In celebration of recovery month! This event is at McShin Foundation where I will speak for a short while. Music, nonprofits, food, and lots of people who support the recovery community. I hope to see you there.
Recovery Fest this Weekend
Category: Suicide
Are you guys interested in a private Facebook group?
I started this Facebook group a while back and never finished it. I really grabbed it just to claim the name.
I wondered if you guys wanted a place to talk that was private. If you don’t, that’s OK. And if you do, I will need help moderating the group and need to establish rules.
So let me know if this might be something you’d want. Or not
Look what I’m holding!
You guys made me do this! So here’s my ask.
When you buy the book, due out Oct 1, 2019, and you receive it, hold it up in front of yourself and post that picture on Facebook with the hashtag #brokenmind.
Like this:
I will be setting up a schedule to meet with book clubs locally, and by skype, zoom or google hangout for out-of-town groups. Terms can differ if it’s a large book club for a library or writer’s group. I will offer that book club sign up schedule to my subscribers … Read more...
September is National Suicide Prevention Month
Do share posts from this site or other sites to promote suicide prevention. Here are some suggestions.
‘My son has admitted he is suicidal. What do I do now?’
Can we stop using the phrase ‘committed suicide?’ (video)
Help me eliminate the phrase, ‘committed suicide’
To those who think, ‘I’m not qualified to talk to someone who is suicidal’
What is the ‘wrong’ thing to say to someone thinking of suicide?
T-shirts are still for sale. Many of you have asked what the proceeds support. When I run a campaign that has a “donation” blank, those proceeds go to … Read more...
Stuck in an airport hotel
Traveling back from Los Angeles from visiting my oldest, we hit a lightning storm which put us in a holding pattern and we missed our flight connection.
Years ago, this might have gotten me really flustered and upset. But once I lost a child to suicide, stuff like that doesn’t rile me up like it used to.
I also have something to look forward to Friday. Getting together with members of the club no one wants to be in. That always helps. Being with others who have lost a loved one to addiction and/or mental illness helps us all endure … Read more...
Family abbreviated
I had thought at some point, I’d “get used to” having a smaller family. Like after my son’s death by suicide, it was a matter of adapting to just the three of us. Not that I thought I’d forget or get over it.
While I’ve accepted that my youngest son is gone, it still feels like I’m cheating on him when we get together without him. There is a sense of strange sense of guilt for taking a family photo without Charles. Like they aren’t real. As if my family is an unfinished puzzle and we just need to locate … Read more...
Book Cover and Pre-Sale Book Link
This book has published. You can find other places it is sold by clicking this link, Diary of a Broken Mind.
Pre-order the book, Diary of a Broken Mind – $16.95, paperback
It will ship internationally from Fountain Bookstore once published. Estimated time of arrival in the US would be before or on October 1, 2019.
Publisher: Beach Glass Books
Book Description:
The funniest, most popular kid in school, Charles Aubrey Rogers, suffered from depression, addiction, and died by suicide. Diary of a Broken Mind focuses on the relatable story of what lead to Charles’ suicide at age … Read more...
Book Launch Party!
Who’s in? I hope you will support this launch by being at the party. If you can. Fountain is well known all across the U.S. for launching books/authors. Once I have a link for pre-orders, you know I’ll post it. Cover reveal coming September 3, 2019.
When: Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Where: Fountain Book Store
Time: 6:30pm
Book Description: The funniest, most popular kid in school, Charles Aubrey Rogers, suffered from depression, addiction, and died by suicide. Diary of a Broken Mind focuses on the relatable story of what lead to Charles’ suicide at age twenty and answers the “why” … Read more...
A manager’s guide on what to do after a suicide in the workplace
10 Steps to dealing with the aftermath of a suicide
The suicide death of clients, vendors, or a family member of an employee can have a profound impact in the workplace.
How do you manage the death with compassion and empathy? What does your staff need in order to process the loss or support the suicide loss survivor? How do you address the loss of this person appropriately? What does a manager do if the family has asked for non disclosure on the cause of death? … Read more...
That picture that prompts tears
Some pictures capture the very essence of my youngest child and his playful nature. This is one of them. I just can’t believe that child on the left suffered from depression and killed himself.
How did his brain shift from happy to “I need to kill myself.” It’s when I look back sometimes it seems so unbelievable. I wish I could have kept them young and innocent.
Three digit number for suicide prevention
An FCC Report is recommending that the ten-digit suicide prevention lifeline, 1-800-273-8255, be shortened to the easier to remember three-digit number, 988. The FCC report says the current number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline was called more than 2.2 million times in 2018.
The agency found that in making a change, 988 could be implemented more quickly than repurposing an existing three-digit N11 code like 511 or 611.
Along with that recommendation is that the call center be adequately funded. Smaller call centers are having to close due to lack of funding at a critical point when suicide rates … Read more...
How I found my laugh after loss
It had been two days since Charles’ death and my kitchen was packed with people. I was so grateful that all our friends and neighbors knew to come over. From 11am-5pm every day for seven days, our house was filled.
The three hours I spent the day after with just my husband and myself after Charles’ suicide in what seemed like a cavernous house was unbearable. I needed others in the room to absorb some of the overwhelming grief–grief that took me to my knees multiple times per day.
On that second day, standing in the kitchen with friends and … Read more...
When will you see the book cover?
Book Description: The funniest, most popular kid in school, Charles Aubrey Rogers, suffered from depression, addiction, and died by suicide. Diary of a Broken Mind focuses on the relatable story of what lead to Charles’ suicide at age twenty and answers the “why” behind his addiction and this cause of death, revealed through a mother’s story and years of his published and unpublished song lyrics. The last several chapters focus on hope and healing and how the author found her purpose and forgave herself.
So here’s the rough timeline for the book release:
Aug. 24: Book announcement online, along with … Read more...
Suicide prevention: How to ‘remove means’ when it’s a gun
Lock and Talk is part of a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention in Chesterfield County being implemented by the Chesterfield Suicide Awareness and Prevention Coalition in partnership with Chesterfield County Mental Health Support Services and Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. I am part of the suicide coalition.
The goal is to:
- Prevent suicides by restricting access to firearms, medications, and other potentially dangerous items during a mental health crisis
- Educate the community about how to recognize and respond to warning signs of suicide
This is not an appeal to change current second amendment laws but an initiative for … Read more...
I was searching for a way to die…
Strong emotional content and suicide method referenced. If you are in crisis, text “help” to 741-741 or call 988
By Gene
I came across your post while researching how to hang myself. Ever the perfectionist, I wanted to make sure I was as efficient as possible.
The first thing that popped up on google was the suicide prevention hotline and right below was the video about Charles with the words, “I’m sorry you’re in so much pain.” I started to cry. Here was this total stranger reaching out and then sharing such a touching and painful story about the … Read more...