#tw: mental health crisis

[dandelionsresilience]

Just in case Trump wins:

right after Trump was elected in 2016, suicidality skyrocketed. If you’re considering suicide in the wake of the election this year, at least wait until after it’s absolutely certain that he’s won - after every vote has been counted, every state certified, and maybe even after he’s been sworn in (IF he wins), just to make sure he doesn’t go to prison instead. Watch the results come in live here, but don’t obsess or let them sway your vote. (To be clear, I don’t want a single person to commit suicide over the election results, no matter what. But I know from experience that “don’t do it” is thoroughly unhelpful, so instead I’m saying at least wait.)

if you’re considering suicide because you fear worsening material conditions, you might think a hotline can’t help with that. and it’s true that they can’t change legislation or promise you’ll be safe. but it’s worth double checking whether what you’re actually hurting from is in fact unfixable. right now, just getting through the emotions can help you regain a more objective view of the situation, and then you can work on surviving it. plus, when something bad happens, we tend to vastly overestimate how bad it will seem in the future, no matter how bad it actually is.

In my experience, it might take a few tries before you find a hotline that picks up, either because they’re so busy, or they’re closed at that time, or they simply don’t serve your location or demographic, so under the thingy I’ve listed more than just the same handful that tend to show up on other websites. Even if you’re not actively suicidal, you can talk to them about your hard feelings, ask for material resources, or just vent to a compassionate listener.

FIND HELP

HopeLine - call/text: 877-235-4525

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - call/text: 988 | chat

Crisis Text Line - text HOME to 741741 | chat

help getting out of the military

for underrepresented adults:

Thrive Lifeline - text THRIVE to 313-662-8209

for pre-teens, teens, and young adults:

Your Life Your Voice - call: 800-488-3000 | text VOICE to 20121 | email

for teens (limited hours):

Teen Line - call: 800-852-8336 | text TEEN to 839863 | email

for trans and questioning people:

Trans Lifeline - call: 1-877-565-8860

for people with substance dependency:

Never Use Alone Overdose Prevention Hotline - call: 877-696-1996

for BIPOC (“with an LGBTQ+ Black Femme Lens”):

BlackLine - call: 1-800-604-5841

for college students of colour:

The Steve Fund Crisis Text Line - text STEVE to 741741

for LGBTQ+ young people:

The Trevor Project - call: 1-866-488-7386 | text START to 678678 | chat

for homeless or runaway youth:

National Runaway Safeline - call/text: 1-800-786-2929 | (has chat and email, but I think the link includes tracking)

for Muslim youth (limited hours):

Naseeha Youth Hotline - call: 1-866-627-3342

Amala Hopeline - call: 1-855-952-6252

for Jewish queer youth (warmline, may take up to 24 hours to reply):

JQY Warmline - call/text: 551-579-4673

for veterans:

Veterans Crisis Line - call: 988, option 1 | text: 838255 | chat

for veterans and their families:

Lifeline for Vets - call: 888-777-4443

for pregnant people:

Crisis Pregnancy Hotline - call: 888-628-3353 | text: 714-448-8323

for parents unsure of their ability to care for a newborn:

National Safe Haven Alliance - call: 888-510-2229 | text SAFEHAVEN to 313131

International Council for Helplines Member Organisations

Warmlines - for emotional support, if you just need to talk; a lower level of support than crisis hotlines

NAMI Helpline directory

Key warmline directory (unclear if 317-550-0060 might also be a warmline, I haven’t tried it)

Wildflower Alliance Peer Support Line (limited hours) - call: 888-407-4515

[schizopositivity]

Do you have a severe mental illness that can/has caused a mental health emergency? Are you currently stable? You should make a basic safety plan! [Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional, this advice is taken from my own experiences and what I learned in inpatient psychiatric facilities. This post caters more to those who experience severe psychotic episodes as that is my experience.]

1. Find a safe person. Someone you often spend time with that you can trust with the details of your mental illness and feel safe around. Ask them if they are comfortable being the person to look out for you if you have a mental health emergency. Preferably someone you live with. If no one you live with fits this role, find someone you contact regularly.

2. Explain to the safe person what a mental health emergency looks like for you. Think of the way you presented in the past during mental health emergencies and try to describe it. You may have to describe it based on what others have told you if you had memory loss during episodes in the past.

