Exploring Inpatient Mental Health Rehab: Benefits and Treatment Options

Inpatient mental health rehab involves staying overnight at a specialized facility that provides mental health treatment. These facilities offer all necessary medical care under one roof, with medical professionals and support employees on staff. Inpatient care is recommended for those struggling with significant issues related to mental health and requiring a high level of care for safety, therapy compliance, and supervision. There are two types of mental health rehabs: voluntary and involuntary care. Voluntary care centers on helping individuals address issues related to their mental health in a safe, secure, and supportive environment, while involuntary care involves patients being compelled to receive treatment by courts or law enforcement officials.

In both types of care, structure is of critical importance, and residents are held to a strict schedule. The restoration of healthy behaviors is also emphasized, including a clean, healthy diet, exercise, and sleep. Individual and group therapy sessions help patients better understand their symptoms and circumstances that led to their hospitalization, and assist in developing successful discharge plans and goals for ongoing therapy in the community.

Mental health issues affect millions of people worldwide, and the consequences can be devastating. While there are many treatment options available, some individuals require more intensive support to manage their symptoms and regain their quality of life. Inpatient mental health rehab is one such option that provides a safe and supportive environment for those struggling with mental health issues.

In this article, we will explore the benefits of inpatient mental health rehab, the treatment options available, and what to expect during your stay. Whether you or someone you know is considering inpatient mental health rehab, this guide will provide valuable insights and information.

Benefits of Inpatient Mental Health Rehab

Safe and supportive environment: Inpatient mental health rehab provides a safe and supportive environment where individuals can focus on their recovery without distractions or triggers from the outside world. 

Comprehensive treatment

Inpatient mental health rehab offers comprehensive treatment, including individual therapy, group therapy, medication management, and other evidence-based therapies.

24/7 support

 Inpatient mental health rehab provides round-the-clock support and supervision, ensuring that individuals receive the care they need when they need it.

Structured routine

Inpatient mental health rehab provides a structured routine that includes therapy sessions, medication management, and other activities that promote healing and recovery.

Medication Management

Medication management is a critical component of treating mental health issues. In inpatient mental health rehab, medications are prescribed and monitored by a psychiatrist who specializes in mental health. The psychiatrist will work closely with the individual to determine the most effective medication and dosage for their specific needs. They will also monitor the individual's response to the medication and adjust the dosage as needed to ensure that it remains effective.

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy is a one-on-one session between an individual and a trained therapist. In inpatient mental health rehab, individuals typically have access to daily or weekly individual therapy sessions. These sessions provide a safe and confidential space for individuals to explore their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors with a trained therapist. The therapist will work with the individual to develop coping strategies and behavior change techniques to help them manage their mental health symptoms.

Group Therapy

Group therapy is a session that brings together a group of individuals who are struggling with similar mental health issues. In inpatient mental health rehab, individuals may participate in daily or weekly group therapy sessions. These sessions offer individuals the opportunity to connect with others who are going through similar experiences and learn from each other's insights and perspectives. Group therapy can also provide a sense of community and support, which can be particularly helpful for individuals who feel isolated or alone in their struggles.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based therapy that focuses on changing negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to mental health issues. In inpatient mental health rehab, individuals may participate in daily or weekly CBT sessions. During these sessions, the therapist will work with the individual to identify negative thoughts and behaviors and develop strategies to change them. CBT has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a therapy that combines mindfulness and acceptance techniques with behavioral change strategies to help individuals manage their emotions and behaviors. In inpatient mental health rehab, individuals may participate in daily or weekly DBT sessions. During these sessions, the therapist will work with the individual to develop skills in mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of mental health issues, including borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, and substance abuse.

Family Therapy

Family therapy is a session that involves the individual and their family members. In inpatient mental health rehab, family therapy sessions may be offered to help improve communication and relationships between family members. The therapist will work with the family to identify and address any issues that may be contributing to the individual's mental health issues. Family therapy can be particularly helpful for individuals who have experienced trauma or have a history of family conflict.

Expressive Therapies

Expressive therapies are creative activities that help individuals explore their emotions and express themselves in a non-verbal way. In inpatient mental health rehab, expressive therapies may include art therapy, music therapy, or dance therapy. These therapies can be helpful for individuals who have difficulty expressing their emotions verbally or who find traditional therapy sessions challenging.

