Just Checking In
Wounds, Not Scars - Is Checking In Enough to Prevent Death By Suicide
Thank you so much for supporting my writing. It means so much to me.
I’m currently working on a devotional journal I’ve titled “Call Me Mara,” a reference from the book of Ruth. In this journal, I address topics like shame, suffering, and grief. My goal is to use biblical narratives to provide a safe place to process your emotions. It will be a tool that offers insight for your individual healing.
Thanks again for being a part of this journey.
In a recent news story, a woman was found dead at her desk at work. The Wells Fargo employee clocked into work on a Friday morning around 7am but was not found until Tuesday. The article I read had not disclosed her cause of death but foul play was not suspected. Other employees in the office reported a noticeable stench after the fact but attributed it to an issue with the plumbing. It was so sad to hear about this, but you may be asking how this relates to suicide prevention if this woman did not die by suicide.
Most people seemed to believe that this woman’s life could have been saved, or at the very least it would not have taken four days to realize something was wrong, had someone simply checked on her.
But I would suggest…
What if someone had stopped by this woman’s desk just to say hi? What if she walked to the parking lot or the train station after work with fellow colleagues every day? What if she met with friends for lunch on the weekends? What if this woman had some sort of connection with others that would have triggered an alert without needing a check-in?
A little over a year ago, I wrote a blog post titled “Please Don’t Check on Me.” I talked about why “checking in” with someone can feel so impersonal. Would a person suffering from a mental health crisis truly feel comfortable sharing that with someone who is just checking in with them? Would the person checking in know what to do or how to help? This is how I felt about it back then…
