbness and How to Cope
ByMikeM September 13, 2021September 13, 2021 Reading Time: 2 minutes

In my experience all of that is true. The trauma of my childhood left me numb in early adulthood. The current pandemic and all of the other things going on around us every day have left me numb from time to time now. It’s the overwhelming stress that just living every day can bring right now. So, I find myself doing some of the things recommended in the article below to help in the short term, while also knowing that if that doesn’t work, I need to consider the long-term options as well.

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Sharing – We Need More Comprehensive Suicide Prevention
ByMikeM September 10, 2021September 10, 2021 Reading Time: 2 minutes

I, obviously, agree. Awareness is great. Ending stigma, and having a crisis resource is great. It’s also not enough. What are we doing after the immediate crisis to prevent the next one, or to provide treatment and resources for all of the people who aren’t getting any now? What are we doing to accommodate people in the workplace who need to see a therapist on the regular, or need to be medicated and have some accommodation made? What are insurance companies doing to make sure mental health coverage is on par with physical health coverage, and who is enforcing the law when it isn’t? What are we doing to support families and loved ones who are doing their best to support people dealing with mental health issues?

As long as there are still so many not getting the help they need, the obvious answer to all of these questions is, not enough.

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Recommendations

Suicide Prevention in Ireland
ByMikeM September 9, 2021September 9, 2021 Reading Time: 1 minute

Yesterday we shared some Australian resources, today I came across an Irish resource for suicide prevention, and thought we should give the Irish readers some equal time:

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Book Reviews

Reviews Elsewhere – Bi The Way by Lois Shearing
ByMikeM September 9, 2021September 8, 2021 Reading Time: 1 minute

I came across this review on the Scene website, and I wanted to share it with you because one of the things we know is that LGBTQ+ folks are more likely to deal with mental health issues, and also suffer a higher rate of suicide. So while the book is about being Bi, and not directly about mental health, during Suicide Prevention Week I think it’s important to share resources for groups who often struggle with seeing their own stories told. Based on the review, I think this book seems like exactly that type of thing, a voice of an underserved group.

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Sharing – RUOK? A step based guide on how to ask, how to answer, and how to act!
ByMikeM September 8, 2021January 19, 2025 Reading Time: 1 minute

This is an Australian-based resource, but in honor of the upcoming RUOK day for my Aussie friends, I wanted to share it.

In addition, the tips they give for how to ask if someone is OK, and how to respond, are useful to anyone, everywhere.

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Sharing – What Self-Care Really Involves
ByMikeM September 7, 2021September 6, 2021 Reading Time: 1 minute

As many of you know, we got hit by a hurricane in our area of the world last week. We were lucky compared to many, but things have not been normal, by any stretch. Lack of power, gas shortages, and curfews don’t leave a lot of room for “typical” self-care routines. It’s hard to have a spa day when all the spas are closed, after all. Self-care in that kind of situation might look more like cleaning up the storm debris, or getting sleep when you could.

Remember, self-care is not one type of thing, as Melanie says acts of self-care are acts that help you feel better and less anxious, even if they don’t always look the same!

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