Overall, inpatient mental health rehab provides a comprehensive and supportive treatment environment for individuals struggling with mental health issues. With a range of evidence-based therapies available, individuals can receive the personalized care and support they need to manage their symptoms and work toward recovery.

 THIRA Health in Bellevue, WA offers a comprehensive and personalized approach to inpatient mental health rehab that can be an invaluable treatment option for individuals struggling with mental health issues. Within a safe and supportive environment, THIRA Health provides evidence-based therapies such as medication management, individual and group therapy, cognitive and dialectical behavioral therapy, family therapy, and expressive therapies. Through these approaches, individuals can receive the necessary support to manage their symptoms and work towards long-term recovery. 

SOURCE: https://sites.google.com/view/dialectical-behaviour-therapy-/articles/exploring-inpatient-mental-health-rehab-benefits-treatment-options-and-w?authuser=1

May is Mental Health Month: Overcoming Stigma in Mental Health Treatment

 

Over 70 years ago, Mental Health America began Mental Health Month to reduce stigma and cultivate healthy conversations about mental health. Their work is essential, and  the message of Mental Health Month remains one that we place at the center of our healing mission within THIRA Health. Challenging disapproval and overcoming the hurt it causes is at the heart of everything we do to foster whole person care.

 

What Does Stigma Mean In Mental Health?

The definition of stigma is “a mark of shame or discreditation,” but there is typically no visible mark that makes someone who is open about their mental health feel judged. Instead, for the millions of Americans managing mental health conditions every day, stigma is a feeling of rejection, disbelief, or challenge to their lived experiences.

 

The Types Of Stigma

While most types of mental health stigma are embedded in the fabric of our culture, there are different ways that it shows up in your life. Every individual will experience this kind of disapproval differently, and you may feel some types of judgment  more acutely while others aren’t relevant to you at all.

Our programs at THIRA Health all have an active component built into our DBT philosophy designed to help address this in every facet of your life.

 

Self-Stigma

This inwardly-directed disapproval puts you at the center of struggles you experience and is a barrier to finding solutions. When you negate, downplay, and ruthlessly punish yourself for your mental health condition, whatever it may be, you disempower yourself.

Stigma turned inward can be the most difficult to spot because it becomes ingrained in the way you think about yourself and the world around you. This type may contribute to negative self-talk that perpetuates feelings of guilt, fear, anxiety, or depression when your perception of yourself is skewed in a negative way.

 

Public

While self-reproach  is internalized, public stigma is often the catalyst for and informs this mindset. This includes ideas and values that are broadly held and the popular opinions that permeate our thoughts and attitudes, often at levels we are not consciously aware of. It’s the belief that those suffering from mental health issues are somehow “lesser,” that they’ve brought it on themselves, or that they should be able to just “snap out of it.”

This is how our ideas of mental health become skewed, both individually and as a society. This perspective may have you keeping your mental health issues to yourself rather than sharing it with those who could offer support or insight.

 

Professional

At work or school, there can be a subtle and more insidious discrediting that instills fear in seeking treatment. When you avoid identifying what’s going on with you, reject a formal diagnosis, and refuse treatment, the threat of professional stigma now or in the future is usually central to that.

 

Professional disapproval is the worry that if your work, school, or colleagues found out how you really feel, they may ostracize you, not consider you “capable or ready”  for a promotion, or create some other form of negative judgment.

 

Other Types Of Stigma

Some types are more situational or specific than the clear delineation of where they come from. These kinds of stigma may be related to the use of a particular term or identity (label stigma), concerned with doctors not trusting or believing you (medical or credibility stigma), or even a stigma around who you spend time with and how that might impact your relationship (association stigma). It’s the thinking that you make bad choices for yourself, perhaps exaggerate or are dishonest about your perception of your illness, or that your friends are contributing to what’s “wrong” with you.

 

Five Ways To Get Treatment Without Worry

Here are several things you can do right now to make your healing journey more comfortable.

1. Set (and enforce) boundaries with the people who make you feel inadequate or unsafe.
2. Talk about your experience with (supportive) friends or on social media.
3. Find an advocate in your support community to help you banish self-stigma.
4. Share reliable information, facts, and statistics about mental health.
5. Journal your ideas to share with your mental health team when you’re in treatment.

 

So what does stigma mean for THIRA Health?

The thoughtful and immersive programs at THIRA Health create and cultivate a safe space to focus on your healing each day. It offers you the chance to begin to heal, reduce experiencing self-blame and self-reproach while actively receiving support and learning the tools to help you cope.