3. Let them know how they can check with you to see if you are in a mental crisis. You might need them to ask you some questions to gage your mental state (examplse: Do you know where you are right now? Are you able to talk?). Tell them what questions to ask to find out if you are in a crisis.

4. Explain to them what you would want to happen in a mental health emergency. If they are able to see that you are indeed in a mental health emergency, what steps would you want them to take? If you will need to go to the hospital, but don't want to interact with police, let them know to tell that to emergency services. If there's a nearby inpatient facility you would want to go to, tell them which one and give them their contact info. If episodes typically pass on their own for you, let the safe person know how to keep you comfortable and safe until it passes.

5. Have an easily accessible contact paper or note on your phone with some basic info in case you can't speak to professional help while you are in a crisis. Add your name, birth date, your diagnoses, and exactly what medications you take and the dosages. You can add specific warnings or triggers about yourself (examples: Doesn't like being touched by medical professionals. Can react violently to loud noises). You can add contact info of people you'd want to let know about your situation. You can add your insurance information if you have it.

6. If you would have to go to a hospital/inpatient facility, let the safe person know if there's anything else you'd want them to handle once you get there. (Examples: Pack a bag of clothes for the inpatient stay. Feed my pets while I'm gone or ask someone else to. Contact my work place for me and let them know I won't be able to come in.)

Yes this is a long list, but I feel it's important to prepare and get your bases covered while you have the capacity to do so. Often when someone is in crisis they don't know how to ask for help, or what to do once they get help. Thinking of everything ahead of time saves you the extra worry later, or the extra worry of guessing by the people around you.

And if you are thinking "this is too much work to make someone else do!" Consider how much harder it would be if they found you in crisis and had no idea what to do and you wouldn't be able to tell them. If you have a severe mental illness that can/has caused you to be in a state of mental health emergency, you deserve to be cared for by others during the crisis.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Kathrin Mentler knows British Columbia’s mental health system inside and out.

She knows it academically because she’s studying to become a counsellor with the goal of working as a peer support worker. She also knows it personally because she’s experienced rounds of depression and anxiety throughout her life.

Mentler says she has accessed suicide prevention services dozens of times while experiencing mental health crises. She has also attempted suicide more than once and woken up in an intensive care unit, overwhelmed with gratitude for the hospital staff who kept her alive.

“I live with chronic suicidal thoughts but that doesn’t mean I never feel joy in my life,” she says.

This spring Mentler found herself in crisis and took herself to Vancouver General Hospital’s Access and Assessment Centre to get help. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[lycankeyy]

Me when I'm listening to a video abt disturbing music and Pumped Up Kicks comes up but the narrator actually analyzes its deeper meanings about class disparity, the teenage mental health crisis, and the lyricist's growing dread of violence escalating over time:

[jennifersbod]

so tired of birth control (medicine) shaming. Like yes it’s a band aid fix in some cases but we do very much USE band aids?

[ladynamida]

Hi all!

Happy @verladyweek Day 4! I've been working a story featuring two of the prompts for Day 4, Confession and "Except for your eyes, no blade can control me, no sharpened knife."

First I'd like to say another big thank you for the inspiration - the brain worms are so wriggly about this.

Second, this week has been so fun I don't want to ruin the vibes, so no one has to reblog this post.

Third, this story has become something larger and more personal to me than I originally intended. Some might say, extremely self-indulgent writing-as-therapy. I'm just saying "oops". It deals with some sensitive topics that I'm not sure I'll be confident in sharing widely. Not until I can do them justice at least. Either way, it won't be finished this week. 😔

But!

I'd still like to contribute by sharing a wip snippet or two! The snippet under the cut gives a flavour for the rest of the story. (I promise there are more upbeat moments amongst the angst I could share, but didnt want to mislead on the overall vibe). Let me know in the tags/asks/DMs.

Trigger warnings: depression, mental health crisis. If you're worried about the content but want to find out more, I'd be happy to respond via DM. Please take care of yourselves first and foremost 💙

Dante's voice was hoarse as he whispered, “I don’t know what to do.”

Okay, this did sound like it was shaping up to be some kind of crisis, and Lady did pride herself on her ability to salvage the best possible outcome from bad circumstances. Being thrust into world-threatening situations on a semi-regular basis and life-threatening situations practically every week did wonders to sharpen your disaster management skills. “Whatever it is, we’ll take care of it, that’s what we always do, right?” She gulped the rest of her coffee in one long draw, and dropped the cup from chest height into the waste paper basket. She retook her seat. “So what’s going on?”

