Re: [PLUG] Sad news about Nathan Barwell (Darxus)

[Soren Harward via plug <plug@lists.phillylinux.org>]

On Wed, Dec 22, 2021 at 2:44 PM jeffv via plug
<plug@lists.phillylinux.org> wrote:
> This is a horrible time of year for many. Too many.

Just to add two more things to this, for those who aren't having a
horrible time right now, but are concerned about someone who might be:

#1: 988, the new suicide/mental health crisis number, is currently
available on all major cell carriers. It will be active on all phone
systems by July 2022. Like 911, it's not just for someone who's having
a crisis themselves, but for anyone who's with someone having a
crisis.

#2: if you are concerned that someone you know may be having suicidal
thoughts, do not be afraid to ask them straight up if this is the
case. Asking someone if they have thoughts of suicide will not make
them have thoughts of suicide. You may get a sincere denial, and a
surprising number of times you may get "yeah, I am, and I think I need
help".

If you're so inclined, I can't recommend too highly taking a course in
Mental Health First Aid. It focuses on helping people in immediate
crises (suicide, psychosis, substance abuse), but the techniques I
learned there have been invaluable for helping me feel more
comfortable listening to people who are suffering from all kinds of
lower-urgency mental health issues.
___________________________________________________________________________
Philadelphia Linux Users Group         --        http://www.phillylinux.org
Announcements - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce
General Discussion  --   http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug