#SuicideandCrisisLifeline

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#JamesDonaldson On #MentalHealth – Study Finds ‘Huge’ Increase In #Children Going To The Emergency Room With #SuicidalThoughts

By Jen Christensen, CNN "It's life or death": #Teen #mentalhealth in crisis Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with #suicidalthoughts or #mentalhealthmatters, please call the 988 #SuicideandCrisisLifeline, or visit the hotline’s website.CNN —  There has been a steady increase in the number of #children who are seen in emergency rooms for #suicidalthoughts, according to a new study – and the increase started even before the #Covid-19 #pandemic, which brought record high demand for psychological services for #children. The pandemic’s effects drew renewed attention to #suicide in #teens and young #children. In June, the Biden administration called the recent rise in rates of #depression, #anxiety and #suicidalthoughts among #kids an “unprecedented #mentalhealthcrisis.” 2021 US firearm homicide and #suicide rates were highest since the 1990s, #CDC data shows The study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, used data from hospitals in Illinois. The researchers looked at the number of #children ages 5 to 19 who sought help for #suicide in emergency departments between January 2016 and June 2021. In that period, there were 81,051 emergency department visits by young people that were coded for #suicidalideation. About a quarter of those visits turned into hospital stays. The study found that visits to the ER with #suicidalthoughts increased 59% from 2016-17 to 2019-21. There was a corresponding increase in cases in which #suicidalideation was the principal diagnosis, which rose from 34.6% to 44.3%. Hospitalizations for #suicidalthoughts increased 57% between fall 2019 and fall 2020. #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleOrder your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife:From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com US #suicide rates rose in 2021, reversing two years of decline “It just really highlights how #mentalhealthconcerns were really a problem before the #pandemic. I mean, we saw this huge increase in visits for #kids of all ages, honestly, in 2019, and it’s very concerning,” said study co-author Dr. Audrey Brewer, an attending #physician in advanced general pediatrics and primary care at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and a researcher in the Department of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “We saw more #kids than we typically do that we … wouldn’t necessarily have thought would have problems about #suicidalideation. We saw 5-year-olds. “To see them presenting to emergency departments for #mentalhealth or for #suicideideation-related visits is very concerning.” Calls to #suicidepreventionlifeline rose 45% after changeover to 988 number Brewer thinks the true numbers are probably much higher than what the study found, because not all #children who struggle with thoughts of #suicide go to the emergency room. Experts say it’s not a problem unique to any one state. Dr. Nicholas Holmes, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, said the increase in the number of #kids seeking help in his #healthcare system has been “profound.” HOW TO GET HELP Help is there if you or someone you know is struggling with #suicidalthoughts or #mentalhealthmatters. In the US: Call or text 988, the #Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.Globally: The International Association for #SuicidePrevention and Befrienders Worldwide have contact information for crisis centers around the world. - “Over the last nine years, where we would see about anywhere from one to two #patients a day that were having a #behavioralhealth crisis, now we’re seeing 20-plus a day,” said Holmes, who was not involved in the new research. He said Rady, the largest pediatric hospital on the West Coast, is fortunate to have an inpatient #child and #adolescent psychiatric unit. To help more of these #children, Holmes’ hospital system is working with county health and human services to help create a pediatric-focused #mental and #behavioralhealth campus. It will double the size of Rady’s inpatient #behavioralhealth unit, in addition to beefing up services for #children who need therapy but don’t need to be hospitalized. Other places in the US aren’t so lucky. There is a nationwide shortage of beds for #kids who need #mentalhealth help, research shows. A 2020 federal survey found that the number of residential treatment facilities for kids had fallen 30% from where it was in 2012. The care shortage has come alongside a significant increase in the prevalence of #mentalhealthchallenges that can lead to #suicide. In 2019, 1 in 3 #highschoolstudents and half of all #female #students reported persistent feelings of #hopelessness and sadness, up from 40% in 2009. And there was a 36% increase in #students who reported considering #suicide, according to the US #CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention. Debunking myths about #suicide helps encourage compassion and understanding The new study cannot determine exactly why so many more young people are going to a hospital with thoughts of #suicide, but Brewer thinks it may be a combination of factors. Many of the #children who were hospitalized with #suicidalthoughts had other #mentalhealthproblems like #anxiety, #depression and #substanceuse, she said. #Children also are responding to #trauma in their lives and social influences on their health like poverty, historical #trauma and marginalization, trouble at #school, online #bullying and the pressures brought by #socialmedia, in addition to a lack of access to counseling and therapy. Brewer said #adults can intervene when a #child is thinking about #suicide. She advises caregivers to be on the lookout for problems at #school or among friends and to watch for a #child who is isolating themselves or showing signs of more #anxiety or aggression than usual. “They may act out or have problems sleeping. Irritability and being more withdrawn and isolating themselves are a lot of things that we oftentimes will think about,” Brewer said. - It never hurts to seek help from a #pediatrician about how to help a #child who’s struggling. “It’s important for #parents to feel empowered to really sit back and listen to their kids and talk to them. Really try to relate and understand what is going on with them and help promote positive relationships,” Brewer said. She said she hopes #mentalhealthcare will become less stigmatized and more available to #children. “We really need to develop more of a strategy to help support all kinds in different ways and really focus on some of those traumas and social influences of health,” Brewer said. “We need to make sure more #children will have safe places to grow and thrive.” Read the full article

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#JamesDonaldson On #MentalHealth – Late #SinéadO'Connor Was Open With #MentalHealthStruggles, #BipolarDisorder Diagnosis

The late Irish singer was very transparent about her #mental and physical health By Chrissy Callahan This story discusses #suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text #988 to reach the #SuicideandCrisisLifeline. You can also text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources. After a successful career that spanned multiple decades, #SinéadO’Connor has passed away at the age of 56. News of the musician's death broke on Wednesday, but an official cause of death has not been released yet. O'Connor's family shared the following statement with The BBC and Irish broadcaster RTE: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”   #SineadO'Connor, 1992Crispin Rodwell / Shutterstock Throughout her career, the “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer was open about the various health struggles she experienced, many of which were related to #mentalhealth. O'Connor had #bipolardisorder In 2007, the star spoke about her #bipolardisorder during an appearance on "The #OprahWinfrey Show” and said she experienced thoughts of #suicide and overwhelming fear before her diagnosis nearly four years beforehand. “It’s like being a bucket with holes in it. Just leaking tears from every pore,” she said. At the time, O'Connor was taking mood stabilizing and antidepressant medications. She told Winfrey they helped, but added that she was a "work in progress." “I’m not going to sit here and claim that I’m kind of perfect or anything. Anything is an improvement when you’ve been in desolation ... to be out of that place is brilliant. It doesn’t mean you don’t have lumps and bumps,” she said. Over the years, O'Connor was forthcoming about the effect her condition had on her career. In 2012, she canceled her tour, explaining that she was “very unwell due to #bipolardisorder.” The same year, she sought treatment for #depression. In 2017, the Irish singer spoke openly about her #mentalhealth and #suicidalthoughts in an emotional video, claiming that her family had abandoned her. “Why are we alone?” she said. “People who suffer from #mentalillness are the most vulnerable people on Earth. You’ve got to take care of us. We’re not like everybody.” The star also encouraged her fans to check in on anyone in their lives who might be struggling. “If you have a family member that suffers from #mentalillness, care for them, tenderness, love, care for them. Visit them in the hospital, don’t dump them in the hospital and bugger off,” she said. O'Connor was hospitalized last year after her son died In January 2022, O’Connor was hospitalized just days after her 17-year-old son Shane died. As reported by #CNN at the time, the singer sought medical care after posting a series of alarming #Twitter posts claiming that she planned to die by #suicide. “I’ve decided to follow my son. There is no point living without him. Everything I touch, I ruin. I only stayed for him. And now he’s gone,” O'Connor shared via an unverified #Twitter account that was linked to her account. Later on, the star added to her tweets and apologized, admitting that she "shouldn't have said that." "I am with #cops now on way to hospital. I’m sorry I upset everyone,” she wrote. “I am lost without my #kid and I hate myself. Hospital will help a while. But I’m going to find Shane. This is just a delay.” #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com O'Connor experienced #PTSD from #childhood abuse O'Connor's memoir, "Rememberings," published in 2021, dives into the #physicalabuse she endured from her mother as a #child. "I won the prize in kindergarten for being able to curl up into the smallest ball, but my #teacher never knew why I could do it so well," she wrote in the book. In a 2021 interview with the New York Times, O'Connor offered the following insight into her experience as a #child. “#Childabuse is an identity crisis and fame is an identity crisis, so I went straight from one identity crisis into another,” she said. In an interview with TODAY's Carson Daly in 2021, O'Connor explained how she still lived with the #trauma of her #childhood. “I suffer from a condition called complex #posttraumaticstressdisorder, from things that I went through growing up,” she said. While talking with Carson, O'Connor recalled an iconic moment when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II in 1992 while appearing on “Saturday Night Live.” The photo belonged to the star's mother, and she explained that it was a therapeutic experience since she had been so abusive during her #childhood. “It was a way of ripping her up, as well, I guess,” she said. O'Connor spoke out about the challenges she faced following a hysterectomy  In 2015, O'Connor underwent a radical hysterectomy in an attempt to manage her endometriosis. While speaking with People in 2021, the star said the procedure and the subsequent menopause that came afterwards was very challenging to experience. “When I had the surgery, I was terribly triggered,” she said. The star visited several #psychiatric facilities in the years following the procedure, and she opened up to People about her #mentalhealthstruggles. “You can never predict what might trigger the (#PTSD). I describe myself as a rescue dog: I’m fine until you put me in a situation that even slightly smells like any of the #trauma I went through, then I flip my lid,” she said. “I manage very well because I’ve been taught brilliant skills. There was a lot of therapy. It’s about focusing on the things that bring you peace as opposed to what makes you feel unstable.” Sinead O'Conner Read the full article

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#JamesDonaldson On #MentalHealth – #Stephen'tWitch'Boss, DJ On The Ellen Show, Dies By #Suicide

Egl? Krištopaityt? Image by Jo Panuwat D via Shutterstock #Stephen"tWitch"Boss, best known as the dancing DJ on The Ellen Show, dies at 40 by #suicide. It is important to know the warning signs to help your loved ones with #suicidalthoughts. According to the medical examination by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office, Boss died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. His wife, Allison Holker Boss, confirmed her husband's death in a statement to People magazine. "Stephen lit up every room he stepped into. He valued family, friends and community above all else and leading with love and light was everything to him," she said. #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleOrder your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife:From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com #Suicide is a leading cause of death in the US. It was responsible for nearly 46,000 deaths in 2020, the #CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention (#CDC) data shows. According to the #NationalInstituteofMentalHealth, the #suicide warning signs include: - Talking about wanting to die, great guilt or shame, or being a burden to others. - Feeling empty, empty, hopeless, trapped, or having no reason to live, as well as extremely sad, more anxious, agitated, or full of rage. Feeling unbearable emotional or physical pain may also be a sign of #suicide. - Changing #behavior, such as making a plan or researching ways to die, withdrawing from friends or saying goodbye, taking dangerous risks, and using #drugs or #alcohol more often. If you suspect someone is having #suicidalthoughts, ask them directly about it, keep them safe, and help them connect with professionals. If you are having #suicidalthoughts, contact the #988 #SuicideandCrisisLifeline. Read the full article