Brainstorming

Today is Friday the 13, my son has been pretty crazy and had a lot of energy-- and seems to be very violent lately when we are doing homework; kicking, hitting, pushing,etc. We reprimand him for it and try to give him some personal attention after his bad behavior but it's clear that 2 parents in school at the same time is not ideal. It's been really hard on him.

Contrary to the superstitious beliefs about this day, I have actually gotten quite a bit done for a Final Project due in a few weeks. The 8-10 page paper and the Powerpoint to go with that is due next week, but I haven't started on it yet.

I've been researching a lot this semester about the healthy and unhealthy ways to cope with different types of addictions. How to change addictive thinking patterns into positive thoughts and actions, and how to effectively and positively deal with traumatic experiences.

Social and Emotional Support seems paramount in everything I've studied regarding these subjects.
The support of Communities, church organizations & congregations, family, friends, co-workers and neighbors is really important when trying to recover from any type of addiction. Having a best friend who you can trust and tell everything to is vital, in my opinion; or speaking to a professional Counselor or Psychologist or Therapist, can help quite a bit.

Another thing I've noticed is that when people go through a really scary and traumatic experience they often have Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and are stuck mentally in the event, when they are no longer in danger.
I find in this instance fear is the opposite of faith. Having a life direction, values and a clear purpose in life can assist people to recover better from traumatic events and situations in their lives. Going along with these are some similar tactics, Gratitude, Empathy, and Altruism. Altruism is finding the joy in life and seeking to find the happiness in the lives of others. It is not being overly optimistic, but being idealistic about the world, it's beauties and opportunities. I believe it is realizing and admitting that life has it's challenges, adversities and trials; but understanding that we can become so much stronger and a better person for having had them. Empathy is a wonderful attribute. It is being able to relate and identify with the emotions and situations of others, even if you have not gone through the situations yourself. I believe this is a healthy attribute when we can separate our adversities from those of our friends and loved ones; and not carry their burdens with us too. We can listen to them, love them and feel their pain; but it can become dangerous if their hurt becomes ours as well & it leads us to a sense of hopelessness, depression or sadness.

I read a story today on the website; http://www.twloha.com/vision/ It is about preventing suicide. I recently had a dear friend lose her husband to suicide and it was due to a lot of issues he had with depression, anxiety and some hardships he was going through. I remember crying when I heard about it, because he always seemed so happy to me, and it never occurred to me that he was hurt and struggling.
I really think that our Heavenly Father is the only person who can judge a person's emotional, behavioral and mental state when tragedies like this happen. I have struggled personally with depression and have felt the numbness and emptiness, the hopelessness it can bring. I know our God is a God of mercy, understanding and love. I really feel for my friend who lost her husband to this tragedy.

I hope there is someway I can help those in need of a friend to talk to, a hug, someone to listen, or someone who cares. Because I will always be here to hear you and show you how much I care and understand.
And how much the world needs you and loves you!
I hope I can help at least one person know how much God loves them and how much I love them too!

Chelsea Merkley

Websites to visit for Suicide Prevention and PTSD Treatment;
http://sprc.org/library_resources/items/understanding-risk-and-protective-factors-suicide-primer-preventing-suicide
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-easy-to-read/index.shtml#pub9
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/recovering-disasters.aspx
http://www.apa.org/research/action/ptsd.aspx
http://www.apa.org/research/action/lemon.aspx