10 SUGGESTIONS TO PREVENT SUICIDE

1. REST FROM ELECTRONICS. Put away your cell phone and all electronics by 9 PM each night. Leave them outside your bedroom so they aren’t easy to access. Research studies have found that excessive time on electronic devices is linked to a higher risk of depression and suicide.

2. HAVE FUN. Be engaged in good, wholesome activities that lift your spirits and help you develop real, loyal friendships and bond with other people. Look for resources within your community where people can share happy experiences together. If nothing exists, start something yourself. Laughter and light will dispel gloom and darkness and help you see a bright, fulfilling future.

3. READ AND MEDITATE BEFORE BED. Before going to bed at night, read an encouraging book that helps you feel peaceful and calm. Meditate or pray for a few minutes and express gratitude for your many blessings. Seek for personal revelation to help solve the challenges facing you.

4. ENJOY A MORNING DEVOTIONAL. When you first wake up, take a few minutes to read the scriptures or other inspirational literature and repeat positive affirmations. Meditate or pray as you ponder your relationship with your Divine Creator and your own great value in the universe.

5. WRITE A “GCP” IN JOURNAL. Write down one “Gratitude,” for which you are truly grateful, one “Challenge” to overcome, and one “Positive Wish” you want to achieve. Daily journal writing will clear your mind of stress and help you to analyze your thoughts and feelings with clarity.

6. LISTEN TO INSPIRING MUSIC. Completely avoid all “dark” music that brings you feelings of despair or anxiety. Listen to beautiful music daily, including Mozart K 448. This music has been scientifically proven to stop seizures. It might also have the power to lift feelings of depression.

7. AVOID ILLEGAL DRUGS & USE PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE WISELY. Avoid all alcohol, illegal drugs, and the misuse of prescription drugs. Alcohol and drugs mess with your mind and alters the way you think and act in a negative way. When necessary, consistently take prescribed medicines, such as anti-depressants, which are designed to help stabilize and heal your body and mind.

8. SLEEP, EXERCISE, & FOOD. Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night. A sleep-starved brain produces a sleep-starved body and mind, which distorts reality and leads to bad choices. Do fun exercises daily to energize yourself. Eat 3 nutritious meals each day, and drink 8 cups of water. Avoid artificial or processed foods and use little or no caffeine, which causes mood swings.

9. HAVE REAL CONVERSATIONS. Use your cell phone not only to text but also to make phone calls so you can hear each other’s voices. Pay attention to how the other person sounds. Have friendly face-to-face conversation with family, friends, and acquaintances. Look into the other person’s eyes as you speak. Smile and say hello to everyone because all people need kindness.

10. BELIEVE. Believe in hope, help, and happiness. As my sister Laurie Frost wrote to me:

"Believe that there is a Creator, and you have purpose in life. Believe that good will eventually win and that you can be rescued, like in heroic movies and books. In those real or fictional stories there is always a challenge or terror, like the Harry Potter "dementors" that want to suck away hope. Call them out for what they are and call for help. It will come."

"10 SUGGESTIONS" RESEARCH NOTES

Excessive Screen Time Linked to Suicide Risk

171130170212.htm

New research presents compelling evidence that the more time teenagers spend on smartphones and other electronic screens, the more likely they are to feel depressed and think about, or attempt, suicide.

Florida State University Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Thomas Joiner, who co-authored a study published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science, said screen time should be considered a modern-day risk factor for depression and suicide.

"There is a concerning relationship between excessive screen time and risk for death by suicide, depression, suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts," said Joiner, who conducted the research with psychology Professor Jean Twenge of San Diego State University. "All of those mental health issues are very serious. I think it's something parents should ponder."

Joiner encouraged parents to track their children's screen time because teenagers are spending more time on screens, and that activity is linked to depression and suicide-related behaviors.

Depression and suicide rates for teens between the ages of 13 and 18 increased dramatically since 2010, especially among girls, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study identifies excessive use of electronic devices as a likely culprit.

YouTube: Mozart K 448, Sonata for Two Pianos, First Movement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPC8J3AkFiw

First Music Therapy Clinical Research Study for People with Epilepsy

https://epilepsyontario.org/canadas-first-music-therapy-clinical-research-study-for-people-with-epilepsy/

A two-year clinical research study advancing the work of previous international studies that have found an intriguing link between music – specifically Mozart’s K 448 Sonata – and seizure reduction in individuals with intractable Epilepsy. Previous Epilepsy music therapy studies using K 448 have found evidence of seizure reduction by as much as 24 per cent, which compares favorably to some of the most commonly used drug interventions.

“This is a bit of a golden age for research into the brain,” says. Dr. Valiante. “The technological tools to study the human brain are ever increasing in sophistication and accessibility. These tools are allowing the mystery of the human brain’s relationship with music to be explored in a wide variety of clinical settings, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and depression.”

In fact, it was an introduction to research into music therapy applications for motor movement rehabilitation in individuals with Parkinson’s disease that piqued Dr. Rafiee’s interest in Epilepsy music therapy. “It was shocking to me to be honest,” says. Dr. Rafiee. “I started looking at some of the literature and was looking at the numbers, seeing some patients even becoming seizure-free. I couldn’t believe I had never heard of this before.”

(Epilepsy Ontario Executive Director Paul Raymond, paul@epilepsyontario.org)