Christa Scalies - Suicide-Sucks-EbookIn honor of National Suicide Prevention Month, NDH introduces you to Wilmington laughter visionary and suicide prevention advocate, Christa Scalies. Christa recently caught our attention on Twitter @GiggleON after posting about her experience helping homeless people laugh at an event at St. Patrick’s Church in Wilmington. As we started to dig into Christa’s site and her background, we learned her mission in life is to spread the mantra, ‘Don’t Give Up, Get Your Giggle On,’ a message of persistence, simplicity, hope and laughter.

After losing two friends to suicide, including former resident of Wilmington Trinity Vicinity, Jim Thompson, Christa was inspired to write, ‘Suicide Sucks: Move through the pain of suicide loss and learn to laugh again.’ The eBook is a FREE download at giggleon.com, as a public service, and is a great resource for people looking to recover mentally, physically, and spiritually from a loss.  In addition, Christa’s site is a treasure trove of resources for people looking for information about laughter, playfulness, stress management and mental health.

Depression is Treatable

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.suicide_is_100_preventable_speak_up

  • September 8th – 14th is National Suicide Prevention Week.
  • Every year, almost 1 million people die by suicide.
  • On average, 1 person every 13.7 minutes kills themselves. (1)
  • 10th ranking cause of death in U.S. (1)
  • During 2010, we lost 38,364 people to suicide in the United States, 106 of them were from Delaware(39th in US). (1)

Make The Call

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline  800-273-TALK (8255)

Youth Suicide Prevention & Response Support – Delaware’s 24-hour Child Priority Response Hotline 1-800-969- HELP (4357)

Or dial 9-1-1 for emergency response

ERACING the Blues DelawareE-Racing the Blues

Join Giggle On bronze sponsor of this year’s “E-Racing the Blues” 5K/10K Event in support of the Mental Health Association of Delaware on October 27, 2013 at Dravo Plaza on the Riverfront in Wilmington. Running or walking in the E-Racing the Blues© 5k Run/Walk and 10k Run as a group brings people together in a fun and exciting way.  While participating in a healthy activity, you will help raise community awareness of mental illness and will support Mental Health Association in Delaware’s programs and services.

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Download Christa’s FREE eBook Here

 

Other Online Resources & Delaware Support

Suicide Warning Signs

According to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the following signs may mean someone is at risk for suicide:

  • Talking about being a burden to others.
  • Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs.
  • Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly.
  • Sleeping too little or too much.
  • Withdrawing or isolating themselves.
  • Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge.
  • Displaying extreme mood swings.
  • Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves.
  • Looking for a way to kill themselves, such as searching online or buying a gun
  • Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live.
  • Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain.

Suicide Sucks eBook Reviews

“If you or anyone you love has lost a loved one to suicide, Christa Scalies’ e-book Suicide Sucks is a must-read. With humor, pluck, wisdom, and plain old good sense, Christa, who lost two dear friends to suicide before becoming the go-to advocate for using humor to help survivors of suicide heal, shares what she has learned in her own journey back to happiness. With 10 actionable steps that will help you get your giggle on (did someone say “whoopee cushion?) while helping you recover mentally, physically, and spiritually, I highly recommend this resource to anyone suffering from the aftermath of suicide.  While this book uses humor as a tool for healing, it doesn’t make light of the fact that suicide is no laughing matter.  With gentleness and a heaping helping of love, you’ll feel nourished, supported, and so not alone in your healing journey. I only wish such a resource existed when I lost my young cousin to the tragedy of suicide.”  Lissa Rankin, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Mind Over Medicine

“I had no idea!  I had no idea how to “be” with someone who had experienced a loss from suicide.  Christa’s has written an incredibly powerful message to suicide survivors in her E-book “Suicide Sucks: Move thought the Pain of Suicide Loss and Learn to Laugh Again”. I cannot tell you how much this book touched my heart.  Her words are a moving and poignant reminder that suicide can be preventable. From Christa’s book, I gained a deeper understanding of how to listen to and respond to someone who might be suicidal.  Having authored several books and articles on humor, I know that humor and laughter are remarkable interventions for many in the fields of grief, death and dying. However, there is little written on how to use humor therapy for suicide survivors and for those contemplating suicide.  This is a remarkable book that I think will make a notable impact in the field of humor and laughter. It has my highest recommendation.”  – Mary Kay Morrison, Speaker, Educator, Author: Using Humor to Maximize Learning, President- Elect Association of Applied and Therapeutic Humor

“Christa is a uniquely qualified person to offer advice on coping with suicide. She has had the deep misfortune to be close to two people she knew who committed suicide and learned to come through the trauma with the central core of her character undiminished. And that character combines strength, humour, common sense and energy. Link all this to a gift for words and you have a unique package and one I commend unreservedly.”  – Kit Johnson, Radio Host, Speaker, Author: Dodging Suicide

“After losing my best friend to suicide in 2007, I truly struggled for years. Along the way I have been blessed to meet some amazing people, one of which is Christa Scalies. This ebook is loaded with humor and a realistic view on suicide and how those left in its wake can try to cope. It was a super easy read and had lots of bullet lists so that someone could just pick it up and skim through and get something useful. It is perfect for people to take what they want and implement when they are in crisis mode. I found myself laughing at your humor and the similarities we share (so many in fact it’s actually kinda creepy). I also plan on using “suicided” when referring to Anth’s death.  Please keep this book in mind for the newly bereaved, it can be an extremely helpful resource. ” Erica Volkman

“I loved your e-book. You NAILED so many things that I have been feeling! Even though my close friend’s death was not a suicide (his brother followed him by suiciding), the grieving process and all of the emotions for both deaths are the same. It does help to know that all of my feelings are normal and that I am not alone. Anyone who reads this will walk away feeling like you honestly do care about them, even if they never meet you. Nicely done!”   – Katie McHenry

“I read your book & LOVED it! It’s short – my favorite kind now that time evaporates – and spot on with issues and solutions. As my beloved Dad used to tell me oh so many times when I prefaced my ideas with lengthy introductions, get to the point… You get to the point & it clicks! I found that your experiences were very much what my family went through when my Dad passed away. The steps you offer to get back up, to get back to living and to get your Giggle On can be used for any loss. I will share these with my Mother, who still struggles without my Dad to keep her company after 5 years on her own. I must add that all of us have and still do use laughter to cope, every day. Especially my husband, who suffers with tremendous pain 24/7. Thank you for speaking candidly about such deep emotional pain and for reminding everyone that there IS life after loss.” – Lynn Greenblatt, Founder of Caregiving Cafe