Ursula Whiteside

Everybody Needs an “A-Team” — Who Would Show Up for You at 3 O’Clock in the Morning?

Everybody Needs an “A-Team” — Who Would Show Up for You at 3 O’Clock in the Morning?

At some point life will bring you to your knees.

There really is no getting through this life without hardship. And to be honest, it’s the contrast against hardship that brings our life’s joy and satisfaction into clear focus. 

When life throws you into the river of despair, what usually gets us through is our “A-Team” throwing us a life preserver. They lean in when times get tough and their presence makes us feel like we matter. This crew doesn’t just materialize out of nowhere — it’s something we work on.

“Suicidal Intensity”: An Emerging Preferred Term to Describe Experiences with Suicidal Thoughts and Feelings

“Suicidal Intensity”: An Emerging Preferred Term to Describe Experiences with Suicidal Thoughts and Feelings

“Suicide ideation” — that’s what mental health providers usually call it. 

To the general public, this often sounds “jargony”. They say, “ideation — like what do you mean…like thoughts?” And we say, “Yeah…like thoughts…”

And they say, “Well then just say thoughts…” 

“Thoughts” though, don’t really capture the experience fully for most people…