I Am Paula
07-31-2014, 09:55 AM
After my post yesterday, I have come to realize that this is an under discussed topic, yet close to all of us.
The statistics seem to vary greatly, but one thing is certain. We are at VERY high risk. The other apparent certainty, is that if anything were killing off this number of people in any other demographic, this would be considered a worldwide epidemic, and cause panic with WHO, and CDC. Since we are just transgender, we get a mention on page 9, if that.
Since very few organizations seem to be taking this all too seriously, we must take it upon ourselves too be our own support network. I certainly don't have many answers, and I'm hoping the members here can use this post to add suggestions about how we may help ourselves, or our trans friends.
A few things I thought of in the last 24 hours.
Let your trans friends know they can count on you 24/7. Suicide has no fair weather friends.
Know your trans friend's actual address. I could only tell police it was the second driveway on the left. Put it in your phone with her/his phone number.
Have at least a working knowledge of resources near you. Is there a suicide hotline?
Recognize changes in behavior of your friends. Depression, over eating, not eating, anger, absence from work, changes in drug or alcohol use, etc.
There are lots more, and I'm not a psych, or behavior expert, so lets add to this, and try to be more aware. No one is immune.
The statistics seem to vary greatly, but one thing is certain. We are at VERY high risk. The other apparent certainty, is that if anything were killing off this number of people in any other demographic, this would be considered a worldwide epidemic, and cause panic with WHO, and CDC. Since we are just transgender, we get a mention on page 9, if that.
Since very few organizations seem to be taking this all too seriously, we must take it upon ourselves too be our own support network. I certainly don't have many answers, and I'm hoping the members here can use this post to add suggestions about how we may help ourselves, or our trans friends.
A few things I thought of in the last 24 hours.
Let your trans friends know they can count on you 24/7. Suicide has no fair weather friends.
Know your trans friend's actual address. I could only tell police it was the second driveway on the left. Put it in your phone with her/his phone number.
Have at least a working knowledge of resources near you. Is there a suicide hotline?
Recognize changes in behavior of your friends. Depression, over eating, not eating, anger, absence from work, changes in drug or alcohol use, etc.
There are lots more, and I'm not a psych, or behavior expert, so lets add to this, and try to be more aware. No one is immune.