The recent suicide deaths of Sydney Aiello and Calvin Desir, survivors of last year’s mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, unleashed collective grief online as the public mourned the loss of two teenagers who’d endured an unthinkable tragedy.
Th…
Category: Suicide
Crisis Text Line may know the best way to ask about suicide
Research shows that asking someone if they’re suicidal doesn’t make them more likely to attempt suicide. Still, starting that conversation can feel intimidating for people worried about offending or embarrassing a loved one.
That’s why Crisis T…
Watch Ahmed Best talk Jar Jar Binks, suicide, and reactions to his viral tweet
In July 2018, actor Ahmed Best, best known for his role as Jar Jar Binks, the controversial and much-maligned character from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, tweeted about the backlash he faced and his thoughts of suicide following that reaction.
N…
Netflix’s ‘Bird Box’ is blind to the issue of stigmatizing mental illness
This post contains spoilers for Bird Box.
At first blush, Bird Box’s flaws seem inoffensive, if plentiful: A poorly written script, half-baked world-building, paper-thin characters, and the waste of the talents of an Oscar-winning actress on five-yea…
Lawmakers push to create three-digit suicide phone line
In a letter addressed to the FCC, Senator Ron Wyden urged commissioners to create a three-digit, 911-style suicide hotline number. The Oregon Senator cites the CDC’s report that more than 40,000 Americans died by suicide in 2017. “I write on behalf of those struggling with mental health issues, our veterans struggling with PTSD and for […]
View More Lawmakers push to create three-digit suicide phone lineBut not a broken man
I’ve been living for the past few years in a limbo between journalist and entrepreneur, trying to build startups the way I saw them being built on stage at Disrupt and discovering that my skill and will to win are no match against the world. That’s fine. These days I’ll take it. But for a […]
View More But not a broken manHere’s how to better support people who are suicidal
/https%3A%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fcard%2Fimage%2F883344%2F2078cf52-91ed-44ca-80a1-1a2801430be7.JPG)
I remember whispers, silence, and shame. When I was growing up in the 1960s and 70s, an older cousin violently ended his life. It was never openly discussed, leaving questions and grief surrounding his death to reverberate for years.
Decades later, suicide continues to create quiet circles of despair, a circle that grows ever wider in this country: The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers show a 25.4 percent jump in the national suicide rate from 1999 to 2016, when nearly 45,000 people ages 10 or older completed suicide. For every life lost, there are even more stories – from family, friends, and colleagues – that must be heard to eradicate the deep-seated stigma and the silence that contribute to this crisis. Read more…
More about Mental Health, Suicide, Suicide Prevention, Chirlane Mccray, and Social Good
The UK now has a Minister for Suicide Prevention and it’s about time
As of today there’s a new job title in the UK government. Minister for Suicide Prevention.
And, it’s a job title that’s long been needed.
4,500 people die by suicide per year in England and suicide is the leading cause of death among men …
21 reasons to keep living when you feel suicidal
/https%3A%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fcard%2Fimage%2F841802%2F967061c4-ee5c-4178-93bd-8ae094bd188a.jpg)
Dese’Rae L. Stage keeps a list of things that make her happy. It includes going to the movies alone, walking around with a giant cup of coffee, and quiet time with her wife. She learned a long time ago, after attempting suicide, that gratifying distractions and reminders of life’s small pleasures might save her in a moment of crisis.
SEE ALSO: How 4 teens took on bullying — and won
Stage knows that even if a person once attempted or contemplated suicide, it doesn’t mean that’s how their life will end. She knows this because she’s a living example. She’s also the creator of Live Through This, an initiative that documents the portraits and stories of suicide attempt survivors. Stage has interviewed 186 people in 36 cities across the U.S. who once tried to end their lives but didn’t. Read more…
More about Mental Health, Suicide, Suicide Prevention, Social Good, and Health
View More 21 reasons to keep living when you feel suicidalCNN to create one final season of ‘Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown’
/https%3A%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fcard%2Fimage%2F820956%2Fe5e0ada3-4161-4446-ace1-67f649e4e5ce.jpg)
Thank goodness, CNN is giving Parts Unknown fans a proper send off.
The docuseries’ home network has confirmed a final season of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown is in the works, according to an LA Times report. Plans are in place for CNN to deliver a fall premiere.
Bourdain’s death in June left viewers speculating on the travel series’ fate. Many believed the final episode of Season 11 (which aired on July 24) would mark the show’s end.
The announcement of new episodes is bittersweet news for the esteemed documentarian’s fans. While Season 12 will feature footage of the late chef, Bourdain’s iconic scripted narration will appear in only one episode—a collaboration with CNN colleague W. Kamau Bell that concluded production before Bourdain’s death. Read more…
More about Entertainment, Cnn, Season 12, Suicide, and Anthony Bourdain
Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best opens up about the real effects of intense backlash
Sometimes people don’t realise that hating on a fictional character can have repercussions, particularly on the real human being playing the part.
Reminding us of this is actor Ahmed Best, who played Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars franchise, and who …
How to bring hope and compassion to conversations about suicide
This week the world lost Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade to suicide.
As the heartbreak over their deaths has turned into wide-ranging conversations about mental health and self-harm, it’s critical to remember that such exchanges have the power …