Suicide is Not a Dirty Word

I need to get myself back into treatment, but it’s so overwhelming and intimidating. Often, people who don’t have mental illness do not understand why so many of us are resistant. They think it’s like going to the doctor for the flu. It’s nothing like that. I know it can help, but only if I’m lucky enough to find the right people. If it’s your first time seeking help I don't want to discourage you. However, I think it’s important to know that mental health really is still in the dark ages. There are some great things, but the road is covered in mines. Today I want to explore some of these problems, because if we can go searching for help knowing how to spot signs of less-than-stellar care, hopefully we can get ourselves out of bad situations.  1. People or clinics promising to cure you Anyone who promises they can fix you should not be trusted.  Our goal is improvement and management. Some depression will fade over time, but there’s no way to tell who has chronic ...

For me, suicidal depression feels like getting pinned under a boulder in a river. Your chest feels like it’s being crushed, and every breath is a challenge. The longer you struggle the more aches and pains you develop in your arms, legs, and back. Crawfish crawl in your clothes and pinch you, the spring water makes you shiver, and the fear screams through your brain “RUN AWAY!” but, of course, you can’t. At first, it’s a shock. You struggle to wiggle free, you shout for help, you try to flag people down. Eventually you realize that even though they can see you, they don’t really care. Somehow everyone sees this as not a big deal. Sometimes people come down to the shore to “check in”. They say things like: “You can do it” “Everything will get better” “You’re getting stronger” “It will pass” “It’s not as bad as you think it is” “It happens to everyone” Even though you’re bedraggled and exhausted, you know none of what they said makes any sense. It ma...