World Suicide Prevention Day 2015 : Why We Need To Talk About Depression Now! #worldsuicidepreventionday

According to the recently released World Health Organization (WHO) report:Preventing Suicide: A Global Imperative, over 800,000 people die by suicide across the world each year. The report notes that this estimate is conservative, with the real figure likely to be higher because of the stigma associated with suicide, lack of reliable death recording procedures, and religious or legal sanctions against suicide in some countries.

We may not be able to pinpoint the exact figure, but we do know that each individual suicide is a tragic loss of life. It is hard to imagine the extreme psychological pain that leads someone to decide that suicide is the only course of action. Reaching out to someone who is struggling can make a difference.

‘Preventing Suicide: Reaching Out and Saving Lives’ is the theme of the 2015 World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), an initiative of the International Association for Suicide Prevention(IASP) and the WHO, a co-sponsor of meetings and events related to WSPD 2015.. Since 2003, WSPD has taken place on 10th September each year. It serves as a call to action to individuals and organizations to prevent suicide. This year, the theme encourages us all to consider the role that offering support may play in combating suicide.

The act of showing care and concern to someone who may be vulnerable to suicide can be a game-changer. Asking them whether they are OK, listening to what they have to say in a non-judgmental way, and letting them know you care, can all have a significant impact. Isolation increases the risk of suicide, and, conversely, having strong social connections is protective against it, so being there for someone who has become disconnected can be life-saving.

Reaching out to those who have been bereaved by suicide

Suicide is devastating for families, friends and community members who are left behind. They may experience a whole range of emotions, including grief, anger, guilt, disbelief and self-blame.They may not feel that they can share these overwhelming feelings with anyone else. Therefore, reaching out to those who have lost someone to suicide is very important.

As a result of the stigma surrounding suicide, those who are bereaved by suicide are often perceived differently from those who lose a family member through another cause of death. People who are bereaved may find that they are avoided by people who don’t know how to broach the subject or offer their condolences. Or they may just feel that others do not understand the intensity of their emotional response to the death of their loved one.

Once again, a pro-active approach and offering a sympathetic, non-judgmental ear can make all the difference. Giving someone who has been bereaved by suicide the opportunity to talk about their loss, in their own time, on their own terms, can be a precious gift. Allowing them to express their full range of feelings can be cathartic, and can help them to take the first small step in moving through their grief. Starting the conversation may be difficult, but it will almost certainly be appreciated.

Reaching out to put people in touch with relevant services

Although the support of friends and relatives is crucial for people who may be at risk of suicide and for people who have lost someone to suicide, it is not always enough. Often more formal help is also needed. Such help can take many forms, and is likely to vary from country to country. In high-income countries, it may include specialist mental health services and primary care providers, both of which offer clinical care. It may also include a range of community organisations which provide non-clinical support, as well as support groups and self-help groups. In low- and middle-income countries, the more clinically-focused services are less readily available, and there is a heavier reliance on community organizations. Part of reaching out to vulnerable individuals can involve helping to link them to relevant services.

Reaching out to the suicide prevention community

There is strength in numbers. Around the globe, many individuals and organizations are involved in efforts to prevent suicide. We can learn from each other, and strengthen the evidence base for effective interventions. Reaching out to those who are travelling the same road increases the likelihood that our collective efforts to reduce the numbers of people who die by suicide, and the numbers of people for whom these deaths have shattering effects, will be successful.

Reaching out on World Suicide Prevention Day

On September 10th, join with others around the world who are working towards the common goal of preventing suicide. Check in on someone you may be concerned about, listen to what they say, how they say it and show them kindness and support. Investigate ways of linking in with others who are trying to prevent suicide in your community, your country, or internationally. Show your support by organizing or taking part in a WSPD activity in your area and/or join in with IASP’s Cycle Around the Globe.

Please, reach out and save lives.

