Table of Contents
If you need immediate assistance, please call 1-800-273-8255 1-800-273-TALK
1 So You Think You Want To Die?
Hello 3
The Reality of Suicidal Fantasy 7
Moderation and Time Limits 10
Me 11
Finding Life Essence 23
Change (Arghhh) and Choices 25
2 Outthinking Suicide
Breathing 31
The Language of Suicide 34
The Neuron Superhighway 39
The Grim Reaper 44
Brain Style 47
Recognizing and Avoiding Triggers 50
Stopping the Snowball 54
Finding Relief 56
3 Tricks of the Trade
Trick #1 Asking for Help 61
Trick #2 Emergency Contacts 66
Trick #3 A Crisis Plan 71
Trick #4 Feelings 83
Identifying Feelings 84
Feelings Chart 87
Feelings Galore List 89
Tracing Feelings Back 90
Stating a Feeling 94
Trick #5 Feelings Versus Facts 95
Trick #6 The Brady Bunch Syndrome 98
Trick #7 Spirituality, Nature, Meditation 100
Spirituality 100
Nature 108
Meditation 114
Trick #8 Acting As If 119
Trick #9 Halt 120
Hungry 121
Angry 127
Lonely 130
Tired 134
Trick #10 Keeping a Journal 138
Trick #11 Tasks and Activities-Healthy Diversions 142
Trick #12 The Telephone Lifeline and Phone Lists 144
Trick #13 Contracts for Safety 146
Trick #14 Brain Food 150
Trick #15 Therapy 154
Trick #16 Vitamin "P" 162
Trick #17 "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning"- Sayings and Affirmations 166
Trick #18 Mirror Work and Inner Dialoguing 172
Trick #19 Service-Helping Others 176
Trick #20 Movement and Exercise 180
Trick #21 Sound and Color 185
Sound 185
Color 189
Trick #22 Support Groups 190
Trick #23 Structure 192
Trick #24 Hospitalization 194
Trick #25 What About an Afterlife? 198
4 There is Hope! Letters from My Therapist, Family, and Friends
Honesty 205
Sylvia's Perspective 206
A Brother's Walk on Eggshells 209
Watching Her Husband, My Brother 210
Like a Holiday from Adulthood 211
God Doesn't Make Junk! 213
Sue's Song 215
Rich with Humanity Hope, and Change 216
5 Helping the Suicidal Thinker
Introduction 221
Risk Factors and Warning Signs 227
Suicide Facts and Statistics 235
Words
What I Heard Versus What I Needed to Hear 237
Delivery and Timing 242
Expressing Your Feelings 245
Acknowledging Their Pain 247
Speaking from Love 248
Beliefs
Secrets Are Deadly 250
It's Okay to Talk About It 253
It's a Family Challenge 256
Change Is Possible 257
Actions
Listening Well 259
Respecting Boundaries While Taking Action 262
Practicing Patience and Compassion 265
Getting Educated and Finding Your Own Support 266
6 Until We Meet Again
Geese (a poem written by Christopher Brehl) 271
I Recognize … 272
Destiny 274
Afterword for the Revised Edition 275
7 Hotlines, Websites, and Other Resources
Hotlines and Suicide Prevention Organizations Crisis Hotlines 283
Hotlines in Canada 286
Online Crisis Chat 287
Crisis Text Messaging 288
Organizations 289
Organizations in Canada 304
Additional Websites
Suicide Prevention 306
Suicide Attempters 306
Suicide Survivors 306
Military 307
Mobile Phone Apps
Behavioral Health 308
Depression and Suicide 308
Military 309
Twelve Step Organizations Book Lists
Books Useful to Me 312
Memoirs 314
General Works 314
On Youth 315
On the Elderly 316
For Professionals 316
For Survivors 317
Notes 319
Index 325