Comments for (collateral damage) http://leftbehindbysuicide.org Images of Suicide Survivors Fri, 11 May 2012 21:38:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Comment on Champions of Mental Health by Michael H Ballard http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/blog/champions-of-mental-health/comment-page-1/#comment-35104 Michael H Ballard Fri, 11 May 2012 21:38:37 +0000 http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/?p=1562#comment-35104 Bravo to those who help us talk about this! Thank you for your courage to share. Thank you. I wish each winner and their families peace and healing in their journey forward. Bravo to those who help us talk about this! Thank you for your courage to share.
Thank you.
I wish each winner and their families peace and healing in their journey forward.

]]> Comment on Comments by CB http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/comments/comment-page-2/#comment-33589 CB Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:39:25 +0000 http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/?page_id=25#comment-33589 Dear Jordan, Every time that I find myself crying, lonely, or confused, my first thought is that all I want is a big Jordan hug to make me feel better. Even though it’s been 3 weeks, it still doesn’t feel entirely real. I still rack my brain, searching for answers, signs, or reasons why you decided to leave us. I re-read your text messages, listen to your voicemails, and sometimes even look for scraps of homework and notes from class to look at. I am desperate for every piece of you, every memory. I am struggling to make sense out of this tragedy, to find some meaning and to find a way to learn and grow and move on. But I haven’t found any such peace yet. I really hope that you can see me. That you can see us. That you realize now how loved you really were, how much you affected everyone that you knew. I wish that you knew that Jonathan remembers that time you drunkenly kissed him and that he said it’s one of the highlights of his life. I wish that you knew that the other Jordan Harris came to your memorial, and that we all secretly hate him now for showing up on our newsfeeds. I wish you knew that we all think about you constantly, that you will always be a part of the BunDun, and that you will always be with me. I am not a religious person, but somehow I truly believe that you’re still around in spirit, and that the butterfly that came up to me a couple of days after your death was sent by you. I wish that I could rewind and be with you again, make you feel beautiful and smart and loved and precious. Make you see yourself the way that we all saw you. Jordan. I love you, and always will Dear Jordan,
Every time that I find myself crying, lonely, or confused, my first thought is that all I want is a big Jordan hug to make me feel better. Even though it’s been 3 weeks, it still doesn’t feel entirely real. I still rack my brain, searching for answers, signs, or reasons why you decided to leave us. I re-read your text messages, listen to your voicemails, and sometimes even look for scraps of homework and notes from class to look at. I am desperate for every piece of you, every memory. I am struggling to make sense out of this tragedy, to find some meaning and to find a way to learn and grow and move on. But I haven’t found any such peace yet.
I really hope that you can see me. That you can see us. That you realize now how loved you really were, how much you affected everyone that you knew. I wish that you knew that Jonathan remembers that time you drunkenly kissed him and that he said it’s one of the highlights of his life. I wish that you knew that the other Jordan Harris came to your memorial, and that we all secretly hate him now for showing up on our newsfeeds. I wish you knew that we all think about you constantly, that you will always be a part of the BunDun, and that you will always be with me. I am not a religious person, but somehow I truly believe that you’re still around in spirit, and that the butterfly that came up to me a couple of days after your death was sent by you.
I wish that I could rewind and be with you again, make you feel beautiful and smart and loved and precious. Make you see yourself the way that we all saw you. Jordan. I love you, and always will

