LJ Idol: Week 34 Quick Fire - Open Topic

[suesniffsglue]

Warning: Contains references to suicidal ideation/attempts and self-injuryI love my job. I swear I love my job. It's just that lately I've felt like I'm drowning. I see people in my office, at my satellite office in a school, in their homes--all day long I'm flying, spinning, jumping from one psyche to the next. I dive into each person with a

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[fodschwazzle]

I know this feeling. On the teaching side, I got to watch experienced teachers concur in the break room on which suicide attempts in the last year were cries for help and which ones were genuine. What the hell? Why does it matter? They all need help, whether they become fully sincere or not!

Meanwhile, I'm at a speech competition watching a girl who lost a friend last year and often considers suicide herself, giving am awesome poem presentation on moving past bullying.

This is to say that our efforts matter a great deal. Every positive effort sends a ripple through our world. I am assuming this is nonfiction when I say this: I am happy that your student did not succeed, and that you have a chance to react and reconsider. This piece had a big effect on me.

[halfshellvenus]

I'm so sorry.

My parents are psychiatrists, and when my Dad lost his first private-practice patient, it devastated him.

Therapy is a two-way street, though. If the patient lies to you (or doesn't really know the truth of his/her emotional state), you simply cannot always see that. Nuance, hesitation, and body language can all help reveal things, but unfortunately, only telepathy could be entirely effective.

I'm so sorry, for you and for her.