Our team is here to help you work through the finer points of how to talk to family and friends about your treatment. To learn more or to begin your own journey this Mental Health Month, reach out to us today.

Source: https://www.thirahealth.com/2022/05/09/may-is-mental-health-month-overcoming-stigma-in-mental-health-treatment/

Is Being a Night Person Healthy? How chronotype and mood disorders are linked

 

Is It Healthier To Be A Morning Person Or A Night Owl?

By middle adulthood, we tend to get a sense of which time of day we feel the most lively and when we’re plagued by drowsiness. Some of us are up with the sun, and others stay up late, howling at the moon (or, more likely, scrolling on social media). These biological rhythm differences are called chronotypes.

According to self-report measures, about 40% of the adult population identify as belonging to the morning or evening chronotype categories, while approximately 60% of the population claim no preference. But what are the true differences between morning and night people? Is one chronotype healthier than the other? Are we more at risk for mood disorders or severe depressive symptoms if we have an evening type circadian phase preference? These are some important questions to address in this article as we review the link between chronotype and affective disorders.

What Affects Chronotype?

Our human circadian rhythms may seem mysterious, but there are some biological roots or reasons for our habits. Direct experience helps us know that our body responds to some form of an internal clock, especially when we have jet lag following a long flight or generally feel more energy when the sun is out. While there is some debate on the origins of chronotype, especially seeing as it varies by person, it is known to be affected by factors such as age, gender, heredity, social constraints and environmental factors.

Chronotype And Depressive Symptoms

Another factor of note is the seemingly reciprocal relationship between these daily temporal patterns and psychiatric disorders, including severe depression, anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorder. Sleep disturbances, in general, are a well-known symptom of these mental disorders, and the insufficient sleep or poor sleep quality associated with evening type circadian preference is of concern. A 2021 longitudinal study links evening chronotype with increased risk for depressive mood episodes in bipolar disorder patients, and further studies have linked depressive symptoms such as emotional dysregulation and higher negative emotionality with abnormalities in biological rhythms.

Optimizing Your Energy

Regardless of whether you have always held morning or night traditions, been forced to adapt to one or the other, or are new to having to refocus your energy, we have some tips on how to harness the best parts of you to make for the best parts of your day. Knowing how prevalent the connection is between chronotype and depressive symptoms, consider our tips below for regulating the human circadian clock.

Regulate Your Sleep.

Whether you rise early, middle, or late, ensure that your sleep stays consistent. Research finds that poor sleep quality can disrupt brain chemistry, which leads to symptoms of depression, anxiety, or mental health experiences. Adults should aim for at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night – but not to worry, if you find that your body simply needs more rest than what science has deemed acceptable, afford yourself that time.

Count To 10.

If you find yourself having a hard time getting out of bed when your alarm sounds, or if you’re living with a more severe case of delayed sleep phase syndrome, it could be helpful to give yourself a gentle nudge. One way to do this is to count to 10 – count slowly to 10 or count down from 10, and when the timer is up, your feet should be on the floor. Having forms of accountability makes us prioritize our responsibility to ourselves, which is getting our day started without the stress of jumping out of bed in a rush.

Start A Waking Schedule.

Many of us doom scroll to prevent the inevitable up-and-at-‘em process (and perhaps seeing all the bad news happening in the world makes it harder to get up?). But what if, instead of reaching for your phone, you decided to reach for a full glass of water beside your bed and drank it instead? Having a regimen to start your days, such as exercise, meditation, journaling, and/or listening to a podcast, helps us to slowly ease into the day with gratitude and focus. Using a behavioral activation system is another great way to track your mood and your movements throughout the day.

Find What Motivates You.

Writing down or otherwise recording what gets us excited for the day helps us to create and sustain motivation and is a great combatant for daytime sleepiness. Gratitude journaling can be a helpful way to get these ideas flowing, especially when using prompts such as “What can I do today to make my day enjoyable?”. If your motivation is a hot cup of coffee, a nutritious meal on a lunch break, laughing with a friend or favorite coworker, or the fact that it’s getting cooler outside, use those small reminders to fuel your day, your energy, and your attitude.

Listen To Bodily Cues.

