Lily Lake Summerhaven Association Grief Management, Suicide Prevention

The number of deaths among Lilly Lake residents between November, 2008 and September, 2009 motivated the creation of this page. The purpose is to provide some information about and links to resources that can help the survivors. The Association gratefully acknowledges materials from Margaret Ann's Place that were used to provide this information.

Grief Management
Suicide Prevention

Grief Management

Grief may produce emotions such as shock, anger, and guilt. You may think the sadness will never go way. This is normal. In time, you'll occasionally find yourself in a moment of happiness. Eventually, you will return to normal. Be patient with yourself and allow the process to unfold in you at its own pace.

Every person grieves individually on his or her own schedule. The normally accepted stages of grief as specified by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross are:

• Denial: This can't be happening to me.
• Anger: Why is this happening? Who is to blame?
• Bargaining: Make this not happen, and in return I will ....
• Depression: I'm too sad to do anything.
• Acceptance: I'm at peace with what happened.
  

These stages are not a rigid framework. Grieving is like a roller coaster with many highs and lows. You may go back and forth between stages. At the start, the highs and lows will be deeper and longer. They'll become less severe as time passes. You may feel as if you're going crazy or in a bad dream. You may question your religious beliefs. You may experience shock, disbelief, intense sadness, guilt, anger, fear, anxiety, and physical symptoms like insomnia.

The most important factor in healing is to have someone to talk to. Sharing your loss and connecting to others will help you heal.

Resources for people dealing with grief and loss:

http://www.helpguide.org
http://www.griefnet.org
http://www.grief.net
http://www.centering.org
http://www.survivingsuicide.com
http://www.compassionatebooks.com
http://www.compassionatefriends.org (support for families after a child dies)
http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/
http://helpguide.org/mental/grief_loss.htm
http://mayoclinic.com/ (search for the term you want to read about)

Suicide Prevention

Many resources exist to help prevent suicide:
http://www.highschoolblues.com (information for high schoolers on anxiety, loneliness, and other emotional issues)
http://www.samaritansofboston.org/ (teens who are supportive listeners). Their help line is 1-800-252-TEEN.
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, immediate assistance to individuals in suicidal crisis. Call 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).
http://www.safeyouth.org (National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center)

Warning signs of potential suicide risk:
I  Ideation (talking about death and planning to die)
S  Substance abuse

P  Purposelessness
A  Anxiety, agitation, unable to sleep or sleeping all the time
T  Trapped, as if there's no way out
H  Hopelessness

W  Withdrawal from friends, family, and society
A  Anger, rage, seeking revenge
R  Recklessness, engaging in risky activities
M  Mood change, sometimes dramatic

Signs of extreme risk:

• Threatening to hurt or kill self, talking about wanting to hurt or kill self
• Looking for ways to kill self by seeking access to firearms, pills, or other means
• Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide when these actions are out of the ordinary

Seek help as soon as possible by contacting a mental health professional or calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for a referral.

The choking game
Children are playing a dangerous choking game where they choke themselves to get a head rush. Unfortunately, in some instances, they don't get out of it in time and they die. The following YouTube video provides some background information:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhdXqr_--gs