Speaking of Suicide

I created, maintain, and occasionally write new pieces for the website Speaking of Suicide. The site provides information about many aspects of suicide and suicidal thoughts. My articles include:

Loving Someone with Suicidal Thoughts (Jan. 3, 2023)

A Personal Note to Readers of “Speaking of Suicide” (Sept. 6, 2022)

Why Do Suicide Hotlines Get So Much Hate? (Aug. 15, 2022)

Speak of Suicide with Thousands of Readers (Dec. 21, 2021)

The Pandemic, Suicide Rates, and Social Isolation (Dec. 30, 2020)

Do You Wish You Could Go to Sleep and Never Wake Up? (Jan. 10, 2020)

12 Ways to Get Therapy if You Can’t Afford It (Jan. 20, 2019)

Let’s (Really) Talk about Suicide (June 24, 2018)

In Defense of Suicide Prevention (Feb. 28, 2018)

When Suicidal Thoughts Do Not Go Away (Jan. 3, 2018)

10 Things to Say to a Suicidal Person (Oct. 3, 2017)

Language Matters: Committed Suicide vs. Completed Suicide vs. Died by Suicide (Sept. 21, 2017)

How to Navigate Confidentiality and Contact with Family After a Client’s Suicide (Sept. 16, 2017)

“What Stops You from Killing Yourself?” (Sept. 4, 2017)

Speaking of Suicide… Within Limits (August 17, 2017)

Would an Anti-Self-Harm Oath Reduce Veteran Suicide? (August 13, 2017)

“If You Take Meds for Mental Illness, Do Not Feel Ashamed or Weak” (June 3, 2017)

Why I Came Out of the (Suicide) Closet (May 16, 2017)

Can “13 Reasons Why” Really Trigger Suicides? (April 30, 2017)

When a Suicide Prevention Hero Dies by Suicide (March 30, 2017)

“When Hope is Gone Just Hang On”: More Songs Against Suicide (March 24, 2017)

If You Are Suicidal, Envision Your Future Selves (March 8, 2017)

Is It Selfish to Die in a Tornado? (Oct. 28, 2015)

”Let’s Get Physical”: 7 Tips to Calm Anxiety (August 20, 2015)

Beyond Magic: How Do We Detect Suicidal Thoughts? (March 29, 2015)

10 Things Not to Say to a Suicidal Person (March 3, 2015)

Transgender People and Suicide: The Tragedy, and the Hope (January 2, 2015)

“Oh, I’m Begging You, No”: 18 Songs Against Suicide (Dec. 31, 2014)

The 3-Day Rule and Suicide (Dec. 7, 2014)

For Therapists Who Want – or Need – to Improve Their Suicide Prevention Skills (June 11, 2014)

“Woefully Inadequate”: Suicide Prevention Training in Graduate Schools (June 6, 2014)

Wait, Who Is A Suicide Survivor Again? (May 27, 2014)

“Mightier than the Sword”: Healing from a Spiteful Suicide Note (May 20, 2014)

Coping Statements for Suicidal Thoughts (May 14, 2014)

”If Only”: Self-Blame after a Loved One’s Suicide (May 7, 2014)

Letter from a Therapist to a Suicidal Person (May 1, 2014)

Unwritten Goodbyes: When There is No Suicide Note (April 23, 2014)

What is a Suicide Gesture? (April 16, 2014)

Is Suicide Inevitable for Some People? (September 16, 2013)

Like Clouds Before the Sun: Mindfulness and Suicidal Thoughts (September 2, 2013)

Should Therapists Attend the Funeral of a Client Who Dies by Suicide? (August 7, 2013)

Talking Back to Suicidal Thoughts (July 31, 2013)

How to Find a Therapist Who Does Not Panic (July 22, 2013)

”Better Mad than Dead”: Keeping a Friend’s Suicidal Thoughts Secret (July 15, 2013)

Do You Blame Yourself for Thinking of Suicide? (July 10, 2013)

Where Are They Now? The Fate of Suicide Attempt Survivors (July 5, 2013)

Shame Festers in Dark Places: Keeping Suicide Secret (June 30, 2013)

What’s Your Pleasure? (June 25, 2013)

”You Can’t Do Everything”: Limitations in Helping a Suicidal Person (June 21, 2013)

Is a Suicide Attempt a Cry for Help? (June 17, 2013)

Shame, Stigma, and Suicidality (June 13, 2013)

The People You Would Leave Behind (June 8, 2013)

How Would You Listen to a Person on the Roof? (June 6, 2013)

What Are Your Reasons for Dying – and for Living? (June 3, 2013)

Preventing Suicide in 4 Sessions: Is It Possible? (May 31, 2013)

The Most Dangerous Time: Suicide After Discharge from a Psychiatric Hospital (May 30, 2013)

Coping with the Suicide of a Loved One (May 29, 2013)

10 Reasons Teens Avoid Telling Parents about Suicidal Thoughts (May 29, 2013)

The Military, Veterans, and Suicide (May 27, 2013)

Do Antidepressants Cause Suicide? (May 26, 2013)

Documentation: Do It Well, for the Client’s Sake and Yours (May 25, 2013)

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? (May 23, 2013)

Involuntary Hospitalization: From Ally to Adversary? (May 20, 2013)

Why Prevent Suicide? Here Are My Reasons. (May 19, 2013)

The Hope Box (May 16, 2013)

Uncovering Suicidal Thoughts (May 15, 2013)

The Use of No-Suicide Contracts (May 15, 2013)

Are You Afraid that Asking about Suicidal Thoughts will Anger the Person? (May 15, 2013)

Won’t People Spontaneously Disclose Their Suicidal Thoughts? (May 15, 2013)

Does Talking about Suicide Plant the Idea in a Person’s Mind? (May 15, 2013)

What to Tell Children of a Loved One’s Suicide? (May 5, 2013)

The Woman who Lived in a Tipi (May 4, 2013)

Are You Thinking of Killing Yourself? (April 15, 2013)

Will I Be Committed to a Mental Hospital if I Tell a Therapist about My Suicidal Thoughts? (April 14, 2013)

Language about Suicide (Part 2): Who are Suicide Survivors? (April 14, 2013)

Language about Suicide (Part 1): The Power of Words (April 14, 2013)

What To Do If You Suspect a Friend or Loved One is Thinking of Suicide (April 13, 2013)

Speaking of Suicide – A New Blog (April 11, 2013)