On March 29th We Learned How We Might Save Lives

Warning Signs:

We’re a fun group.  We like to do uplifting things.  And when we write about them, we like to be light and breezy.  But it’s hard to be light and breezy about suicide, the issue the speaker at our 7:30am meeting covered this morning.  Allison Heckl, LCSW, gave us a telling glimpse into this very tragic problem, one made doubly so, if you’ve had a loved one, or dear friend, or worse yet, a child, opt for this “final, permanent solution.”  Ed Sussman, retired Superintendent of the Downey School District, a member of our group, pointed out that while at Downey, a student committed suicide there at least once a year. 

Ms. Heckl, a program coordinator for Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services in Santa Ana, stressed that, of course, taking one’s own life isn’t much of a solution at all. “O, it may stop the emotional pain, but there are so many better, far brighter and more hopeful, and just as permanent ways to do that, ways that don’t leave a trail of pain and broken hearts behind.”

So how do they help?  First they provide a Suicide Crisis Line - 1-877-727-4747 – staffed by well trained professionals and volunteers.  Then, as with us, they educate.  They tell us what to look for, how to spot the person who might be planning suicide, a list of symptoms we include below.  Then they tell us how to help, that list is also included.  “But there are others, too.  We provide assistance for those who survive the suicide of a loved one, and for those who survive their own suicide attempt.” 

Suicide is the 11^th highest cause of death in the United States.  Murder is 15^th.  Some have called it the Permanent Solution to a Temporary Problem.  Ninety percent of the time, the temporary problem is depression or some other undiagnosed mental disorder – and is the way all too many people deal with the emotional pain these disorders inject into their lives.  To be a real help, become familiar with the warning signs and the ways to deal with them – both follow.

·         Threatening suicide, expressing suicidal feelings or bringing up the topic of suicide

·         Developing a specific plan for suicide

·         Giving away prized possessions, settling affairs

·         Changes in behavior (poor work or school performance)

·         Signs of depression: sad mood, loss of pleasure, changes in sleep or eating habits, irritability, agitation, feelings of failure or shame

·         Expressions of hopelessness and helplessness

·         Increased use of alcohol or drugs

·         Risky behavior (unsafe sex, racing, or aggression)

·         Social isolation

·         Writing or drawing about suicide or death

How to Help:

·         Express your concern about factors you have observed

·         Accept the person’s feelings as they are.  Don’t try to cheer him/her up.

·         Ask directly about their suicidal thoughts.

·         Take suicidal thoughts and feeling seriously.

·         Ask if he/she has developed a plan for suicide.  Presence of a plan shows higher risk.

·         Safely remove lethal means of suicide from the person and assist in finding alternatives to suicide.

·         Let him/her know that suicidal feelings are temporary, that depression can be treated, that problems can be solved.

·         Never agree to keep serious suicidal thoughts in confidence.

·         Call 911 or Suicide Prevention Center (Didi Hirsch: 1-877-727-4747) if a suicide attempt is imminent.

If you would like to contact Ms. Heckl, her email address is:  aheckl@didihirsch.org.

            We look forward to having you at our next meeting to hear our next program personally.

A little history - and a BIG INVITATION

We at the Fountain Valley Rotary are proud of what we've accomplished over the years.  We at the Fountain Valley Rotary would also love that you become a part of it.  And when you do, you become a participant in a proud history.  One that started with these four gentlemen: 

T he world's first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, was formed on 23 February 1905 by Paul P. Harris, an attorney who wished to capture in a professional club the same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth. The Rotary name derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members' offices.

Rotary's popularity spread, and within a decade, clubs were chartered from San Francisco to New York to Winnipeg, Canada. By 1921, Rotary clubs had been formed on six continents. The organization adopted the Rotary International name a year later.

But that was then, and this is now.  Join us every Tuesday Morning at 7:30 at the Fountain Valley Region Hospital Conference Room.