What We Can Learn From Mindy McCreedy

Today’s headlines were full of the story of country music star Mindy McCreedy’s suicide.  Every suicide is a tragedy but this one got more headlines than usual because of her celebrity status (this can be problematic in the suicide prevention community).  But I think highlighting this story can also help us all in suicide prevention.

The story might at first seem, like all suicides do at first, surprising.  But the more you dig into the story, the more warning balloons we can see going up:

a)  An unstable childhood.

b) Drug and alcohol abuse

c) Physical abuse in her past

d)  Suicide attempts in her past

e)  Someone she loved dearly committed suicide

f) Seeing no hope in her future and feeling out of control

g) Isolation

Look out for these warning signs, not just in your friends and family, but also in the people you work with, go to worship with, and who are in your neighborhood.

We can’t prevent all suicides.  But we can help reduce them.  Let’s be aware and make a difference.

What do you think?

Until next time,

Tom