Credit: IASP- World Suicide Prevention https://www.iasp.info/wspd/

Light a Candle Near a Window at 8pm on September 10th 

I Am Not The Nut Job Lady In Room 13, Lets Focus on Our HumanPatients #ptcenteredcare #ernurses

What is Wrong With Me?
Sweat beads on my forehead, my heart is racing, all ready for the next round of EMS patients that are soon to arrive  to my trauma bay. It has been a long night so far and we are tired, I have not eaten or peed in 8 hours, but a family has been involved in a crash on the interstate and their van was fully engulfed in flames. I hate crispy critters, the smell of burning flesh stays on your mind for days. The call bell is ringing again.....ding....ding....ding....ding, that "crazy nut job lady" in room 13 wants a snack.......again. She is waiting on psychiatric placement due to depression and suicidal ideations and I can so totally relate to her, since I have depression myself, I could be her, she is somebody's mom.
Adults, children, infants no matter, their faces don't really matter, we call them by their condition,complaint or problem, we give them funny code names and laugh at each one: The "gunshot wound guy" in T1, "the skull fracture kid" in T2, "Code Tooth" dental pain chick in room 4, the confused mamaw UTI in room 1, " the nut job in room 13"...........wait, what is wrong with me?

I could be anyone of these people, my family has been these people, these people are human beings!!
These people have names, they are someones father, mother, child and grandmother. I am a mother, a daughter and a wife to someone. I am a human being too, would I like to be called "the nut job lady" in room 13.....NO!

Patient and Family Centered Care

In the world of healthcare speak we talk about patient centered care, many methods, models and hours of research have been spent on this topic. Patient-centered care supports active involvement of patients and their families in the design of new care models and in decision-making about individual options for treatment. The IOM (Institute of Medicine) defines patient-centered care as: "Providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions." (from Wikipedia)
In the emergency department our focus has to be centered around the patient, they are our focus, but that patient is also a person, with a family, a life outside, a job, pets, children etc. Focusing on the person as a whole is imperative to complete care. Patient and family centered care is a better approach to healthcare that integrates all the players in the game. It encourages a collaboration of healthcare with patient and family as a whole.

Leaning The Hard Way
I have learned the hard way that listening to the patient and their family will not only save you as the nurse time, it will save you embarrassment in front of the family when they are right and you are ultimately wrong because you did not listen. I have been the family member sitting at the bedside myself, my husband has multiple health issues so we have been in and out of many doctors offices, emergency departments, clinics, intensive cares etc. Feeling scared and alone with a 4 month old infant in a baby carrier , we found ourselves 3 hours away from home at a huge teaching hospital, our world turned upside down when a post-op infection took over my husband's (of less than a year)
body. I learned very quickly that there was no patient-family centered care there, nobody seemed to listen to me until I grew a set of brass "kaunas" and let them know that I was a nurse, this was my husband and I demanded something be done NOW! I hated to act like a totally B@$%, but he was dying in front of my eyes.
Learning from others mistakes has made me a much better nurse today, I listen to the person and his/her family now, even if they just want to tell me about their children, pets or where the best place to draw blood might be.

Setting The Bar- Leading By Example 
It is so easy to fall into the norm of everyday work and act just like your co-workers, I am just as guilty I admit. Nurses in the ER develop a different style of coping mechanism I think, I use humor to help me get thru my shift and just get home. It in no way is a personal attack on anyone, our humor is not very respectful at times, I will admit. When faced with such horrific realities of death, destruction and violence we want a way to turn off the negative and be positive. It is hard to just keep smiling when your patient just called you names or cursed you because they have to wait to long or did not get the narcotics they desired.
Hard as it might be to focus on each patient as an individual person, worthy of your time and care, they all deserve care that is respectful. Communication is a key tool, involving the family and patient in what is going on helps to relieve stress and decrease anxiety.
You can set the bar high and lead by example, other nurses watch how you interact with your patients, families and other healthcare team members. Even well seasoned nurses like myself can learn valued lessons that lets us focus on our "human" patients, not the "nut job lady in room 13".

This post was written as part of the Nurse Blog Carnival. More posts on this topic can be found at Big Red Carpet Nursing. Find out how to participate, click the box below and join us!

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World Suicide Prevention Day ~~ September 10th #stopsuicide #depression

World Suicide Prevention Day is held on September 10, 2013. It is an awareness day which is observed every year, in order to provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides, with various activities around the world. The observance is endorsed by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The World Suicide Prevention Day was founded in 2003

From Kristin Brooks Hope Center 

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Suicidal behavior is complex, as some risk factors vary with age, gender, and ethnic group and may even change over time. The risk factors for suicide frequently occur in combination. Research has shown that more than 90% of people who commit suicide have depression or another diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorder.

The number one cause of suicide is untreated depression. A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the whole body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person feels about oneself and the way one thinks about things. The taking of ones own life tragically demonstrates the terrible psychological pain experienced by a person who has lost all hope – a person who is no longer able to cope with day to day activities – a person who feels there is no solution to their problem – a person who wants to end the pain by ending their own life.

Much of this kind of suffering is unnecessary. Depression is treatable and as a result, suicide is preventable. Love yourself or a friend enough not to keep thoughts of suicide a secret. If you or a friend of yours is thinking of ending the pain by ending your own life, this is not a secret to keep. Talk to your family, friends or other special people in your life. They can help you find solutions to your problems and to see ways to cope with your pain without ending your life. Help is just a phone call away: 1.800.SUICIDE (784-2433)

Things to know about suicide:

•  90% of people who commit suicide have depression or another diagnosable  mental illness or substance abuse disorder

•  The number one cause of suicide is untreated depression

•  Suicide has ranked at the 3 rd leading cause of death for young people nationally

•  There are three female attempts for every male attempt at suicide. However, males are four times as likely to die from their attempts

What to do if a friend or loved one is suicidal:

•  Let that person know you are concerned about their well-being, and that you have observed certain clues that have made you think that they may want to hurt themselves. Ask them if they are depressed or suicidal.

•  Listen to your friend, and keep in mind that you must stay calm. Your friend will more than likely be relived that someone noticed their pain, and cared enough to confront them and talk about it.

•  Support your friend unconditionally. While you cannot make someone choose to live, and while you aren't responsible for their life, you can support them and show them that you care while giving them ideas about other choices.

•  Remind this friend that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

•  Be honest with your friend and they will trust your input. Let them know you want to help them, even if it involves calling an adult or a hotline. Call them in front of your friend if necessary.

•  Call 9-1-1 if you feel their suicide threat is immediate.

Your Story Is Not Over Yet ; Survive Today #suicideprevention #noselfharm

Be a survivor; Not a statistic!

Be free like the Butterfly

Fly free from this pain &

Write your own story!

Stay Strong!

The Butterfly Project: THE RULES:
1. when you feel like you want to cut, take a marker or pen and draw a butterfly wherever the self-harm occurs.
2. name the butterfly after a loved one, or someone that really wants you to get better.
3. NO scrubbing the butterfly off.
4. if you cut before the butterfly is gone, it dies. if you don't cut, it lives.
5. if you have more than one, cutting kills them all.
6. another person may draw them on you. these butterflies are extra special. take good care of them.
7. even if you don’t cut, feel free to draw a butterfly anyways, to show your support.

Help is just around the corner, never to late to find! A razor leaves a crimson stain, but the pain is still there, find help for the deep rooted reasons you are cutting and turn the crimson into good.

A Poem;

http://butterfly-project.tumblr.com/post/55907257337/the-butterfly-a-poem

Picking up a razor, I gaze at my arm.
Thus begins the cycle of my self-harm.
Slicing my wrists, carving my thighs,
Now my skin matches how I feel inside.

Cutting deeper than ever before,
I am frightened yet relieved as blood begins to pour.
I sit in this corner, drenched red
Wondering if somehow I’d be better off dead.

Tears stream down my pale face,
Feeling I simply don’t belong in any place.
I can’t be your perfect missing puzzle piece,
When I would give up this life just to have peace.

Completely full of pain and darkness,
I’m reunited with the one thing I do miss.
A butterfly flutters in with its wings of hope,
It settles on my wrist to help me cope.

No more cuts and no more scars,
Just a little butterfly who came from very far.
Love adorns its wings, reminding I’m never alone.
Able to smile now, I see how much I’ve grown.

New-found tears of joy shed from hurting eyes,
I’m happy I now have this savior, the butterfly.
I will protect it now and never let it die,
So that I may return the favor for saving my life.

Dearest Nurse Saldanha, a letter to you in your death

I read this on allnurses.com yesterday and just had to share it because I feel the same As a nurse the death of a fellow nurse, no matter what country she is from hurts deeply. The circumstances that led up to her suicide were so appalling to me and I can't believe that no one from the radio station where the radio hosts worked have even offered up an apology to the nurse's family. Rest in Peace sweet child and know that you are not forgotten. We mourn your death and understand how delicate life is, how it changes so fast, nurses are not immune to the pressures of daily stressors, we need to care for each other, manage our fellow coworkers up and pay closer attention to small details that might just save a life. 


STRDEL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

An undated family photograph of Jacintha Saldanha, the Indian-origin nurse who died after being hoaxed by an Australian radio show trying to reach Prince William's wife in London.

More info on news Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/12/13/inquest-british-nurse-in-suspected-suicide-left-notes-found-hanged-following-prank-call/#ixzz2F0jatdqf


Article from AllNurses.com
credit to author BostonTerrierLoverRN

Dearest British "Hoaxed" Nurse (Nurse Saldanha):

As an American Nurse I know our scope may be different, but we are both "nurses" none-the-less. There is more that is in-common, than is different. We both have strengths and weaknesses. We both aim to serve societies ills to the best of our ability, and ease pain and suffering from the lowest of the low, to the top of the elite. 

We give nonjudgmental holistic care, and even though we may fuss and whine about our job in private amongst our peers, we love our profession! And, our patients would never be able to guess our bad days because we are also professionals at masking pain, worry, anxiety, and depression as we go through our day. 

You know as well as I, there's never enough hours in that day! I'm so sorry your no longer here with us, but you will never be forgotten. Your death was not in-vain. I pledge to pay closer attention to my staff colleagues, and their issues-whether new or current, or something they've been struggling with- and still serve at the bedside, clinic, or even at the Midlevel position. 

I am so sorry such a thoughtless act of treachery took you from the world for a "laugh" at the most. I share in the millions mourning your death, and I hold no judgement for you. You, as we're programmed to do, put your self at the bottom of the issue- even as "disposable," as the problem you didn't asked for- seemed bigger than yourself. 

I'm so sorry you are gone(taken from your family and "us"), but as long as we arm ourselves with knowledge that our whole life can change in a split moment, and that there are those out there that obviously don't respect the intensity of our pressures: You did not die in vain. 

You will ever be present in our heart as a martyr for the truth of the rigors of our profession, and the Nursing Profession feels and mourns your unfair and untimely loss! 

We hear in the News you were a trustworthy, dedicated, compassionate, and knowlegable colleage to have. That's the highest praise a Nurse could hope for-You Will be Missed!

In never-ending love,
Boston, and:
Your Brothers and Sisters of the International Nursing Profession!
May You Rest in Eternal Peace!!!!!!!

Please add your Condolences or Respects if you wish in the comments

Lets Get Real, Lets make a difference!

Kevin Lucey lost his son to suicide. Please, I know its hard to listen to. I know it will make you cry to watch this. But please take the three minutes and hear his story... and pass it along. Joining together, caring together, we CAN keep people like Jeffrey from falling through the cracks. We can make a difference.