“Nothing, and that’s the problem. Have you seen much of Vergil recently?”

She shakes her head, thinking. He had been missing in action recently, though she hadn’t really thought too much about it. He was weirdly quiet at the best of times, unless he was arguing with Dante or Nero, even then he was just as likely to storm out as he was to fight back. She couldn’t remember the last time he’d raised his voice, even when fighting. They’d had a few brief conversations after he and Dante returned from hell; about coffee, about the weather, about nothing significant. Just normal, everyday stuff. She didn’t really care for boundaries, but she didn’t particularly want to push his and cause the group any problems, so when he ignored her she ignored him right back. The implications of what Dante might be suggesting started to sink in. “Can’t say that I have. You think he’s up to something?”

A single, dry laugh. “Nah.”

She trusted his judgement, since no one knew Vergil better, and Dante had agreed to keep an eye on him. “Then what’s the problem?”

“He never does anything.”

She snorts, trying to keep the tone light despite her growing sense of dread. “Like drinking and going to strip-joints? Maybe he just has a better taste in hobbies than you.”

“No hobbies. You don’t get it. He doesn’t do anything, doesn’t go anywhere. He hasn’t left the shop in three weeks.”

She lowers her voice, realising he must be upstairs while they’re talking about him and not wanting to provoke any awkwardness should he hear. “Maybe he’s just doing his thing, reading or something. He’s always quiet.”

“Lady, he hasn’t left his room in nearly a week… not even to use the bathroom.”

Now, that shocked her. “So what, he’s just rotting in his own filth? That’s not like him.”

~ to be continued ~

“Nah, nothing like that. He’s not eating or drinking either, so there’s no mess. I’ve been in there, he’s just sat there on the floor like some kind of fucking zombie.”

Lady felt her face pale. She stayed quiet and still for a moment, letting the weight of Dante’s comment settle between them, as she racked her brains to try and work out how she could help them.

“Do you think he’s still sick?... Like V was?”

He sniffed, and bowed his head, his hair hiding his face. “Nah, I dunno, he looks normal. Can’t see any marks or anything.”

“Did something happen the last time he was down here?”

She could almost smell the guilt. “I don’t even know when that was. I don’t think so.”

“Okay.” She absentmindedly kicked her feet, slowly tapping her heel against the side of the desk. “And you’ve tried talking to him?” Silence, and a nod. “Well, maybe I’ll head up there and give it a try?” She stood and pulled her shorts down, making herself more presentable. She didn’t know why, but she felt slightly nervous. Dante she knew well, she had a pretty good handle on his moods and how he might react to her poking and prodding. Vergil… well, Vergil was a different animal.

[secretagentsagainstwhatever]

TW suicide

my biggest conspiracy theory is that suicide helpline/crisis lines are purposely obtuse / useless, so that you’re so baffled by their advice that you forget that you wanted to die in the first place

[byler-alarmist]

I've had a really bad couple of weeks. Idk if it's the current state of the world, fear of the future, grieving the past, the shitty weather, worsening ADHD, hormones or all of the above, but I have been completely useless at work and literally just spend all my waking hours scrolling Tumblr or watching shows. My sleep consistency has also tanked--I'm pulling all nighters just to nap a couple hours in the morning before starting work late and my cortisol levels are probably through the roof. I know in my heart, body, and desire for job security that this is unsustainable, but I can't stop

[altocat]

Do you think Lucrecia loved Sephiroth? Or would have loved him?

Lucrecia is an extremely ill, extremely complicated person.

Based on the OG, and what DoC was (very poorly) trying to convey, she severely regretted what she did to her son, and never expected to have had him taken from her. The impression I get in the OG is that she might have been coerced into the project, though Dirge contradicts this. I think she ultimately was somewhat pressured into it by Hojo, but still made the conscious decision to go through with it, ignoring the consequences. Perhaps she thought she would still be able to parent Sephiroth, just in stricter, more controlled settings. She was distraught in losing him, and it's implied that it was the final straw in pushing her into her metaphorical suicide. I just think Dirge didn't do a good job in showcasing her regret.

So yes, I think she loved him. Or would have loved him. That definitely doesn't make what she did okay, and Sephiroth would have every right to disown her for it. But I do truly think she hadn't anticipated him being taken from her, likely justifying everything in her head --being the mother of an extraordinary child, guiding him along to fulfill his role as an ancient, etc. Lucrecia probably wasn't fit to be a mother though, given her very glaringly obvious mental health issues. Had she been in Sephiroth's life, they probably would have had a very messy relationship. Though still preferable to the alternative of lying to Sephiroth about his mother's name and identity.

It's very strange. Sephiroth and Lucrecia are a lot alike when I really think about it. They both suffer from the extreme inability to cope under personal crisis, often acting impulsively and making things worse. But whereas Lucrecia reacts in guilt and fear and hysteria, Sephiroth reacts in rage and blocking everything else out. Sephiroth is definitely his mother's son, though not the mother he thinks. They're both really complex, really unwell individuals in desperate need of therapy.

[plant-neighbor]

Recovering from long-term suicidal idealization is much like recovering from septic shock

I have found, after spending nearly a year and a half in a depressive haze, and longer than that passively suicidal, that the recovery process for such is much like the recovery process for Sepsis.

With sepsis, the body shuts down, it actively will begin to kill itself off, and even if you survive it initially, there is still a near 50% mortality rate within the first five years. part of this is because the body has learned how to die, and when it is put under any amount of stress, even something like a cold, it will then try to default to such a reaction.

When passively suicidal, at your (or at least my) worst it will be all-consuming, at any point it is in the cards, and when the mind is put under any amount of stress, the brain will once ag

in default to what it knows "I want to kill myself" even if it is something very minor.

My point also extends though, with sepsis as you live through it the mortality rate decreases. you are far less likely to die three months after, then 9, then a year, and if you make it past five you are considered out of the danger zone with it. As you get through your worst point with mental health, three months after you are far less likely to initially wish to harm yourself than when in the thick of it, as well as 9, and then a year, and by five years later with proper support everything may not be fixed, but you will be nowhere near where you had stated.

This is not to say you will be fixed, or that it is linear, but we do heal with time and the right support, so keep going

[keeri-vents]

I’m confused

So recently I got into a relationship With the most amazing person ever. They take me on dates, they’re constantly getting me flowers, opening my doors, carrying my things etc. they’re amazing.

I wouldn’t trade them for anything they’re my world.

Lately I’ve been having thoughts of my ex. Just hear me out.

So I had a very abusive ex they were mentally and physically abusive. They’re in prison now for killing someone. I spent 5 years of my life with this person, a trauma bond was made. I have a lot of ptsd from this relationship. I’d forgotten them almost, but lately I’ve been having memories pop up a lot again.

I’m sure it has something to do with my new found relationship, my mind is digging up bones to remind me to be cautious maybe? Or certain things are triggering my fight or flight? I’m not sure. I feel so guilty for remembering these things, but it’s not like I’m doing this on purpose. It really bothers me.

I miss my ex. Not that I would ever go back to them, or cheat on my current partner. I miss the memories I guess? Or the friendship that we had? The closest relationship I’ve ever had even though it was abusive. I guess it’s hard to let go of the person that knows all your dirty secrets, that knows your body, that knows your mind, your bad side and your good side? I’m not sure, I know I don’t love them anymore, I don’t miss them in a “I want you back” kind of way, I don’t care for them like I use to, but there is a part of me that misses that friendship dearly?

Am I a bad person for feeling this way? Does anyone know what this could mean? Or have any opinions or advice to give me?

[allthecanadianpolitics]

A family is searching for answers after a 19-year-old man was fatally shot by Winnipeg police on Sunday. On New Year’s Eve, Winnipeg police were called to an apartment building on University Crescent for a report of an armed man who was acting erratically. Officers say they were confronted by an armed man at the suite and that during the encounter, an officer shot him. The man was taken to hospital in critical condition and later died of his injuries. Jean-René Dominique Kwilu, a lawyer for the family, has identified the man as 19-year-old Afolabi Stephen Opaso, an international student from Nigeria who was studying economics at the University of Manitoba.

Continue Reading

Tagging @politicsofcanada

[raytm]

me when tobias and i are discussing trauma and he's like most people didn't get kicked out of home 7 times before they turned 18 and im like :

although one was really funny 2 me bc i was 17 living with some 19 year olds and they said if i u dont go to music class we will kick u out and i was like LMAO NO WAY ??? and then they did.

[blitzsicedcoffee]

"And every night I'm so angry. And there's this ..feeling of pain in my chest. It's...like...sometimes is a squeezing heart sensation and sometimes its this butterfly feeling. Like when you swing too high on a swing", I explain.

They nod and start to say something but pause as I part my lips to continue.

"And when.....sorry I forgot what else I was gonna say", I tell them. They reassure, "No worries. I was just going to ask you, what do you usually do when you're feeling this? You said it's in your chest and it's mostly at night".

I look around my room to ground my thoughts and squeeze a stress ball on the desk.

"It's..like...yeah it's mostly at night. It's all this pain in my chest and usually I just...turn on my sounds on my phone. I have an app. And I turn on the app that lowers my brightness too. Then I just...blog or write fanfiction. But it's...starting to not quench that feeling."

They blink, "So it helped at one point?"

I look down then back up at the camera.

"It's..I thought it would. I thought it would help. I thought expressing my anger and pain through characters would help. But the problem is they aren't disabled. They aren't going through what I'm going through and so I have to make up these situations that are nothing like my own. At least for people to read it. But it isn't enough", I tell them. They nod.

"It doesn't help the pain at all?" They say. I shake my head, my eyes tearing up.

"I feel like it should. I write such angsty shit. But it's never...enough pain. I guess. I dunno. Maybe I just need to journal again", I reply, squeezing the ball again.

Silence for a moment then they speak up.

"Tell me about that. How do you do with journaling?" They ask.

I frown, mostly at myself.

"It's...when I'm angry, there's less words on the page and more scribbles. Or stabbing of the pencil. Or just...lines. When I was a teenager-cutting was a thing a lot of my friends did. I did it once then regretted it and covered it up quickly, telling my mom I had a cat scratch", I look to their expression for any change but it's just recognition. It helps to have a therapist that is so close to your own age. They understand what it was like.

"And so Instead I would dig lines of pen into my skin. Just to feel something or take away from pain ya know? It was actually kinda funny cause when I got my first tattoo, It felt the exact same way. So it didn't hurt at all". They smile at that, whether they think it's funny or relatable I can't tell.

"So when I'm angry it's just these...sharp pen marks on the page or my skin. I don't know if journaling when I'm in this angry pain would be productive", I tell them. They nod again.

"What about original works?", they ask. I smile, not even realizing until they're smiling too.

"I have a work in progress and I love the characters and their stories. And I want to write it but...im afraid of not being able to finish it. Of wanting it to be so perfect that I rewrite it and rewrite it", I tell them about the idea for my original novel. It's queer and witty and funny and raw and emotional.

"And so what if it's not perfect?" They ask. I look around the room again.

"I'm not good at taking criticism", I say honestly. They nod, "I don't think you have to unless you want to. But-are you making this for other people or for you?"

"Well-im making it either way. It's just one of those things. Eventually you have to make it", I tell them.

"Well thats-not what I asked. For other people, or for you?" They ask again.

I look at the ground a moment. Paying attention to my breathing. Everything suddenly seeming to go quiet.

"I guess-for myself", I say.

"And why?" They ask.

"Cause it has to be told. It-the characters are like my kids and their stories are like-if someone breathed life into me", I say. They smile.

"That's beautiful. Maybe think about that til our next session", they reply.

[sapphosmagicalgirls]

A couple of weeks ago, I celebrated my 20th birthday. It was a chance to reflect on the last couple of years that I've been alive and think about how wild it is that I made it to this age. It doesn't seem that special, but I genuinely could not see any future for me past 18. I spent my teen years waiting for the countdown to reach my 18th birthday so I can finally die... But it didn't happen.

Suffice to say that I spent the ages 18 and 19 in an undescribable confusion and an intense identify crisis. If I'm not dead, then I must be something. Anything to give my life meaning. But I didn't feel like I was. I felt like a void, swallowing the light around me into the endless abyss that has consumed my life.

To think that after all of that desperation and hopelessness I would still live, and make it to 20. Then my life must be worth something if I made it past that dark phase. I feel like I got a 2nd chance at life and I sure as hell will spend it doing what I love and loving what I do.