Opening Doors
Photo by Beth Post
On the Anschutz Medical Campus, there are three very Alice-in-Wonderland looking doors. Every time I walk past them, the make me smile, remembering the childlike possibilities of secret portals to worlds that are whimsical, wonderful, or just plain weird, waiting for us to start a new, better adventure…or just escape.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month.
The gift of an active imagination can also sometimes be a curse. Maybe we feel too much, see too much, imagine too much…or never quite enough. How do we reconcile all the competing or overwhelming thoughts and images? How do we make sense of the insensible?
In 2002, Simon Kyaga, et. al published Mental illness, suicide and creativity: 40-Year prospective total population study.
They found that “Authors suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder more than twice as often as controls.” Twice as often! So, one has to ask, what comes first? Do our disorders push us towards writing or art, or does the art beget the illnesses? Nature or nurture? Do we seek, and then become immersed in or addicted to, whatever creative outlet we find peace in, or do the constant ideas and thoughts, or sudden lack of them, cause or exacerbate natural tendencies of struggle?
They also found that “Authors were also more likely to be diagnosed with unipolar depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and to commit suicide.” We are not necessarily fragile creatures. In fact, it could be argued that we are stronger than most, just because we have struggled and survived one more day.
Frequently referred to as the Sylvia Plath Effect, women poets have an even higher suicide rate. In The Sylvia Plath Effect: Mental Illness in Eminent Creative Writers, James Kaufman quotes:
“Writing is so difficult,” the novelist Jessamyn West once said, “that I often feel that writers, having had their hell on earth, will escape all punishment hereafter.”
If you follow any writers on social media, many will admit to the constant struggle. Some days are better than others. Some days, just getting through the next minute, and the one after that, can be a herculean task.
Two of the most forthright blogs that I’ve come across are Wil Wheaton, a.k.a Wesley Crusher, and Jennifer Lawson, a.k.a The Bloggess. Both are bravely, brutally honest with what they’re going through, what helps them, and, sometimes more importantly, what doesn’t. They support, advocate, and try to educate others on what helps, what hinders, and what hurts. And in between all the pain, they entertain and do their best to bring joy, laughter, silliness and hope to the rest.
If nothing else, they try to remind us, and themselves, that Depression Lies, and that there are people and things worth living for.
Depression doesn’t always lead to suicide, but sometimes it can feel that way. For today, and hopefully tomorrow, turn away. Depression lies.
You’re important; you’re special; you’re not alone. Please stay.
If you need help, or know someone who may:
Hotline Numbers and Resources
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- 911 is the national emergency number in the United States.
- The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (http://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/) is a 24-hour, toll-free, confidential suicide prevention hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.[20][21] A 24-hour an Online Chat in partnership with Contact USA[22] is also available.
- The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a non-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide.”[23]
- Crisis Text Line (crisistextline.org) is the only 24/7, nationwide crisis-intervention text-message hotline.[24]
- Samaritans (http://www.samaritansusa.org/) is a registered charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in distress or at risk of suicide throughout the United States[9]
- The San Francisco Night Ministry (http://www.sfnightministry.org/) provides free confidential telephone counseling between 10 p.m and 4 a.m. Pacific Standard Time to anyone from any locality.
- The Trevor Project (http://www.thetrevorproject.org/) is a nationwide organization that provide crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.[25]
- The Veterans Crisis Line (veteranscrisisline.net) is a suicide-prevention hotline available to United States military people (both active-duty and veterans), in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. The service is confidential, free and open 24 hours.[26]
- Trans Lifeline (http://www.translifeline.org/) is an American organization that provide crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to transgender and non-binary individuals. Trans Lifeline offers service throughout the United States and Canada.
- HopeLine (http://www.hopeline-nc.org) is a suicide prevention and crisis intervention hotline that can be called or texted. They operate by using active listening to support and reflect through any kind of crisis, even if not suicide related. While they are based in Raleigh, NC, they serve the entire nation.
- Other suicide crisis organizations (http://suicideprevention.wikia.com/wiki/USA).
References:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.2162-6057.2001.tb01220.x/abstract
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