Suicide prevention - #climb4love
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After coming very close to losing my mother to suicide, I pledged to myself that I would do what I could to raise awareness for suicide prevention.
A year-and-a-half ago my mom overdosed in a suicide attempt. Her mother, my grandmother, was dying of end-stage renal failure and as her sole caregiver, my mother felt hopeless. But moments before she went unconscious she made a call to me and I was able to save her life. After three days in Intensive Care followed by counselling, she recovered.
Please read my blog to learn more about our story.
Suicide is the most preventable cause of death and yet, tragically, it remains the 10th leading cause of death in Wisconsin.
We live in a culture where depression and mental illness are shamed, stigmatized, and too often go unspoken and ignored. This culture makes it difficult to prevent suicide and address mental illness. We want to share our story in hopes of dismantling the stigma associated with suicide and mental illness.
To those suffering from depression and mental illness, life is an uphill battle.
The best way I can think to show my support is to climb a really big-ass mountain and raise awareness and money along the way.
I chose to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, East Africa--it's the tallest free-standing mountain in the world.
The thing about climbing Mt. Kili is that it not only takes physical strength but a lot of mental focus. The mountain to me represents all the hardships life throws at us--a reminder that we need both physical and mental health to survive.
I will be climbing in February 2017. It will take 8 days.
I will be documenting my journey every step of the way in my blog. I will share everything...from my accomplishments to my hardships (my own doubt/depression/nervousness/physical limitations) and everything in between.
The reason why I'm trying to raise $5,895 is because it's symbolic of Mt. Kilimanjaro’s 5,895 meters above sea level.
100% of the money raised will go to the coalition Prevent Suicide Greater Milwaukee.
Prevent Suicide Greater Milwaukee (PSMG) is a wonderful foundation dedicated to reducing the number of attempted and completed suicides that take place each year in our community by raising awareness, increasing education and providing support. PSMG holds workshops to help train individuals on how to prevent suicide. They use Question Persuade Refer (QPR) as their training tool. To date, 187 QPR trainings have been conducted, reaching 4,650 people.
As someone who's been trained in QPR by PSGM--it has empowered me by helping me understand reasons why people turn to suicide and what I can do to prevent someone I know from dying.
If you are interested in contributing to help support me in this venture and this worthy coalition, please click on the link above to make a donation. Thank you for whatever you can offer financially, large or small. And please, please, spread the word!
****If someone you know may need help, please reach out to them. Often all it takes is an outstretched hand.****
*****************************************************
I want to change the culture of secrecy and shame around depression and mental illness and de-stigmatize it. I hope that by sharing my story, I can help others find the support they need.
Depression and mental illness are a normal human condition. By coming together, showing empathy and support, we can heal and save lives.
I dedicate my climb to my mother, those affected by depression and mental illness, and those who have lost someone to suicide.
A year-and-a-half ago my mom overdosed in a suicide attempt. Her mother, my grandmother, was dying of end-stage renal failure and as her sole caregiver, my mother felt hopeless. But moments before she went unconscious she made a call to me and I was able to save her life. After three days in Intensive Care followed by counselling, she recovered.
Please read my blog to learn more about our story.
Suicide is the most preventable cause of death and yet, tragically, it remains the 10th leading cause of death in Wisconsin.
We live in a culture where depression and mental illness are shamed, stigmatized, and too often go unspoken and ignored. This culture makes it difficult to prevent suicide and address mental illness. We want to share our story in hopes of dismantling the stigma associated with suicide and mental illness.
To those suffering from depression and mental illness, life is an uphill battle.
The best way I can think to show my support is to climb a really big-ass mountain and raise awareness and money along the way.
I chose to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, East Africa--it's the tallest free-standing mountain in the world.
The thing about climbing Mt. Kili is that it not only takes physical strength but a lot of mental focus. The mountain to me represents all the hardships life throws at us--a reminder that we need both physical and mental health to survive.
I will be climbing in February 2017. It will take 8 days.
I will be documenting my journey every step of the way in my blog. I will share everything...from my accomplishments to my hardships (my own doubt/depression/nervousness/physical limitations) and everything in between.
The reason why I'm trying to raise $5,895 is because it's symbolic of Mt. Kilimanjaro’s 5,895 meters above sea level.
100% of the money raised will go to the coalition Prevent Suicide Greater Milwaukee.
Prevent Suicide Greater Milwaukee (PSMG) is a wonderful foundation dedicated to reducing the number of attempted and completed suicides that take place each year in our community by raising awareness, increasing education and providing support. PSMG holds workshops to help train individuals on how to prevent suicide. They use Question Persuade Refer (QPR) as their training tool. To date, 187 QPR trainings have been conducted, reaching 4,650 people.
As someone who's been trained in QPR by PSGM--it has empowered me by helping me understand reasons why people turn to suicide and what I can do to prevent someone I know from dying.
If you are interested in contributing to help support me in this venture and this worthy coalition, please click on the link above to make a donation. Thank you for whatever you can offer financially, large or small. And please, please, spread the word!
****If someone you know may need help, please reach out to them. Often all it takes is an outstretched hand.****
*****************************************************
I want to change the culture of secrecy and shame around depression and mental illness and de-stigmatize it. I hope that by sharing my story, I can help others find the support they need.
Depression and mental illness are a normal human condition. By coming together, showing empathy and support, we can heal and save lives.
I dedicate my climb to my mother, those affected by depression and mental illness, and those who have lost someone to suicide.
Organizer
Elisabeth Callahan
Organizer
Milwaukee, WI