When we work with clients on tolerating distress and emotions, we often encourage them to pay attention to their bodies. This is because our bodies usually can detect stress or at least signal it to us when we are feeling overwhelmed, so long as we pay attention. If you feel tightness in your chest or shoulders, take a moment to unclench your jaw and breathe, or practice some progressive muscle relaxation. If you are feeling more agitated with people around you, ensure that you’ve had the proper amount of food, sleep, and social contact to fuel your day.

Keep A Wind-Down Routine.

Whether you have an evening preference or are just looking to stave off depressive symptoms, it’s important to maintain a wind-down routine. This includes limiting screen time and decreasing blue light exposure that contributes to insomnia symptoms, deep breathing to calm the nervous system to prepare for sleep, and/or engaging in some reflective writing to assess how the day went. Winding down prepares our internal circadian clock to slow down for sleep, which helps us to feel rested and ready for the next day.

Healing Major Depressive Disorder At All Times Of Day

We believe mental healthcare should be accessible and respectful not only of individuals’ circadian rhythm, but also every other commitment and responsibility they shoulder. We believe that our role as advocates for mental health access means providing services that meet clients in their energy fields, which is why we offer morning and evening services for both adults and teens living with affective disorders. Many adults don’t prefer to start a long movie after 8 pm, and some teens don’t want to see the sun before 8 am, so we’ve created a system to meet in the middle by providing both to cater to all.

We hope this lesson in chronosystems can encourage you as well, to meet and honor yourself in the middle of where you find your best, most creative, most meaningful work and joy.

For more on how THIRA Health helps cater services to your rhythmic schedule and how we serve clients with depressive symptoms, affective disorders including generalized anxiety disorder, and our bipolar patients, explore our website at www.thirahealth.com

Source: https://www.thirahealth.com/2022/08/17/is-being-a-night-person-healthy-how-chronotype-and-mood-disorders-are-linked/

Mindfulness, Resilience & Other Life Lessons You Can Learn from Elephants

 

If you’ve ever been to a zoo, a wildlife exhibit, or have been privileged to travel internationally, you may have had the opportunity to observe the gentle beauty of elephants. Elephants are majestic, beautiful beings that signal to us the best of what humankind can be if we were to slow down and love each other just a little bit more. From the practice of observation, we can put our DBT mindfulness skills into practice and develop greater empathy, build resilience, protect against negative emotions and learn other coping skills that will benefit us into the future.

August 12th is International Elephant Appreciation Day, so in the spirit of allowing the art of other species to influence our own lives and practices, have a look at some of the amazing skills and traits of elephants that can be helpful as you consider your own goals or aspirational ways of being.

Elephants Operate At A Mindful Pace

So many of us—parents, children, young adults, and even entire communities—operate in a state where we constantly feel overwhelmed. In contrast to the constant buzz of human life, it’s nice to consider a corner of the animal kingdom where things move at a slower pace.

From this encouragement to find ways of simply being in the world instead of constantly plugging away at things we have to do or be, we can find the space to notice our own emotions. This is mindfulness at its core. Our main priority as human beings, after all—if broken down into simple practice—is to cultivate and awareness of our emotions and build skills that allow us to nurture relationships, exercise compassion and patience with one another, and honor the complexity of the various roles and responsibilities we shoulder throughout our lifespan. Successfully adapting to a mindful pace can go a long way toward protecting your well being and ultimate happiness, even in the face of challenging life experiences.

Elephants Nurture Relationships

Herds of elephants are led by the matriarch, who ensures that the herd stays safe, nourished, and properly guided. The matriarchal dynamic of elephants nurtures a deep respect for female elephants, which we could all use more of as we consider the patriarchal harms of human society. While women are often taught to be nurturers, the elephant matriarch makes important decisions, protects the herd fiercely, and possesses strong leadership skills. When we can create respect and understanding for each other, trust builds, collaboration happens, and relationships strengthen.

While there is still some natural hierarchy, the elephant species relies much on teamwork and collectivism to ensure that its members are all taken care of. This might mean scouting out land resources, hunting together, or using physical touch to comfort others. Elephants have a knack for togetherness and herd preservation – in the bigger scheme, this means that the health of the herd is put alongside the self, which creates a sense of community, love, and care.

The idea of nurturing relationships through similar helping behaviors, support, comfort, and care is at the core of counseling work. Whether it’s building a personal relationship with your therapist or their encouragement to seek support from loved ones around you, we recognize that connection and allyship are true healers.

Elephants Exercise Compassion And Empathy

Elephants showcase these characteristics in magnificent ways that we often forget about as human individuals. Their culture of collectivism and dedication to the herd are just two ways we’ve already discussed how they pour back into one another, but there are multitudes of actions they take to exercise compassion and empathy. Elephants have been known to reassure one another in times of stress, whether it’s through trunk hugs, assisting one another when injured, grieving the loss of a friend, and reacting to emotional distress with similar emotional intensity. The thread that exists among these actions is empathy.

When we think about empathy in this capacity, the fable by Aesop comes to mind, where “no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” However, it can be tough to access these virtues when we find it difficult to access them within ourselves. Exercising empathy for ourselves and others might be:

Tasking ourselves with practicing self-compassion when feeling like a failure or imposter

Being a good listener

Acknowledging our own feelings and extending that to others when in conflict

In therapy, these traits and practices show up often. Whether it’s teaching the ideas of whole person awareness, communicating your needs to others, or honoring hunger cues, compassion and empathy are at the center of mindfulness and self-love.

Elephants Embody Resilience

Elephants live simply in that they experience joy and grief, look out for one another, and work to make their ecological systems more sustainable so that they can live long and full lives. However, much of their humanity has been threatened by the sport of gaming, trophy hunting, and other violence that is dwindling their existence. Still, they press on, despite the danger.

When we honor the complexities of the roles and responsibilities we are shouldered with, it also means dealing with the imminent danger that surrounds us. While humans present the largest threat to elephants, for us, it is issues of systemic oppression, discrimination, unexpected pains such as loss, and other challenges that threaten our peace.

In crisis, elephants band together to protect one another, don’t hesitate to express joy or grief, and do their best to do their little bit of good. In the human species, we can take a page from this when we are balancing work, life, and home responsibilities, and especially when those roles start to overwhelm us.

Embody Elephant Mindfulness Through Healing At THIRA

At THIRA Health, we help women and girls establish how they can embody resilience and navigate the different “hats” we wear as humans. Counseling can help you discover your capacity for empathy and need for caring, supportive relationships.

Much like elephants, the goal of healing is to embrace and bear witness to all that’s around you and within you, and doing so with lots of trunk hugs, playfulness, and teamwork with your herd.

To learn more about how we use mindfulness practice to provide space for nurturing relationships, developing empathy, and caring for your mental health among it all, visit us at www.thirahealth.com

Source: https://www.thirahealth.com/2022/08/23/mindfulness-resilience-other-life-lessons-you-can-learn-from-elephants/

The Painful Parts of Healing from BPD

 

Have you ever had a blister re-form, an old paper cut split or a scab that opens back up after a sudden movement? You think, “Darn, I thought I was done dealing with this already,” but you have to clean it all up again, reapply the ointment, and secure a bandage to restart the healing process. Even though you took all the steps to give the wound what it needs, moving your hand the wrong way, tripping clumsily into a door frame, or someone knocking it at just the right angle reminds you of how much you’re still hurting under that bandage. Well, recovering when you deal with recurrent symptoms of pervasive mental health illnesses or experiences can often feel the same way. This is especially true in those with borderline personality disorder (BPD), where trauma is the wound, and learning to have corrective relationships with the self and others is the treatment. However, healing from BPD is possible with a supportive team like THIRA Health on your side.

Intensive Outpatient Treatment For Borderline Personality Disorder

In our Intensive outpatient treatment program near Seattle, we commonly treat women and girls along the spectrum of borderline personality disorder, from first diagnosis to some longevity of symptoms. So whether you are at the start of your healing from BPD journey, embarking on particularly rough terrain, or are just slowly walking and breathing deeply as you brace for what comes next, let THIRA Health partner with you as you learn to live a full life worth living.

Healing From BPD Often Means The Path Of Least Linearity (…And Definitely Some Resistance)

We’ve all heard the trope that healing is not linear, which means it doesn’t follow a prescribed process, set of tasks, or timeline. Healing from BPD sounds like hope and all good things, but the truth is that healing (and specifically borderline personality disorder treatment)can be scary. The process requires a little bravery.

When we engage in therapeutic practices and DBT skills that put us to task to manage our emotions, actions, mood, and thoughts, we are challenging every part of our previous way of being. Our defense mechanisms get challenged, our emotions are made raw and vulnerable, and our relationships are put to the test based on new things we learn about how to care for ourselves.

BPD Symptoms

Those who live with BPD have undoubtedly felt the pervasiveness of their symptoms, which can begin in childhood/adolescence and/or begin or continue in adulthood. Oftentimes borderline personality disorder develops as a result of childhood trauma, as recent research out of the University of Manchester reported that those living with BPD are 13 times more likely to report childhood trauma than those without mental health conditions.

Some BPD symptoms include intense fear of abandonment, unstable relationships, changing self-concept, suicidal behavior or self harming behaviors, intense anger, frequent mood swings and impulsive behavior.

The major difference in experiencing a personality disorder versus a struggle with a mood disorder or other mental health condition is the perceived lifelong sentence of living with BPD. The reality of living with BPD is feeling like you or your body is under attack, either by your own thoughts, beliefs or intense emotions, others’ responses/reactions, or the changing/stagnate world around you. As a once heavily stigmatized disorder—diagnosed commonly in women and people of color—society’s negative opinion has been soothed with research connecting BPD symptoms to post-traumatic responses. Prior to this shift in understanding, BPD sufferers were not only forced to endure hard things but were marked with a scarlet letter across their personality instead of placing the blame on a disordered society. In the face of social misunderstanding, individual healing is possible, community healing is necessary.

 

Healing Within, Healing Throughout

It’s clear that despite the stigma that is held against women, people of color, and other marginalized folx who face scrutiny from a BPD diagnosis, healing must happen both within (ourselves) and throughout (society). Here are some ways how:

Healing Within

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, borderline personality disorder treatment and community-based healing help by addressing the following:

• Changing behaviors that result in self-destruction. Receiving education in therapy on red and green flags in relationship, harm reduction (e.g., exploring substance use and tendencies toward impulsive behavior), and coping skills that reduce permanent harm to the body and mind and help manage the extreme emotions associated with a BPD diagnosis.
• Creating insight of your relationship “templates”. Exploring relationship images, childhood expectations and messaging, and the models you’ve had for self-care and being in relationship with others affects how you see yourself in context. This is important content for dialectical behavioral therapy sessions at our focused BPD treatment center.

Healing Throughout

 

Whether you live with BPD or another a mental health disorder, or have a loved one who is in BPD recovery, the following is how you can help heal community perceptions:

• Telling your story. The most powerful lessons for researchers, laypeople, and communities have been from people who have lived, endured, and experienced the continuum of shame, stress, and fear that exists in living with BPD. This could be through support groups, local workshops, community events, or even classrooms with future mental health practitioners.
• Challenging the narrative. In telling your story, you might already be challenging the narrative. To create change, we must be different than the system. By saying no, speaking up, or educating loved ones on the signs and symptoms of BPD, the historical roots, and the possibility of healing from BPD, this mental health disorder does not need to be a lifelong struggle.

To learn more about Dialectical Behavior Therapy can help you conquer symptoms of BPD and live a more enriching life, visit us at www.thirahealth.com

Source: https://www.thirahealth.com/2022/09/13/the-painful-parts-of-healing-from-bpd/

For Suicidal Thoughts, Now You Can Call 988, The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

 The history of suicide prevention in the United States is most noticeable in how we discuss it. Talking about it and talking through it rather than averting our gaze from this difficult subject is the pathway to better prevention, especially as we continue to learn about the healing mechanisms of trauma-informed therapy, storytelling, and community healing. In recent months, important public health initiatives have led to establishing 988 as the national suicide prevention lifeline number. This shorter, easy-to-remember number is an important step in preventing suicide and providing technical assistance and resources in an individual’s moment of pain.

Still, the U.S. is an individualistic society, and those that have endured experiences along the spectrum of suicidal thoughts, ideation, planning, or behaviors have long been forced to suffer in silence. 4% of U.S. adults report living with suicidal ideation (without a plan), however, more than half of those individuals never seek mental health services. In today’s blog, we will explore historical ways suicide has been addressed and stigmatized, the efforts being made to sound the alarms, and how to advocate for those living with this dark passenger.

Celebrating Suicide Prevention Awareness Month This September

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and it is our mission at THIRA Health to get the word out. As mental health services providers who often work with clients who are dealing with severe mental illness, suicide risk and preventing suicide are common themes in our intensive outpatient treatment program. We use trauma-informed therapy, techniques designed to increase protective factors, DBT skills, and our relationships with clients to ensure they know that they are cared for, well-resourced, empowered, and not alone.

