September 1 is World Suicide Prevention day.
If you’ve been hanging out here for a while, you know I write a lot about mental health, including depression and suicide. (Keep scrolling down for the contest.)
I appreciate this quote from Book Lovers Unite:
Two kinds of stigma continue to persist: public stigma and self-stigma. Public stigma occurs when other people view a person with a mental illness in a negative way. Public stigma feeds into self-stigma when people with mental illness internalize the negative talk they hear from others.
Well-meaning people say things like, “Suck it up,” “Choose to be happy,” “Turn that frown upside down,” or “Focus on your blessings,” as if mental illness were a mood, a frame of mind, or an attitude that can simply be overcome at will.
Often, people who suffer from mental illness blame themselves instead of seeking help. Just as a diabetic needs insulin, a person with mental illness may need treatment.
People who contemplate suicide don’t want to die; they just can’t fathom how to live because they are so miserable. They can’t see past their pain and misery, and they see no point in going on.
Resources
Here are videos on suicide and mental health that you may find helpful:
The Bridge Between Suicide and Life
You’re Still Here: Living After Suicide
This Is for All of You in a Dark Place
Suicide Is Preventable
Suicide in Canada
One of my most popular Pinterest pins is this one:
Contest: The Giveaway
From September 1-10, enter for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card and a Book Lovers Unite for World Suicide Prevention Day t-shirt. There are lots of ways to enter below–choose one or all. You can also tweet daily for extra entries. We’ll email the winner by September 11th.
The Tour
Book lovers from all over the world have joined together to share their stories and spread mental health awareness. Please follow this tour guide to find our posts and to enter our giveaway for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card and a Book Lovers Unite for World Suicide Prevention Day 2020 t-shirt:
Triple A Book Blog
Jessica Burkhart, Author
Here Is What I Read Blog
Crossroad Reviews
Jazzy Book Reviews
Book Corner News and Reviews
I Love Books and Stuff Blog
Luv Saving Money
Debbie Manber Kupfer, Author
Ash Ineski, Author
Allie Burton, Author
Book Butterfly in Dreamland
Sara Crawford, Author
Tawdra Kandle, Author
Quinn Loftis, Author
Kat’s Indie Book Blog
Day Leitao, Author
Steph Weston, Author
Lanie Bynum, Author
L.B. Carter, Author
Holly and Mistletoe
Eva Pohler, Author
Other Ways You Can Help
1. On September 10th at 8 p.m. your time, light a candle to remember all those we have lost to suicide and to represent the hope of preventing suicide. People all over the world will be participating. You can send an ecard in 63 different languages to invite others to participate. Find the ecards here.
2. Purchase a Book Lovers Unite for World Suicide Prevention Day 2020 for $20. For every shirt sold, five dollars is donated to the International Association for Suicide Prevention. Order yours here.
3. Spread the word about this giveaway, to encourage more people to read our posts and tweet about overcoming stigma. Use the share buttons at the bottom of this post, and
Click to tweet: #EntertoWin a $50 #giftcard and #Tshirt while fighting #stigma and spreading #mentalhealthawareness for #suicideprevention #WSPD.
