March 4ward

Do you know the signs for when a person is struggling? Consider the 3 D’s: Distress, Dysfunction, or Duration (2-3 weeks). Take time to Look, See, Ask, Tell or Do when you see someone struggling! Their struggling is their sign for HELP!

The word on the street is that is you talk about su***de, it will plant seeds for su***de to happen. According to Mayo Clinic research, that is a MYTH. Talk about su***de with your kids, friends and family!

https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/8-common-myths-about-su***de

I hate the word su***de. But, I hate ignoring its truth:

Su***de is the 10th leading cause of death in Tennessee.
3rd leading cause of death for ages 15-24
2nd leading cause of death for ages 25-34
4th leading cause of death for ages 35-54
9th leading cause of death for ages 55-64
16th leading cause of death for ages 65 & older

To give myself the luxury of ignoring its truth is to grant its permission to continue to take lives.

There are 10,001 reasons how this happens. How I wish those lives lost had a clear vision of the lives they had hoped to have and cleared out all the dark thoughts on a daily/rountine basis.

I am so blessed to have been called up to battle against su***de by Diane Goings, Director - Mental Health and Family Wellness Centers/SEED and Dr. Jennifer Geter, Regional Director of Mental Health and Family Wellness Centers/SEED both serving out Memphis Shelby County Schools! We have such passionate leaders in our schools, but they cannot lead this mental health battle alone!

I am honored to have been on the panel with Dr. Audrey Elion, president of Tennessee Su***de Prevention Network and Dr. Alicia Barnes with the Center for Youth Advocacy and Well-Being at the 11th Annual Su***de Prevention Expo. Are you aware that su***de is the second leading cause of death for people age 10-35? We have to educate our children on how to hold on to the next chapter! Hold on!!

I am perplexed and thankful: In football, the coaches and medical staff have assessed every single medical risk that could happen on the field: Heart attack/broken bone/more - they are PREPARED! That is how Damar Hamlin is alive! They were PREPARED and TRAINED and PRACTICED! We can totally PREDICT that 1 out of 5 people are ARE FRAGILE! We should be PREPARED to be present for these people! Everyone's life is worthy of the fight!

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/heres-damar-hamlins-cardiac-workup/story?id=96417414