When I heard the sad news that Stephen Laurel Boss “tWitch” died by suicide it didn’t seem real. The guy with the biggest smile, always helping others, a loving father of two children, and a large network of friends. Stephen had several projects lined up for 2023. He is not the picture of what you think a suicidal person looks like. 

That’s the point. 

If you want to see what suicide looks like, look at the person next to you. There is no way to know what a person is going thru. We all have mental health needs throughout our life, if we don’t have crises large and small we aren’t living. 

There is a line between needing temporary mental help support ( Situational Depression) and having a Mental Illness. An example of Situational Depression could be losing you’re job, a bad break-up and let’s not forget those who’ve lost a love one. 

A Mental Illness is an imbalance of the brain, and we still have so much to learn about the brain. I have found Mental Illness make sure you have a good support system with friends, family, Psychiatrist, and Therapist. I believe the right Psychiatrist and Therapist can change your life, I’ve been with my Psychiatrist and Therapist for 30 years, and they are lifesavers. Good medication management is essential, being non-compliant with your medication, can throw you unbalanced.  

If you run into me, You would see I am happy to see you, I would chat it up at dinner, life is only going up. Finances are good, and thinking about my husband’s retirement. All good. 

When our paths cross again, you will see the same happy person. Only this time I’m having a crisis but you can’t see it.

If I were dealing with a severe dark depression, my mind would be ruminating on all the issues repeatedly amplifying the anxiety. The more you think about something you convince yourself that the problems can’t be solved, and there’s no light in the tunnel, the worse your crisis will become. This is when I tell my husband it’s time to call my doctor or meet him at Psychiatric Hospital.

I could see you a third time, be that face you saw at lunch, everything looks fine, not giving you any indication of a problem, and then kill myself an hour later. You never know and you’re not guilty. 

Show kindness to others, and remember no matter what the package looks like doesn’t mean that is what’s inside. If someone looks off their game, have a chat about what’s going on and what you’ve noticed. Try to keep it casual, maybe open up with something generic. Then gently say what you’ve noticed changes in their personality and how can you help. Say how can I help, not what can I do to help. If they put you off, keep an eye on them and keep trying to help. If think they are a danger to themselves, harm to others, or suicidal. Be more aggressive and get them to the hospital if nothing else. 

I will be brutally honest, if someone is determined to commit suicide, they will. Hopefully, with encouragement, from friends or family members you can get help before they hit “there’s nowhere to go”.

Melinda

If you are keen for life to be as stress-free as possible, there are so many ways in which you might be able to do that. One way is to take a look at some of the kinds of areas of life that do tend to be most stressful, and then think about what you can do to make them less so. Driving is one such area that you might want to consider, and it’s something that is definitely going to be important to focus on trying to improve.

Let’s look now at some of the steps you can take to ensure that you are keeping the stress out of driving. As long as you have thought about the following, you should find that this is much easier and more straightforward, so let’s look right now.

Develop Some Mindfulness

One thing that can certainly help here is to simply make sure you have a good degree of mindfulness in the first place. The more mindfulness you have, the easier it will be to keep your head on when stressful things happen on the road, so it’s really vital that you are thinking about this. If nothing else, it will empower you with the ability to make better choices, which is obviously always going to be worth your while.

So spend a few minutes a day in mindfulness practice, and you’ll soon find that this translates over to your driving too. It’s amazing how much this can help, and it is worth thinking about.

Credit – CCO License

Learn Your Vehicle

There are many things you can and should learn about your own vehicle, and doing so will help you to keep the stress out of the driving experience, simply for the fact that you will know all there is to know about it. So how can you learn some of the things you should ideally know about your own car? One way is to seek out the repair and owner’s manual, where you will find lots of useful information that can be a huge help here. Sometimes just having the Avalanche parts catalog can help you when something goes wrong, for instance.

You also learn about your vehicle by driving it, and by working on it, especially when things go wrong, so that is something that you might want to think about too. The more you learn about your vehicle, the less stressful you are generally going to find it, so this is a really important thing to bear in mind.

Take Deep Breaths

Very often, taking deep breaths makes a huge difference to how you feel while driving, so it’s a really good idea to make sure that you are remembering this. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that help the most in life, and this is a perfect example of that. You can just take some deep breaths, and allow the stress to leave your body, and in that instance, you are going to find that you feel so much better right away.

Again, this is going to be easier if you have practiced it outside of driving, so a few minutes a day of deep breathing can really help. You might be surprised that practicing something like that can make a difference, but it really does, and it’s going to help you out a great deal while driving, especially when something stressful crops up.

Credit – CCO License

Keep The Costs Down

There are many costs associated with driving too, which is one of the main stressors that the experience provides. So it’s a really good idea to make sure that you are keeping these costs as low as you can. That can be approached in quite a few ways, but the important thing is that you are doing something about them as much as possible. You might want to look at how you drive to ensure that you are not using more fuel than necessary, for instance, along with keeping repairs to a minimum by keeping on top of the car’s maintenance.

These can make a huge difference to how much your car costs, and over time you’ll find you spend a lot less this way. The amount of stress reduction you’ll experience because of that can be quite profound.

As you can see, there are a few main ways to keep the stress out of driving, so it’s definitely important to make sure you are doing so as best as you can. It will help make the experience so much better.

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda

International Animal Rights Day 10th

Human Rights Day 10th

Wright Brothers Day 17th

Christmas Day 25th

Kwanzaa 26th-Jan 1st.

New Year’s Eve 31st

Hanukkah (1st day)

Melinda

Are you unhappy with your life? Do you feel stuck in a rut and don’t know how to get out? If so, read on for tips on detecting early warning signs that you are unhappy in life. By recognizing these warning signs early on, you can take steps to address the problem and get your life back on track. So what are these warning signs? Read on to find out!

Recognize The Early Warning Signs

Being unhappy with life can creep up on anyone. It can be hard to deal with the early warning signs that you are unhappy in life, but it is essential to recognize them so you can take steps to improve your situation. Some early warning signs that you may be unhappy include feeling overwhelmed or hopeless, isolating yourself from friends and family, experiencing drastic changes in weight or Sleep patterns, or engaging in risky behaviors. If you are experiencing any of these warning signs, you must reach out for help. Many resources are available to help you get back on track, including psychological counseling, therapy, support groups, and hotlines. Addressing the early warning signs of unhappiness can help you get back on track and improve your quality of life.

Identify What Is Making You Unhappy

Unhappiness is a normal emotion that everyone feels at times. However, it may be time to take action when unhappiness persists and begins to interfere with your life. Several early warning signs indicate you are unhappy in life, including withdrawing from friends and activities, feeling hopeless or helpless, sleeping too much or too little, experiencing changes in appetite, and having difficulty concentrating. If you are experiencing any of these signs, it is essential to take steps to address the root cause of your unhappiness. Otherwise, your unhappiness will only continue to grow. You can regain control of your life and happiness by taking action to improve your circumstances.

Take Steps To Change Your Situation

If you are unhappy with your job, you might start searching for a new position. If your relationship is the source of dissatisfaction, you might consider seeking counseling or spending more time with friends and family. Whatever the cause of your unhappiness, there are reasonable steps you can take to improve your situation. Take action before things reach a breaking point. By paying attention to the early warning signs, you can make changes that will enhance your overall happiness and sense of well-being.

Stay Positive, And Don’t Give Up On Yourself

It is crucial to remember to stay positive and don’t give up on yourself. It’s easy to get caught up in negative thinking, but it’s important to remember that you have the power to change your life for the better. So if you’re feeling down, take some time for yourself and do something that makes you happy. Once you start taking steps to improve your life, you’ll be surprised at how much better you’ll feel.

In Conclusion

If you’re unhappy with your current situation, pay attention to the early warning signs. Address them head-on and make a change. It may be scary, but living a happy and fulfilling life is worth it. And if you need help making those changes, resources are available to assist you. Don’t wait until it’s too late – move today towards a better tomorrow.

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda