Julia K Cole: Robin Williams

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Suicide Awareness Part 2: What You Can Do To Help

If you know of someone who is contemplating suicide, if you even suspect they are, there is something you can do.

o Ask directly if your friend is thinking about suicide.

o Be willing to listen. Allow their expressions of feelings, and accept those feelings.

o Be non-judgmental. Don't debate whether suicide is right or wrong, or whether feelings are good or bad. Don't lecture on the value of life. Focus on being present with their feelings.

o Get involved. Become available. Show interest and support.

o Check in with your friend regularly. Schedule times to talk for the next week when you will both be available, to see how they are doing.

o Don't act shocked. This will put distance between you. Be patient with yourself and the situation

o Don't be sworn to secrecy. Seek support.

o Offer hope that alternatives are available but do not offer glib reassurance.

o Take action. Remove means, such as guns or stockpiled pills

o Get help from agencies specializing in crisis intervention and suicide prevention.

o Encourage (and offer to accompany) your friend to seek help and support from a crisis specialist, therapist, doctor and/or clergy member.

o Show them the safety or “crisis coping plan” on the Lifeline web site, and talk together about your friend can use this to help him/her to cope in these difficult moments.

For more information click HERE

Share and use this resource to help make stronger connections in your own communities and through social media. Use these tips to reach out to those who may be struggling. We can ALL do something to help prevent suicide.

Source http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/getinvolved/suicide-prevention-toolkit.aspx

http://juliakcole.blogspot.com/2015/08/suicide-awareness-part-1.html

About Julia K. Cole

What can you expect from someone who considers Putting Reality Back Into Spirituality a personal calling? Straight forward answers that lead to life-changing experiences on a soul level!

Known as The Empress of the Known & Unknown Universes™ and The Diva of Duct Tape, Julia has made it her personal mission to put Reality back into Spirituality™. Julia sets out to assist people in expanding their conscious awareness through her rather unique and personal take on the human experience.

In the style of Erma Bombeck, Julia utilizes her own brand of humor and down to earth demeanor to get her messages across in an all so delightful way.

As a writer, Julia is a virtual powerhouse of creativity. Among Julia's literary accomplishments is the Children of the Luminaries trilogy; Book One: The Coming Storm can be purchased by clicking Here.

Book Two of the trilogy is due out in the Fall of 2015 and Book Three will be available in 2016. The long anticipated ZEN of Duct Tape: An Empress Is Born will be out in 2016. As well as the Teddy Mitchell Chronicles.

Julia has also contributed to several other publications including Brad Steiger's Real Zombies, The Living Dead, and Creatures of the Apocalypse Click HERE for the review; and Marie D. Jones' Destiny vs. Choice Click HERE

PLEASE NOTE: All artwork, unless otherwise specified, are the property of the individual artists themselves. The author of these blogs claims no ownership of the original artwork, but only of the sig tags created using said artwork. Each sig tag shown on these blogs include the appropriate copyright information of the Artists and the unique licensure for use.

Reproduction and copying of said work without proper authority is strictly prohibited

Unless otherwise specified, ALL articles on this Blogger are the property of Julia K. Cole. The ZEN of Duct Tape™, it's name, teachings, modalities, and all excerpts; the nicknames The Empress of the Known & Unknown Universes™ and The Diva of Duct Tape™, The Duct Tape Diva™; Putting Reality Back Into Spirituality™, Reality back into Spirituality™ are the property and trade marks of Julia K. Cole and are protected under Copy Right Laws both here in the USA and Around The World.

Suicide Awareness Part 1

Death. No matter what shape or form it takes it triggers intense emotions. Even if we barely knew the person or never met the person we each feel something when we are told of their passing.    And the deep pain of sorrow we feel when an animal passes, be it our pets or an animal in the wild, is something we all share.

With some it's a deep sense of loss. With others it is a wake up call.    Bottom line, with each passing, be it human or a beloved pet, Death reminds us how precious and how very short our time on this earth really is. It touches us down to the very depths of our inner core. Consciously or unconsciously.

