Said With Courage

Category: Atomic Essay

  • 10 Ways Suicide Prevention Work Will Hurt You

    10 Ways Suicide Prevention Work Will Hurt You

    1 >> Comfort. If the comfort zone is where you want to stay, suicide prevention work will challenge that! 2 >> Avoidance. If you don’t want to feel expanded and laid bare to self awareness, suicide prevention work will challenge that! 3 >> Attachment. If you value your attachments to stuff like ego, a saviour…

  • Here’s How I Reconcile A Huge Tension In Suicide Prevention

    Here’s How I Reconcile A Huge Tension In Suicide Prevention

    Suicide prevention comes with many tensions. No one-size-fits-all. It’s as complex and nuanced as the people in it. This is what makes risk obsession and black and white thinking so harmful. Intake policy for example might encourage getting info from patients quickly. But it’s chronic invalidation that led them to want to kill themselves in…

  • I Found It Much Easier To Show Kindness To Others Than Myself

    I Found It Much Easier To Show Kindness To Others Than Myself

    I still remember the first call I ever answered. At the end, I let out a huge sigh of defeat. My coach asked me to reflect on how it went. I unleashed a torrent. ‘I messed this part up, failed to do this, wish I’d not said that’. It went on and on until finally…

  • My Burnout Went From Unwelcome Guest To Good Friend Because I Changed

    My Burnout Went From Unwelcome Guest To Good Friend Because I Changed

    Burnout sucks. It’s come and settled into my life twice. The first time I drifted away from volunteer work it was a gentle tide pulling me. The next time it was a tidal wave destroying everything – my relationships, my hard won sobriety, my identity. In years of suicide prevention I’ve seen it take away…

  • How To Give The Worst Suicide Support Part 2

    How To Give The Worst Suicide Support Part 2

    Forget your self care. If you are serious about wanting to be the best at giving the worst support, put yourself last. This is an absolutely sure fire way you’ll offer abominable support. I would know because I was there. It got so bad I had to take myself off the service so I could…

  • How To Give The Worst Suicide Support Possible Part 1

    How To Give The Worst Suicide Support Possible Part 1

    Turn all lessons into absolutes. Offering suicide support is nuanced and individual, because people are individual! So the best way to offer terrible support is to treat everything you learn like an absolute rule. If it works in one situation, make sure you apply it in absolutely all situations! The more you can ignore the…

  • Reframes Part 7 – Recap

    Reframes Part 7 – Recap

    Over the last week we’ve covered a whole range of micro and macro topics around reframes. Here’s the summary. The experience was hard come by (?) and I hope it helps you help others! 1 >> Stand close. If your perspective is too positive or upbeat, I can’t relate to what you’re saying. Try to…

  • Reframes Part 6 – Examples Of Reframes Under The Microscope

    Reframes Part 6 – Examples Of Reframes Under The Microscope

    Imagine the following scenario. You and I have been chatting for some time. I tell you about the anxiety I have seeing the bridge outside… again. The chat feels like it’s gone in multiple circles, you’ve tried a few things. Now you try reframing my perspective. Three examples of attempts to reframe my anxiety. 1…

  • Reframes Part 5 – 3 Principles Of High Quality Listening

    Reframes Part 5 – 3 Principles Of High Quality Listening

    When I first started in suicide prevention, one of my favourite things to do was listen to other supporters on the phone. I’d listen to their style, tone, pacing and so much more while I thought about one question: What makes good crisis support? Lets look at and unpack listening examples from earlier in this…

  • Reframes Part 4 – Learn This To Better Lift People’s Spirits

    Reframes Part 4 – Learn This To Better Lift People’s Spirits

    Years in crisis support and suicide prevention has shown me reframes are the most powerful and appropriate way to influence someone’s thinking. I had a pretty rude awakening when I started answering the phones. At first it was really weird and uncomfortable to learn non-judgement. Why wasn’t I allowed to give my thoughts and opinions?…