A critical step in expanding suicide prevention efforts and mental health awareness is to get talking about how we can prevent people from acting on the urge to escape their pain before they have a chance to recover. On that note, if you are aware of suicidal thoughts in yourself or someone you love, please seek the care of a mental health therapist for a suicide risk assessment, or in the case of a more immediate crisis, please call the suicide prevention lifeline at 988 or go in person to your local emergency department.

 

A Timeline Of Suicide Prevention And Language

While humankind has been around for centuries, formal suicide prevention efforts from a public health standpoint did not begin until the late 1950s. Nearly a decade later, researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health and National Institute of Health dedicated time and resources to studying suicide prevention, which garnered national attention from non-profits and politicians alike. It wasn’t until the 1990s that national initiatives were activated by suicide loss survivors, and the year 2001 when the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline was founded by SAMHSA across 49 states.

The push for change in recognizing suicide as a national priority has been slow, and the language surrounding suicide has followed. Plagued with stigmatizing myths, stereotypes, and languages about those who die by suicide or loved ones that survived losing a loved one to suicide, it has been a winding journey to create empowering language, education, and justice for those who have been affected by suicide. Amid the COVID pandemic, Americans have consumed news sources reporting on skyrocketing cases of suicide, creating cultural scripts of how we view suicide and those that die by it. This can lead to glamorizing, sensationalizing, or desensitizing communities to suicide, which creates a greater risk of suicide at large.

Over the years, language around suicide has evolved from personal responsibility to a social crisis to reflect our attitudes surrounding mental health awareness and prevention. Word choices and phrasing such as “committed” suicide originates from the criminalization of suicide, similar to homicide or rape. Many ask why it matters how we say it, and it is because our language can unconsciously keep us tied to the stigmatizing origins of suicide. Other language that defines the outcome of suicidal actions with words such as “successful,” “unsuccessful,” and “completed” are all ways that we have described suicide as a choice and behavior rather than a deeply wounding consequence of socioemotional distress.

A Just Approach To Suicide Prevention

Suicide is one of the most common and difficult conversations for us to have with our loved ones. Even as trained mental health clinicians, the level of hurt, despair, or trauma that is shared with you when someone trusts you enough with their story can be alarming. Whether you’re struggling with suicidal ideation, have a loved one struggling with suicidal ideation, or have known or witnessed deaths by suicide that have felt impactful, the most important prerequisite to suicide prevention advocacy is taking care of yourself, too.

Put The Person First

Recognize that suicide is a noun that describes a circumstance of (potential) death, not a person. An example would be “they are living with suicidal thoughts” or “they died by suicide.” People who have tried to die by suicide, in general, often experience issues of homelessness, racism, sexism, and other risk factors of discrimination, abuse, and harm. When we empathize with their story through a social lens, the concept of suicide becomes more about survival than a personality flaw.

Normalize Mental Health Distress

Appreciate that the world around us is often difficult to live in; therefore, we all live along a continuum of success in how we cope with it. We all develop coping strategies (some positive and others negative) such as alcohol use, meditation, or gaming. While it may seem like a foreign idea, others’ minds and bodies develop contemplation of suicide as their attempt to cope. An important question to ponder is what function those thoughts are providing, and if there are ways to meet that need in other ways. Whether the thoughts are intrusive or intentional, we can reframe them into an important moment to exercise empathy that their psyche attempted to find a way out of their pain.

Reflect On Your Own Biases, Perceptions, Or Assumptions About Suicide.

Knowing ourselves and our history with suicide is an important step in doing stigma work, and is something that can be discussed with your trauma-informed therapist. What internalized stigma might you hold about suicide (e.g., selfishness, autonomous choice, “they couldn’t be helped”)? Understanding and getting comfortable with potential bias or assumptions will help you help others dispel their own – after all, we have been socially conditioned to believe that this type of pain is a crime, not an illness.

Consider How Messages Of Hope Can Be Powerful.

Whether it be from survivors of suicide, family members who are called to challenge misinformation, or mental health workers who work to change unjust systems, these movements are all beacons of hope. Hope encourages us to change the world around us, creating a more sustainable place for us all to survive, strive, and (hopefully) thrive in together.

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or is in an active crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Life Line at 9-8-8 or go in person to your local emergency department.

Source: https://www.thirahealth.com/2022/09/14/for-suicidal-thoughts-now-you-can-call-988-the-national-suicide-prevention-lifeline/