Do you have an episode, or experience, in your life you seldom, or never, share in public? For reasons I can't quite nail down yet, I felt compelled recently to share one such episode from my life. And, lo and behold, the world did not implode. It kept spinning, and I kept going, and very … Continue reading Be present. Be compassionate. Be the presence of life.
Suicide Prevention
Faith should be no barrier to mental health treatment
Pastor Jarrid Wilson would have been a good source for any column on depression, mental illness and suicide awareness. Wilson, associate pastor at megachurch Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., and co-founder of the mental health nonprofit Anthem of Hope, built a reputation around sharing his own struggles with depression, and trying to break down … Continue reading Faith should be no barrier to mental health treatment
Suicide risk demands an open, compassionate response
Suicide. Survivor’s guilt. Trauma. PTSD. Our nation has been — and should be — engaged in conversation on these difficult topics this week after the apparent suicides of three people intimately tied to mass school shootings in Parkland, Fla. and Newtown, Conn. Their deaths echo the pain, grief and insensible trauma that continue to shock … Continue reading Suicide risk demands an open, compassionate response
For first responders, depression and suicide pose the greatest risk
When members of the public experience an emergency, they count on first responders — police, firefighters and EMS — to show up. First responders pride themselves on being the ones who head toward those situations, from car wrecks to fires and violent crime. But, frequent exposure to the trauma surrounding incidents like fatality accidents, suicides … Continue reading For first responders, depression and suicide pose the greatest risk
Facing our demon: Mental illness
This column originally was published May 11, 2018 in the Enid News & Eagle. The data surrounding the issue of mental illness in this column is specific to Oklahoma, but the general themes hold true for America in general. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and few places need awareness of this issue more than … Continue reading Facing our demon: Mental illness
Listen, before it’s too late
This article originally was published in the Enid News & Eagle as part of a package of stories highlighting the silent threat of depression and mental illness, and the effects of suicide on family members left behind. If you recognize the signs in this article in someone you know, please take the initiative to connect … Continue reading Listen, before it’s too late
James R. Neal 