HELP, HOPE, AND HEALING An up-close look at Suicide Prevention and Grief in one best-selling book. Why? They relate more than you realize. Considering how loved ones would grieve might be what keeps someone here. Likewise, grief can become so intense that prevention tools are needed to keep safe those left behind. Pacha, an attorney with a degree and post graduate studies in psychology, public speaks about prevention and grief through her nonprofit, Nick's Network of Hope. She lost her teen son and holds nothing back to help others. SELF HELP: Reasons to stay; how to make a safety plan; yell for help and allow it; you're not a burden; people care more than you think; how to reach out when hope is lost; and risk factors and warning signs with real-life examples HOW TO HELP PEOPLE STRUGGLING: Okay to ask if suicidal; listen and ask open-ended questions; don't be a cheerleader if more is needed; believe behavior more than words; and seeking professional help GRIEF: Why push on; release guilt and anger; emotions of the first year; second year and beyond; grieving individually and together; new family dynamics; getting back into society; answering difficult questions; parenting surviving kids; keeping your marriage intact; what to avoid; siblings of suicide; and physical effects HOW TO HELP THOSE GRIEVING: Don't avoid; listen but don't try to fix; talk about loved ones; birthdays and anniversaries STIGMA: Why it exists; ways to reduce it, complexities of mental health; misconceptions of suicide; and how stigma of mental health morphs and attaches to survivors HOW TO REDUCE PRESSURE: What is the pressure and ways to reduce it; and recommendations for parents and schools A BETTER TOMORROW: Ways for kinder world; how to reduce bullying and teach kids to live with more compassion