Many often wonder if there was more that could have been done to prevent the death of another. Especially, and most in particularly, when it comes to suicide.

Sadly, suicide is still considered taboo. It is a subject everyone knows about, but very rarely discusses openly and honestly. Unfortunately, most rather use anger to deal with suicides. And while I do understand the angst many feel towards suicide, being hostile is not only hurtful, it's pointless. It's a useless waste of time and energy born out of ignorance.

Knowledge is a powerful tool that leads to understanding. Understanding leads to compassion. Compassion leads to saving lives. I firmly believe if we all take the time to arm ourselves with the appropriate knowledge and tools we can really help those thinking and/or planning suicide.    We can help them comprehend that they are not alone, that their burdens can be lifted, that they don't have to be alone to deal whatever it is they are dealing with. Most importantly, maybe--just maybe we can help those in that mind set to see that taking their lives isn't the answer. Not only that, with the right understanding, we also help those who have lost a loved one to suicide.   Banding together in genuine loving kindness, lending our strength to those in need can, and most certainly does, make a huge difference! I know this to be true!

The key to understanding suicide or those contemplating suicide is remembering this...

Suicide is not chosen!

It happens when the pain exceeds
resources for coping with pain.

People who are feeling suicidal are not bad people. They are not crazy, or weak, or flawed. It doesn't even mean that they really want to die. It only means that they have more pain than they can cope with.

And for those of you who are under the misconceive notion that willpower is the answer...Imagine someone piling dozens of 10 pound weights on your shoulders. Imagine having to carry that amount of weight around every single day. Eventually you would collapse from the weight itself. No matter how much you want to remain standing you would fall down and be crushed under all that weight.

When pain exceeds pain-coping resources, suicidal feelings are the result.

Suicide is neither wrong nor right.
Suicide is morally neutral.
It is not a defect of character.
Suicide is an imbalance of pain versus coping resources.

The Bottom line is this: Suicide is a very serious matter that is reaching epidemic proportions. Again, the only way we can get a handle on this is to get informed and treat everyone as we ourselves would want to be treated. With respect, kindness, understanding and compassion. And for the sake of everyone...talk about it!

There are those who have overcome their contemplations of suicide and lived to tell the tale thus proving suicide can be prevented in many cases. But prevention can't happen without first arming ourselves with the proper knowledge and the tools to assist those in need. We have to start talking about it! We have to get informed! We have to be brave (even if we're scared ourselves) and reach out to those who may be planning to take their life.

Suicide. Talk about it. Get the information and don't be afraid to discuss it. Get yourselves out of the dark ages for crissakes! Yea, talking about it will jerk your ass out of your comfort zone. Yes, it will make you angry. But instead of lashing out in a hurtful manner, try a little kindness, a little compassion. Try being something other than an ignorant ass. You'll be better for it. The whole world will benefit from it. And maybe...just maybe...together we can save lives.

Source material found at

http://www.metanoia.org/suicide/

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/getinvolved/suicide-prevention-toolkit.aspx

On August 11, 2014 the world was shocked by the death of beloved entertainer Robin Williams. On the anniversary of his passing I honor his memory by bringing awareness to this issue of suicide.

In Loving Memory

SPECIAL NOTE: Arthur Crowe, the artist of this beautiful rendition of Robin Williams, was provided free of charge. Mr. Crowe's artistic gifts clearly represents his admiration and adoration of the man we all came to know and love through TV, movies and stage. But more than that, through his generosity, Mr. Crowe allows us to share our unique expression of our individual devotion of the wonderfully magnificent being known as Robin Williams.

Source material found at http://www.metanoia.org/suicide/

Graphic provided by Arthur Crowe at http://arthurcrowesfactory.com/

About Julia K. Cole

What can you expect from someone who considers Putting Reality Back Into Spirituality a personal calling? Straight forward answers that lead to life-changing experiences on a soul level!

In the style of Erma Bombeck, Julia utilizes her own brand of humor and down to earth demeanor to get her messages across in an all so delightful way.