How do you honor the memory of a loved one who took their own life?

The friends of the late musician Ruzbeh Mosaedi are holding another concert to raise awareness of suicide and to help fund efforts to avoid teen suicide. Once again this year, the proceeds will be donated to Oregon Partnership’s Lifeline – 800 273-TALK or 800 SUICIDE.

The group says “Our hope and goal of this event is to raise awareness to friends and loved ones in our lives who may also be suffering. Also to the individuals so they may see beyond the moment and realize how important their lives are, to themselves and to others.”

The concert will feature a diverse lineup of bands that range from hip-hop and punk rock, to heavy metal. The cover charge is $10. It will be held Saturday, January 28th, at  Plan B, 1305 Southeast 8th Avenue, Portland, (near SE 8th & Madison) from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

This is a positive way to remember someone by making a proactive plan to help others.

-Tom

Holidays Underscore Need to Prevent Suicide

We’ve all seen the holiday classic “It’s A Wonderful Life”. At his wit’s end, George Bailey considers killing himself, only to be rescued by an angel who shows him just how valuable his life is.

Oregon Partnership Crisis Line staff and volunteers are every day angels. They received over 19,000 suicide calls in 2011. While 99 percent of suicide calls are de-escalated, there has been an increase in the need for suicide “rescues” – the point at which they have to intervene in a suicide attempt. The holidays can cause people to become particularly vulnerable.  Last December, crisis line personnel had to perform five rescues in just a two hour period.

“We are seeing more intense pain with the holidays and the ongoing difficult economy” says Leslie Storm, Oregon Partnership Crisis Line supervisor. “People are hurting and just don’t feel they can cope with the pain. We help them find alternatives.”

Suicide is a desperate attempt to escape suffering that has become unbearable. Despite wanting the pain to stop, most suicidal people wish there was an alternative to killing themselves, but they just can’t see one. Suicide can be prevented.

The top causes for suicide are untreated depression and other untreated mental illnesses. The stigma surrounding those mental health issues are an obstacle to seeking help and acts to enable the choice. Addressing the issue directly offers the most hope for suicide prevention.

Suicidal people usually give warning signs. The best way to prevent suicide is to know and watch for these warning signs and to get involved if you spot them:

• Talking about suicide
• Previous suicide attempt
• Seeking out lethal means
• Preoccupation with death
• No hope for the future
• Self-loathing, self-hatred
• Getting affairs in order
• Saying goodbye
• Withdrawing from others
• Self-destructive behavior
• Sudden sense of calm
• Increased alcohol and drug use

 

“Many people see the signs and don’t know what to do or worry they are inadequate to the situation,” said Storm. “We can help them find the words to say and actions to take to prevent suicide.”

If you believe that a friend or family member is suicidal, call the free and confidential Oregon Partnership Lifeline at (800) 273-TALK or (800) SUICIDE.

It is a wonderful life, sometimes we just can’t see it.

Drugged Driving Toolkit Available

 

From the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA): “Have one [drink] for the road” was once a commonly used phrase in American culture. It has only been within the past 25 years that as a Nation, we have begun to recognize the dangers associated with drunk driving. And through a multipronged and concerted effort involving many stakeholders—including educators, media, legislators, law enforcement, and community organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving—the Nation has seen a decline in the numbers of people killed or injured as a result of drunk driving. But it is now time that we recognize and address the similar dangers that can occur with drugged driving.

The principal concern regarding drugged driving is that driving under the influence of any drug that acts on the brain could impair one’s motor skills, reaction time, and judgment. Drugged driving is a public health concern because it puts not only the driver at risk but also passengers and others who share the road.

However, despite the knowledge about a drug’s potentially lethal effects on driving performance and other concerns that have been acknowledged by some public health officials, policy officials, and constituent groups, drugged driving laws have lagged behind alcohol-related driving legislation, in part because of limitations in the current technology for determining drug levels and resulting impairment. For alcohol, detection of its blood concentration (BAC) is relatively simple, and concentrations greater than 0.08 percent have been shown to impair driving performance; thus, 0.08 percent is the legal limit in this country. But for illicit drugs, there is no agreed-upon limit for which impairment has been reliably demonstrated. Furthermore, determining current drug levels can be difficult, since some drugs linger in the body for a period of days or weeks after initial ingestion.

We need to press forward to develop field sobriety tools for all substances that can impair driving, not just alcohol. Click this link to find out more information: http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/drugged-driving

 

Education Rx Drug Abuse Summit provides support for schools

http://www.katu.com/news/medicalalert/Students-help-educators-learn-about-prescription-drug-dangers-134787608.html?tab=video&c=y

Listen to 92.3 FM KGON And Help Raise Funds for the Military Helpline This Thursday!

http://www.kgon.com/pages/11343585.php?

KGON (92.3 Classic Rock radio station) is conducting a radiothon on Thursday, 11/17, from 10am until 7pm PST benefiting the Military Helpline.  KGON will be generating awareness for the helpline, soliciting on-air donations, and auctioning off items like autographed memorabilia and concert events.  All proceeds generated will go directly to the Military Helpline.

It’s Drug Facts Week – take the quiz!

We are joining teens, parents, teachers, and scientists across America during National Drug Facts Week by offering up our own shoutout for educating teens about drug abuse.

Take the drug IQ test: http://drugfactsweek.drugabuse.gov/iqchallenge.php

Sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Drug Facts Week is an official health observance designed to shatter the myths and spread the facts about drug abuse and addiction.

Like Oregon Partnership on Facebook – Enter to win a $500 gift certificate to Encore Audio Video!

