Quote of the week: Never Give Up

Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

"I ran and ran and ran every day, and I acquired this sense of determination, this sense of spirit that I would never, never give up, no matter what else happened."

-Wilma Rudolph

It is so hard to change. A lot of us want to eat better, feel better, or be better, but find it hard to change our behavior to match that desire. That is especially true if you are suicidal. Not only do you already lack motivation, but your symptoms get worse and worse until suicide is the only thing you can see. However, it doesn't have to be like that. If you are suicidal, surround yourself with others who will support you. Change comes easier when others are there to motivate you. If you are helping someone who is suicidal, remember to be there for yourself while helping others. No matter where you are coming from, never give up. Keep going every day, even if you don't immediately see change at first. Eventually, determination will happen, followed by change, followed by a meaningful life filled with important accomplishments.

Eating Disorders and Suicide

Image courtesy of seksuwat at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

In today’s culture, being aware and self-conscious of our bodies seems to be the norm, but unfortunately a small percentage of those watching their weight and body image develop an eating disorder. Some of the diagnoses of an eating disorder include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. As a part of Eating Disorder Awareness week, it is important to know one of the risks associated with this mental illness: suicide.

Eating Disorders and Increased Suicide Risk
Those diagnosed with an eating disorder, regardless of the type, are at a higher risk of dying by suicide.¹ According to one study, approximately half of those diagnosed with an eating disorder disclosed they have lifetime suicidal thoughts.² Most of those diagnosed do not attempt to die by suicide, but those who make an attempt are often more serious and intentional resulting in hospitalization.³ There are some guesses as to the cause of the increased risk of suicide:

• Increased impulsivity¹
• Repeatedly engaging in painful behaviors, such as self-induced vomiting or starving⁴
• Increased feelings of burdensomeness and decreased feelings of belongingness⁴

By engaging in eating disorder behaviors, the risk of dying by suicide is increased.

How to Get Help
If you or someone you know are struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating symptoms, you can reach out to your local primary care physician, seek mental health services, or check out the National Eating Disorder Association for more information and treatment options. If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1 (800) 273-TALK (8255).

References
1. Suokas, J., Suvisaari, J. M., Grainger, M., Raevuori, A., Gissler, M., & Haukka, J. (2014). Suicide attempts and morality in eating disorders: a follow-up study of eating disorder patients. General Hospital Psychiatry, 36, p. 355-357.
2. Portzky, G., Heeringen, K., & Vervaet, M. (2014). Attempted suicide in patients with eating disorders. Crisis, 35(6), p. 378-387.
3. Pisetsky, E., Thorton, L.M., Lichtenstein, P., Pedersen, N. L., & Bulik, C. M. (2013). Suicide attempts in women with eating disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 122(4), p. 1042-1056.
4. Dodd, D., Smith, A., and Bodell, L. (2014). Restraint feeds stress: The relationship between eating disorder symptoms, stress generation, and the interpersonal theory of suicide. Eating Behaviors<, 15, p. 567-573.

Introducing Alison

About Me
My name is Alison and I’m excited about our SPARC social media expanding. I am very passionate about mental health and suicide prevention. There is a lot of stigma surrounding mental health (or mental illness) and suicide that makes it very difficult for people to reach out for help. I have been affected both by mental illness and suicide; I can be described as neurotic (sometimes) and I can become depressed or anxious... and there is no shame around that. I am also ambitious, a good listener, and goofy. I may need to reach out for help during stressful times and that is perfectly okay.

Goals
One of the goals I have for our blog is to help reduce the stigma of mental health and suicide, reach out and educate areas in the community where there is not much information about mental health and suicide, and to (hopefully) pave the path to decreasing suicides. We want to help provide inspiration for seeking help or reaching out to someone in need of help. Suicide is preventable and mental health can be maintained. If you want to share your experiences with us, you can leave us a message on our Facebook page or email us.

If In Crisis
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact either the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1 (800) 273-TALK (8255) or the Kern County Mental Health Crisis Hotline at 1 (800) 991-5272.

Welcome to SPARC: Suicide, Let's Talk About It

Introducing Brandon

Hello,

My name is Brandon, and I am one of the contributors to this blog. An important aspect of this blog is to have a personal connection between the contributors and the people reading it, so I wanted to take time to introduce myself. I work for Kern County Mental Health, and started contributing to the SPARC Facebook page in July 2014. I am excited to see how well the page was received, and happy that the concept is expanding into this blog.

I have a personal connection to mental illness. I struggle with depression and anxiety myself, and have had close relationships in the past with those with mental illnesses. Therefore, I have the very unique privilege of being a voice for the mentally ill. There is a stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide. People tend to think that they shouldn't talk about suicide, and that those who are mentally ill are less capable than everyone else. I am living proof that that isn't true. I have dedicated my life to breaking down the barriers between those who have a mental illness and those who don't. I spent my life wishing there was someone I could talk to, someone who understood what I was going through. I now have a therapist, but I spent the majority of my life struggling through these issues alone. I am lucky enough to have survived this ordeal, but there are many who are not so lucky. Therefore, my purpose is to help those who are not able to help themselves. I encourage all of you to do the same. Keep reading this blog to get information, then apply it to your life. Whether you are mentally ill yourself, or are interested in helping those with mental illness, this is a place to go for help and acceptance.

I look forward to contributing to this blog and conversing with all of you!