I so need this!!! I found out that one of the advocates who started the project knows as the 'semi -colon"project" for raising suicide and mental health awareness committed suicide. The semi-colon represents that those who have lost loved ones by suicide, we will continue their stories. This hits me personally from own experience with the loss of my son, my husband's grandfather, and so many others. Their stories will go on as long as we are alive to tell others about mental illnesses and how it affects the mind to the point where they can no longer stand the pain. As an advocate, I need any advice you can give me to help me spread the word to our government officials. Please help with this. I know most of you kn ow my story and I hope I am not boring you with this again. I love you and please pray for the advocates, the victims, and their families. God bless each and everyone of you.
Thank you for all you and others are doing for suicide prevention! One thing you might try is a petition on change.org that goes to members of Congress to not cut funding for mental health services.
mamag15
Apr 5, 2017
Thank you JamieT. I need to write to several of our government officials. I pass everything I get onto facebook, twitter, and any other social media I can find. I will continue this battle as long as I am alive. Between school, taking care of my husband, Bible studies, and working as an advocate, I have a pretty busy life. Thank God I am doing school online so I can stay home and get things done. I will get on change.org and write them. Thank you again and have a blessed day.
olamae61
Apr 5, 2017
Mamag: I have personally experienced mental illness in my family members. My father was diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was 5. He had electric shock treatments before they were outlawed in CA. When I was 7, I witnessed him having a episode. My mother took us kids cross country to live with my grandparents so we will be safe. Later in life I took care of him. He died not from suicide; but early-onset Alzheimer's Disease. Thank you Mamag for telling others about suicide prevention and mental illness. It means a lot to us who have had to deal with it.
mamag15
Apr 7, 2017
Olamae, I am so sorry for what you had to endure as a child. My son was diagnosed with mental illnesses at the age of 13. He was bipolar, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses. He had manic episodes of bipolar, and anxiety along with depression. My son was on a downward spiral for some time before he could not take the pain anymore, even after the birth of his daughter. Her mom was scared for them both and took the baby away from my son. While I do not blame her because we never knew how was going to be from one day to the next. or hour for that matter, he loved his daughter more than anything in this world. I believe he died so he would not hurt the baby as he was getting worse and he felt there was no help for him. He turned to drugs and alcohol as so many do. Watching your family suffer from any type of mental illness is heartbreaking, especially when kids are involved. I will continue fighting as long as there is breath in my body. Thank you for sharing and God bless you and your family.
Have a blessed day.
olamae61
Apr 13, 2017
I have been truly blessed, not only by my jigsaw puzzle friends here, but by the fact that I knew that both my parents loved me. My mother who chose her children over her husband and my father who later in life became stable enough to let me and his grandchildren know he loved us. I am also blessed by having you as a friend Mamag!
Quick, quick--I need one of these built on the edges of my wetlands! But I think a more stable roof might be in order. Love the lights & the border flowers.
Have a blessed day.