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One of the most common myths in suicide prevention is that talking about suicide will lead a person to complete a suicide. The result of this unequivocally false myth is a heightened stigma about suicide and those who experience it at some level. However, as Clancy Martin writes in the Preface of his book "How Not to K*ll Yourself": “suicide is all around us, and we must talk about it.”In honor of Suicide Prevention Month, the YSS Suicide Prevention Program will host a book club featuring Clancy’s book "How Not to K*ll Yourself." Our hope is that an open, honest, and fully supported conversation about suicide and suicidal thoughts and behaviors will resist the stigma surrounding suicide and encourage attendees to start conversations of their own when they leave the book club.
About the book:
In "How Not to K*ll Yourself," Clancy Martin chronicles his multiple suicide attempts in an intimate depiction of the mindset of someone obsessed with self-destruction. He argues that, for the vast majority of suicides, an attempt does not just come out of the blue, nor is it merely a violent reaction to a particular crisis or failure, but is the culmination of a host of long-standing issues. He also looks at the thinking of a number of great writers who have attempted suicide, at what the history of philosophy has to say both for and against suicide, and at the experiences of those who have reached out to him across the years to share their own struggles.
Attendees are encouraged to ask questions they may not feel comfortable asking elsewhere, as well as share their own thoughts and experiences. YSS will strive to make the space as safe as possible by using the “thumbs up” method for attendees to indicate that their level of comfort may be rising. Additionally, YSS staff hosting the book club are trained in safeTALK and ASIST and are prepared to step in should an attendee become overwhelmed.
For further information about the YSS Suicide Prevention Program or the safe place measures we will take, please contact Brenda Tyrrell, Mental Health and Wellness Education Coordinator, at [email protected] or 515-233-3141, ext. 4335.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
203 Main Street, Ames, IA, United States, Iowa 50010
