In light of the recent tragedies in my hometown, I wrote this article for the local newspaper. I am not sure if it was ever published, so I thought I’d share it on my website. Individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide are at an increased risk of suicide themselves. One study reports that people bereaved by suicide (Survivors of Suicide, aka SOS) within…
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and yet yesterday in the news I read of another death by suicide. This grieves my heart. In Western culture, we have a low tolerance for pain. We live in a world of instant gratification. We have a headache, and we pop an ibuprofen. Sinus pressure — no worries, there’s a med for that too. Something happens to our psyche…
SUICIDE…one word…says so much… S – Stigma U – You are gone. I – I will never be the same. C – Completed…Over…No More… I – Irreversible. D – Death. E – Eternity. Ten minutes ago I sat with a friend who received a phone call that someone she cares about had just overdosed. Immediately the atmosphere in the room changed. A heaviness weighed down…
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down…
Over the past few weeks I have been inundated with calls and meetings with people in crisis. Life is tough…there are days when we all wonder how we will persevere. In times of extreme stress, our brain releases cortisol in effort to help us regulate our stress response so that we can return to a state of homeostasis. In moderation, cortisol is a helpful hormone….
1. Exercise – Believe it or not, when you exercise, your brain releases pleasure-inducing endorphins which reduce perceptions of pain and produce a natural high (similar to a runner’s high). When you are depressed the last thing you want to do is exercise, but if you can push through it, it is a natural way to counter those blues. 2. Eat bananas – Depression can…