Suicide is a topic that nobody wants to talk about, but it is very real, just like the
story above of Kevin Lucey. Jeffrey fell thru the cracks and died, he cried out for help
and nobody seemed to have the time to help him, except his parents.
Lets take a look at suicide and what education and resources are out there now.
One of the best ones I have seen lately is the "Kristin Brooks Hope Center-Hopeline", alot of the information here is credited to their webpage (thank you).

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Suicidal behavior is complex, as some risk factors vary with age, gender, and ethnic group and may even change over time. The risk factors for suicide frequently occur in combination. Research has shown that more than 90% of people who commit suicide have depression or another diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorder.

The number one cause of suicide is untreated depression. A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the whole body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person feels about oneself and the way one thinks about things. The taking of ones own life tragically demonstrates the terrible psychological pain experienced by a person who has lost all hope – a person who is no longer able to cope with day to day activities – a person who feels there is no solution to their problem – a person who wants to end the pain by ending their own life.

Much of this kind of suffering is unnecessary. Depression is treatable and as a result, suicide is preventable. Love yourself or a friend enough not to keep thoughts of suicide a secret. If you or a friend of yours is thinking of ending the pain by ending your own life, this is not a secret to keep. Talk to your family, friends or other special people in your life. They can help you find solutions to your problems and to see ways to cope with your pain without ending your life. Help is just a phone call away: 1.800.SUICIDE (784-2433)

Things to know about suicide:

•  90% of people who commit suicide have depression or another diagnosable mental illness or substance abuse disorder

•  The number one cause of suicide is untreated depression

•  Suicide has ranked at the 3 rd leading cause of death for young people nationally

•  There are three female attempts for every male attempt at suicide. However, males are four times as likely to die from their attempts

What to do if a friend or loved one is suicidal:

•  Let that person know you are concerned about their well-being, and that you have observed certain clues that have made you think that they may want to hurt themselves. Ask them if they are depressed or suicidal.

•  Listen to your friend, and keep in mind that you must stay calm. Your friend will more than likely be relived that someone noticed their pain, and cared enough to confront them and talk about it.

•  Support your friend unconditionally. While you cannot make someone choose to live, and while you aren't responsible for their life, you can support them and show them that you care while giving them ideas about other choices.

•  Remind this friend that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

•  Be honest with your friend and they will trust your input. Let them know you want to help them, even if it involves calling an adult or a hotline. Call them in front of your friend if necessary.

•  Call 9-1-1 if you feel their suicide threat is immediate.

• Become trained as a Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper ONLINE! NOW!
The Kristin Brooks Hope Center is pleased to announce the first suicide prevention gatekeeper training program to be delivered online.

The program is called QPR. It stands for Question, Persuade and Refer, three steps anyone can learn to help prevent suicide. Just like CPR, QPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis and can save lives. QPR is the most widely taught gatekeeper training program in the United States, and more than 1,000,000 adults have been trained in classroom settings in 50 states.

QPR Online is taught in a clear, concise format using the latest in educational technology and takes approximately one hour to complete. A high-speed internet connection is required.

QPR Online is hosted by actress and author, Carrie Fisher, and uses Web-based technology, compelling graphics, streamed video and interactive learning dynamics to teach:
* How to get help for yourself or learn more about preventing suicide
*The common causes of suicidal behavior
*The warning signs of suicide
*How to Question, Persuade and Refer someone who may be suicidal
*How to get help for someone in crisis
After completing a post-course survey, evaluation and passing a 15-item quiz on QPR, a printable Certificate of Course Completion is available.

The course retails for $29.95. By typing in "Hopeline" in the promo code you receive a 33% discount. The cost will be $19.95.

Click here to get trained now. 

Learn the Warning Signs of Suicide  

 Next blog post we will talk more about depression and things that can lead up to suicidal behaviors, including my own personal struggles with this sensitive topic.

Thank you for wanting to be a solution!

More info and help here: http://www.hopeline.com/gethelpnow.html