Suicide Prevention Month Edition | September 2023

Suicide Prevention Month Edition | September 2023 | Natasha Tracy Newsletter

Published: Thu, 09/28/23

Natasha Tracy's Newsletter

September 2023 Edition

Welcome to my new readers! It's great to have you.

September is Suicide Prevention Month. If you follow mental health folks on social media, you've probably been seeing information all over your feeds. And while September is ending, my focus on suicide never does. If you ever need to reach out call 9-8-8 or go to this website in the US (more resources here) and remember — you don't have to be suicidal to call. It's easier to deal distress before it reaches an emergency.

In this edition, you'll find:

A curated list of articles on suicide and suicide awareness
Articles you may have missed, including one about helping others to understand mental illness
An Instagram image and quote about the idea that no one will love you until you love yourself
An September quote about why you should fight against suicide

Suicide Articles Worth Reading This Suicide Prevention Month

I've written pages and pages of infuriation about suicide. It's a topic near and dear to my heart after my own suicide attempt. The following is selection of suicide-related writings:

The Difference Between Being Suicidal and Wanting to Die — Thee are not the same things, in spite of how similar they sound.
What to Do When You're Suicidal — You can't always get help right away, so what do you do in the meantime?
Don't Kill Yourself — My Daily To-Do List — Yes, many times, every day I have to think about not killing myself.
For When I'm Suicidal; For When You're Suicidal — If you're suicidal, these are the words you need to read.
Thoughts of Suicide Every Day — Sometimes, suicidal thoughts can be a daily burden.
How to Help Someone Who Is Suicidal — It can be very scary to know a friend is suicidal, but you can help.
Those Who Attempt Suicide Are Second-Class Patients — If you've ever sought help for a suicide attempt, you'll likely know how true this is.
Why Should I Continue to Fight the Pain of Depression for Another 40 Years? — This is one of the most well-read things I've ever written. It speaks to an important truth.

What You May Have Missed

Here are some new articles you might have missed from the Bipolar Burble and Breaking Bipolar blogs:

10 Truths About Suicide and Suicide Attempts — These 10 items about suicide are incredibly important to understand. This Suicide Awareness Month, take a moment and educate yourself (or someone else).
How to Help Others Understand Mental Illness — While no one can truly understand a life without living it, I do believe we can help others underhand mental illness when we go about it the right way.
What to Do When Your Doctor Can't Help You — I, and I know many of you, have been in this situation. But believe me, there is more to do when a doctor says they can' t help you.
A Person with a Good Life Can Still Be Suicidal — There is a feeling out there that people who are suicidal have terrible lives. Unfortunately, having a good life does not inoculate you against feelings of suicidality.
What to Do When a Doctor Won't Listen to You — A Life Hack — So often, a doctor won't list to what you're saying, won't order the test you need, or give you the medication you need. If this happens to you, try this life hack.
If You Take Medication Every Day, Are You a Drug Addict? — This post and video explore a fear I had when I was first considering taking medication for bipolar disorder.

The Archives

Insta-Instagram

September 18, 2023

"This is such pop psychology nonsense. It's a touchy-feely idea that says everyone can feel lovey-dovey towards themselves whenever they want to. Quite frankly, it's ableism that punishes those with brain illnesses. It tells us that no one will love us until we reach some glorious state of self-love. Well, guess what? We don't all get there and people love us anyway.

Yes, sure, self-love is a great goal that I hope everyone achieves, but people may not get there for a variety of reasons. Depression, for example, is one. And I can tell you, it's bad enough feeling self-hatred, it's even worse being told that no one will love me because of it.

Stop saying this to people. It doesn't help. All it does is tell people they don't deserve love.

Everyone deserves love — even when you can't feel it towards yourself."

I create (and comment on) a lot of interesting work on Instagram, in addition to Facebook, X, and YouTube. I'm posting interesting quotes, images, and quirky things from my life. I hope you'll join me there.

September's Final Words

That's it for now, folks; I'll catch up with you next month. Until then, I'd like to leave you with a quote about suicide. I wrote this 12 years ago and it still holds true today:

“I frequently want to give up. I frequently want to surrender to depression. I frequently want to end this fucking fight.

But all I can say is: the fight matters.

That millimeter that you fought against depression for, mattered.

I do not know how to win the fight, but I do know that for no reason I understand, the fight matters. It just does.”

— Natasha Tracy, from here

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