Thoughts by Hannah Michelle

The last few weeks have been awesome!  Choosing to be positive isn’t always easy; some days are really challenging.  Today I’m just going to update everyone on my September. FAMILY: At the beginning of September, my family spent a day at Worlds of Fun AND we got street tacos for $1.  This was over Labor Day weekend, my last weekend of “summer break” which only lasted 3 weeks for me this year.  I only had a few days off of work in that time, so I really enjoyed spending the day in KC.   I got my hair permed at the beginning of September as well, and I really like it!  My hair was always curly, but now it is consistently curly.  Plus, I was told not to comb my hair, so I really don’t have to do a lot of work on my hair, which is the real win here! September is the month for my mom, little sister, and sister’s-mother-in-law’s birthdays!  We did an escape room for my mom’s birthday, and we actually escaped! That was such a fun Saturday, as well.  I also did a set of paintings fo

Hey everyone, I know I’ve really missed a few days of my September series for Suicide Prevention Month, and I am sorry.   I’ve been really trying to decide what else to write without getting too emotional.  Because this is such an emotional subject, and some days, I’d really rather just fall asleep to Netflix in the background and homework across my lap than try to write such painful stories.  (Truthfully, I’d rather be falling asleep on a hammock at the beach, but I’ll take what I can get.) I tried writing this open letter to my Dad, and another one to my Aunt Marta, hoping that seeing my emotions about this as a “survivor” could help someone gain that perspective, but I just can’t get through them yet.  Especially not to publish on the internet.  I also was going to try to post more about my own personal experiences with suicidal ideation, but I’m not going to lie to you.  I don’t want to go back to that.  I don’t want to think about those times again, at least not right now.  R

Mental Health Awareness - 05 I’ve decided to start a bit of a series on some mental health topics to raise awareness.  If you haven’t read my story, feel free to read it at: http://hanmichelleb.blogspot.com/2017/08/my-mental-health-story-so-far.html 05:  Keeping Your Home Safe Preventing suicide starts at home.  Do you know the best ways to keep your loved ones safe? Important Statistics Suicidal ideation normally comes quickly and lasts for less than an hour - according to AASP, a survey found that a person who decided on suicide actually made that attempt within ten minutes.  Ten minutes!  By making the means more difficult, many of these attempts likely could have been prevented. 30% of those surveyed also found that suicidal ideation only lasted for an hour.   In other countries, when the availability of highly lethal and commonly used suicide methods were reduced, the decline of suicide rates have been between 30% and 50%! 50% of all suicides are done wi

Mental Health Awareness - 04 I’ve decided to start a bit of a series on some mental health topics to raise awareness.  If you haven’t read my story, feel free to read it at: http://hanmichelleb.blogspot.com/2017/08/my-mental-health-story-so-far.html 04: What are eating disorders?  General information. Types:  There are many types of eating disorders, but the most commonly known are anorexia nervosa and bulimia (NEDA). Anorexia Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (AFRID) Binge Eating Disorder Bulimia Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder Other Eating Disorder Pica Rumination Disorder Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder Body image is obviously a very LARGE problem in this world, especially in the United States.  While eating disorders do not necessarily lead to “ suicide” (though they can), they commonly lead to death.   Causes: both genetic and environmental factors cause eating disorders.  ANYONE is capable of developing an

Mental Health Awareness - 03 I’ve decided to start a bit of a series on some mental health topics to raise awareness.  If you haven’t read my story, feel free to read it at: http://hanmichelleb.blogspot.com/2017/08/my-mental-health-story-so-far.html 03: What is Depression?  General Information. Kinds of Depression: Major Depressive Disorder Persistent Depressive Disorder Bipolar Depression Disorder Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Different types of depression have varying severity and symptoms.   Overall, these symptoms are typically present with depression: Apathy, general discontent, guilt, loss of interest, sadness, mood swings Hopelessness, anxiety Agitation, excessive crying, irritability, restlessness Social isolation Sleepiness, insomnia, restless sleep Lack of concentration Slowness Weight gain or loss due to overeating or lack of appetite Repeating depressing, intrusive thoughts Thoughts of suicide Any number o

Mental Health Awareness - 02 I’ve decided to start a bit of a series on some mental health topics to raise awareness.  If you haven’t read my story, feel free to read it at: http://hanmichelleb.blogspot.com/2017/08/my-mental-health-story-so-far.html 02: What is Anxiety? General Information.   The first thing you should realize: Everyone experience some anxiety at some points in their lives.  Some anxiety is normal before big interviews, uncomfortable social situations, or before a speech.  Most people worry about things from time to time. This doesn’t mean you have anxiety, it just makes you human.   However, if your anxiety is excessive and lasts for over 6 months, it may be a good idea to discuss medicine, therapy, or evaluate your lifestyle with a doctor.   Today, I’m going to list out some symptoms, causes, and types of anxiety disorders, since anxiety is such a broad and varied topic. There are different types of anxiety disorders: Generalized Anxiety Disorde