I know my family has experienced stressors both in my childhood and in my own family. I think it is easy to assume that all families experience stress. Some challenges come and go but others can linger for months or even years. Some stressors can affect relationships, emotional well-being, and even physical health.
Learning new things for me has always felt like stepping into a dimly lit room. I can sense the shape of something important waiting for me, but I don’t know what it is or how it will change me. That uncertainty is uncomfortable, sometimes even frightening for me. Still, I’ve come to realize that the fear itself is a sign I’m standing at the edge of growth. When I push past it, I discover parts of myself I didn’t know existed.
When a person has a physical injury, most of us know the basics of first aid: stop the bleeding, start the heart beating, protect the person, and call 911. Emotional crises deserve the same level of urgency. Psychological first aid is the immediate, compassionate support offered to someone experiencing overwhelming emotional pain. For individuals who may be thinking about suicide, those first moments of human connection can make a life-saving difference.
I grew up thinking family was something you were either born into or left wishing you had. The family I grew up in didn’t know how to or didn’t want to show love and support. For a long time, I felt like I was on the outside of everything, watching other kids get picked up after school, laughing as they piled into a car with friends, brothers and sisters, heading home to homes that felt full - full of love and support- as I would find when I was able to spend the night at friends’ houses. Mine didn’t feel that way. It felt quiet, like I was always waiting for something to start. I didn’t know it then, but the thing I was waiting for was a team.
Tragedy is impossible to ignore when a suicide occurs. Family members, friends, coworkers, classmates, and whole communities are left stunned. Public attention often fades shortly after the funeral. However, the emotional impact of suicide rarely just stops. The effects of a suicide can last for years. The families and communities must experience shaping new relationships, regain emotional health, and find a new way for people to view themselves and each other.
213 E. Main St.
PO Box 577
Olney, Texas 76374
Phone: (940) 564-5558
Fax: (940) 564-3992