Oregon Partnership is the Northwest leader in preventing suicide and substance. We’re launching a Facebook drive between November 1 and 15^th. Not only will this raise the level of awareness for Oregon Partnership and its mission to prevent substance abuse and suicide, but there’s a prize!

Thanks to Entercom Communications and Carr Auto Group, one fan will win a little help during the holidays with a $500 gift certificate to spend on the items of your choice at NW Sony Only/Encore Audio Video or Carr Auto Group!!

Don’t just sit there – click there and like us!

* Gift certificate expires 12/31/2011

Time to get rid of your unused or uneeded meds before they fall into the wrong hands!

Over 400 Oregonians died last year of prescription drug overdoses – that’s nearly five times the number of deaths by homicide. Imagine how awful you’d feel if some of those drugs had come from your own medicine chest. Hard to grasp, but it’s a fact: 70 percent of abused prescription drugs come from friends and family members – usually without their knowledge.  And only five percent come from drug dealers. Stolen drugs are more likely to end up in the hands of teens and young adults and too often lead to even worse addictions and illegal drug use down the road.

Prescription drugs are now the second most abused substance reported to our Oregon Partnership crisis lines.

Here’s what you can do to help: Lock up the medicines you want, and properly dispose of unused or unneeded medications. Don’t flush them down the toilet, that just ends up in our water supply.

This Saturday from 10 AM until 2 PM you can drop off your meds at a number of places through out Oregon and the nation for proper disposal.  You can find your nearest location by logging on to www.DEA.gov or phone (800) 882-9539.

This is a national drug take back effort modeled on one created by Oregon Partnership and the OMAA back in March of 2010. At the last event in April, Oregonians returned over 9,000 pounds of drugs to 62 sites throughout the state.

Lock up the prescriptions you need. Turn in the others for proper disposal this Saturday, October 29th.

Thanks!

Second Base Wonder

(Editor’s note: Prevention starts with parenting – and that relationship is key to great outcomes)

Coaching children inspires wonder.  My son played T-Ball, I coached.  Endeavoring to teach more than just the rules of the game, this time spent brought more just than lessons. Blaine’s team of six year old T-ballers first game played on a warm Wednesday summer evening after only two practice sessions. Blaine got a hit, ran to first base, safe.  Next batter got a hit too, and Blaine took off for second base, but stopped half way there. He was forced out.

I asked him why he stopped and he told me that two players were holding both of their arms in the air, four arms flailing, waving for him to stop, so he thought, so he did. I explained that the second baseman and the short stop of the other team where calling for the ball to be thrown to them, to get him out, not calling for him to stop. “Next time, Blaine, run all the way to second base. Don’t worry about the other guys.”

Our second game followed Saturday morning. This game too found Blaine safe at first with one out. Blaine’s teammate hit a nice little fly off the T. Blaine ran to second. The short stop caught the ball. Pretty wonderful, any kid making any catch at this level. The other coach starts yelling at his team to ‘throw the ball to first!’, and I start yelling to Blaine ‘run back to first!’  Parents from both sides adding their loud voices, the frantic cacophony seemed to last eternal minutes, the kids all confused about what was going on, why so much yelling, at who, and for what. Finally, after enough time for Blaine to run to back to first at least four times over, the other team gets the ball to first base, Blaine still standing proud, both feet firmly planted on second. Blaine is out. Double play. Inning over. Josh runs out taking the field, bringing Blaine his glove. Blaine still stands tall atop his base.

I go out to second base, explain to Blaine what happened. He is not consoled; with one knee in the dirt, I put him on my other knee, arm around his small shoulder, reassuring him it is OK. Silent teardrops drip down his cheeks. To no avail I offer several more “it’s OK”s, and “you didn’t know this rule.”  Finally I whisper in his ear “I still love you Blaine.” Only then he takes his glove and turn in right field.

That evening, on a trip to Frosty Boy’s for ice cream with his sister Loretta, I ask Blaine what lesson he learned about baseball that day, hoping for an answer like ‘half way on fly’, or ‘tag up on a fly’ or such. His response moved me more than ever expected.  He said:

“I learned you love me even when I am out.”

jba

Suicide Prevention Week

This past weekend a man checked into a hotel in Portland. Within the next five minutes he rode the elevator up to the 15th floor, went into his room, put his luggage down on the bed, walked straight to the window, took off his shoes and jumped to his death.

Suicide.

We don’t want to talk about it. We’re afraid of the stigma. Yet this lack of discussion and submission to fear allows suicidal thoughts to fester.

Each year over 500 people in Oregon die from suicide. Oregon’s suicide rate is 35 percent higher than the national average.

It doesn’t have to happen.

Suicide is preventable.

Suicide claims approximately 1 million lives worldwide each year, resulting in one suicide every 40 seconds. There are an estimated 10 to 20 suicide attempts per each completed suicide, resulting in several million suicide attempts each year.

Risk factors remain essentially the same from country to country. Mental illness, substance abuse, previous suicide attempts, hopelessness, access to lethal means, recent loss of loved ones, unemployment and vulnerability to self-harm are just a few examples of risk factors.

Protective factors are also the same in all corners of the world. High self-esteem, social connectedness, problem-solving skills, supportive family and friends are all examples of factors that buffer against suicide and suicidal behaviors.

So what can you do if you’re concerned about a friend or loved one, or have suicidal thoughts yourself? Call our Suicide Lifeline and talk with one of our highly trained staff 0r volunteers anonymously. They can help you sort out the issues and help you come up with a plan to stay safe.

It’s been said that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem

There’s a much better solution: Talk about it.

Please call us 24/7 at (503) 273–TALK (8255) or 1-(800) SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)

 

- Tom