]]> Comment on Comments by RB http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/comments/comment-page-2/#comment-33489 RB Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:45:50 +0000 http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/?page_id=25#comment-33489 What a great project you are working on! I just read about it in the Sudbury Star. I lost my Dad to suicide 32 years ago, when I was only 6 years old. Although my Mom wanted to tell me what happened, she decided against it when my grandmother (my Dad's Mom), begged her not to tell me, cause she feared I would do the same. Being a very sensitive & intuitive child, from the moment we found out he was dead, I knew there was more to the story of "he was sick", and I questioned myselft as to what I had done that made people around me talk in secrecy when they talked about my Dad. I kept thinking that he died not knowing that I loved him. I finally asked my Mom how he had really died, when I was 13 years old. Once I found out how he really died, I questioned everything else I'd ever been told. I have spent my life having a hard time trusting people, and always questioning if I'm being told the truth about something. His death affected the entire family, and still has effects 32 years later. I still chose who I am honest with, when asked how my Dad died, because I hate the look on people's faces and the "ohhh" reaction you get when you say that's how he died. Suicide is a result of a mental illness...something in the brain is not working well, just like heart disease is cause the heart is not working well. It's frustrating that with the knowledge of mental illness nowadays, there is still such a stigma attached to the suicide & survivors of suicide. I could go on & on about ways his suicide has affected my life. Thank you for opening the dialogue, and best of luck with your projects! What a great project you are working on! I just read about it in the Sudbury Star. I lost my Dad to suicide 32 years ago, when I was only 6 years old. Although my Mom wanted to tell me what happened, she decided against it when my grandmother (my Dad’s Mom), begged her not to tell me, cause she feared I would do the same. Being a very sensitive & intuitive child, from the moment we found out he was dead, I knew there was more to the story of “he was sick”, and I questioned myselft as to what I had done that made people around me talk in secrecy when they talked about my Dad. I kept thinking that he died not knowing that I loved him. I finally asked my Mom how he had really died, when I was 13 years old. Once I found out how he really died, I questioned everything else I’d ever been told. I have spent my life having a hard time trusting people, and always questioning if I’m being told the truth about something. His death affected the entire family, and still has effects 32 years later. I still chose who I am honest with, when asked how my Dad died, because I hate the look on people’s faces and the “ohhh” reaction you get when you say that’s how he died. Suicide is a result of a mental illness…something in the brain is not working well, just like heart disease is cause the heart is not working well. It’s frustrating that with the knowledge of mental illness nowadays, there is still such a stigma attached to the suicide & survivors of suicide. I could go on & on about ways his suicide has affected my life. Thank you for opening the dialogue, and best of luck with your projects!

]]> Comment on POLL. What training do you have in suicide prevention? by Beth Swift http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/uncategorized/poll-what-training-do-you-have-in-suicide-prevention/comment-page-1/#comment-31567 Beth Swift Sun, 25 Mar 2012 01:46:03 +0000 http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/?p=1458#comment-31567 As a registered nurse for 37 years I had absolutely no training in suicide awareness or prevention.Our mental health training focused on communication skills and the nursing process and care plans. The only tool we were taught to use was the phrase " why do you feel that way? " in training we were 18 or 19 years old, too young to offer much help to those in crisis. As a registered nurse for 37 years I had absolutely no training in suicide awareness or prevention.Our mental health training focused on communication skills and the nursing process and care plans. The only tool we were taught to use was the phrase ” why do you feel that way? ” in training we were 18 or 19 years old, too young to offer much help to those in crisis.

]]> Comment on POLL. What training do you have in suicide prevention? by Jenn Ward http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/uncategorized/poll-what-training-do-you-have-in-suicide-prevention/comment-page-1/#comment-30692 Jenn Ward Thu, 08 Mar 2012 01:51:22 +0000 http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/?p=1458#comment-30692 I just completed my BSW at Ryerson University in Toronto. Not an ounce of the suicide prevention and intervention knowledge I have today was gained from my formal university education. In fact, all of my formal suicide prevention/intervention training came from opportunities I sought out independently and paid for out of my own pocket. My social work education tended to skirt the issues. We gained alot of knowledge about social justice, advocacy and oppression of marginalized populations, but never ever did suicide enter a lecture hall or class discussion unless I brought the topic there myself. I have adressed this theme repeatedly with the faculty at Ryerson and continue to push for the development of a course that includes a critical approach to mental health and suicide prevention. I just completed my BSW at Ryerson University in Toronto. Not an ounce of the suicide prevention and intervention knowledge I have today was gained from my formal university education. In fact, all of my formal suicide prevention/intervention training came from opportunities I sought out independently and paid for out of my own pocket. My social work education tended to skirt the issues. We gained alot of knowledge about social justice, advocacy and oppression of marginalized populations, but never ever did suicide enter a lecture hall or class discussion unless I brought the topic there myself. I have adressed this theme repeatedly with the faculty at Ryerson and continue to push for the development of a course that includes a critical approach to mental health and suicide prevention.

]]> Comment on POLL. What training do you have in suicide prevention? by Christine Cieslar http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/uncategorized/poll-what-training-do-you-have-in-suicide-prevention/comment-page-1/#comment-30210 Christine Cieslar Sun, 26 Feb 2012 14:30:23 +0000 http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/?p=1458#comment-30210 I work as a volunteer to help bring about suicide awareness. I have the ASSIST training through CMHA. I have training through the Distress Centre on Active Listening Skills and 24 hour crisis help phone lines. I am also a peer facilitator for survivor of suicide support groups. I work as a volunteer to help bring about suicide awareness. I have the ASSIST training through CMHA. I have training through the Distress Centre on Active Listening Skills and 24 hour crisis help phone lines. I am also a peer facilitator for survivor of suicide support groups.

]]> Comment on POLL. What training do you have in suicide prevention? by Angela http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/uncategorized/poll-what-training-do-you-have-in-suicide-prevention/comment-page-1/#comment-30205 Angela Sun, 26 Feb 2012 13:57:38 +0000 http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/?p=1458#comment-30205 My university studies were in health promotion. We had a five minute lecture in an intro course, on what to do if someone mentioned suicide, which just 'happened'. It was not something the prof had planned to teach. Although I took a course specifically on mental health promotion a few years later, the topic of suicide never came up again. It's interesting though that those five minutes early on sparked an interest in suicide prevention in me. One that lead to me taking ASIST - and ultimately making my life's work suicide prevention. I believe that just as the health promotion students are required to have first aid training to graduate they should also need to take safeTALK or ASIST! My university studies were in health promotion. We had a five minute lecture in an intro course, on what to do if someone mentioned suicide, which just ‘happened’. It was not something the prof had planned to teach. Although I took a course specifically on mental health promotion a few years later, the topic of suicide never came up again. It’s interesting though that those five minutes early on sparked an interest in suicide prevention in me. One that lead to me taking ASIST – and ultimately making my life’s work suicide prevention. I believe that just as the health promotion students are required to have first aid training to graduate they should also need to take safeTALK or ASIST!

]]> Comment on POLL. What training do you have in suicide prevention? by Wanda MacArthur http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/uncategorized/poll-what-training-do-you-have-in-suicide-prevention/comment-page-1/#comment-30184 Wanda MacArthur Sat, 25 Feb 2012 15:32:43 +0000 http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/?p=1458#comment-30184 Child and Youth Worker. We had a crisis prevention course in 3rd year but it did not dedicate a lot of time to suicide. I think this has since changed. I did take a suicide prevention program dealing with prevention in group homes. Could show you the curriculum if you like Child and Youth Worker. We had a crisis prevention course in 3rd year but it did not dedicate a lot of time to suicide. I think this has since changed. I did take a suicide prevention program dealing with prevention in group homes. Could show you the curriculum if you like

]]> Comment on POLL. What training do you have in suicide prevention? by silvana digaetano http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/uncategorized/poll-what-training-do-you-have-in-suicide-prevention/comment-page-1/#comment-30177 silvana digaetano Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:33:47 +0000 http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/?p=1458#comment-30177 I was PSW for many years and worked in clients homes. We were taught to observe any odd behavior....and use our own judgement to figure was bothering the client. Also they way they talked...what they saying...and call it in immediately and report. We never had any formal training at all on this subject. I was PSW for many years and worked in clients homes. We were taught to observe any odd behavior….and use our own judgement to figure was bothering the client.

Also they way they talked…what they saying…and call it in immediately and report.

We never had any formal training at all on this subject.

]]> Comment on POLL. What training do you have in suicide prevention? by Carol Rolfe http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/uncategorized/poll-what-training-do-you-have-in-suicide-prevention/comment-page-1/#comment-30170 Carol Rolfe Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:50:06 +0000 http://leftbehindbysuicide.org/?p=1458#comment-30170 I have been nursing (LPN) for 28 years. I did not receive any suicide prevention in training. Last year my workplace provided the Mental health First Aid for Public Health employees. I have been nursing (LPN) for 28 years. I did not receive any suicide prevention in training. Last year my workplace provided the Mental health First Aid for Public Health employees.

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