Kitt O’Malley

NAMI Week Eight

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Pros and Cons Decision Tool
Pros and Cons Decision Tool

Wednesday I attended class eight of the NAMI Peer-to-Peer Recovery Education Program 2014 ©. The topics we covered are:

  • What to do when you, or someone you know,may be contemplating suicide
    • WARNING SIGNS FOR SUICIDE
      • Threatening to hurt or kill oneself or talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself
      • Looking for ways to kill oneself by seeking access to firearms, available pills or other means
      • Talking or writing about death, dying or suicide when these actions are out of the ordinary for the person
      • Feeling hopeless
      • Feeling rage or uncontrolled anger or seeking revenge
      • Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities – seemingly without thinking
      • Feeling trapped – like there’s no way out
      • Increased alcohol or drug use
      • Withdrawing from friends, family and society
      • Feeling anxious, agitated, unable to sleep or sleeping all the time
      • Experiencing dramatic mood changes
      • Seeing no reason for living or having no sense of purpose in life
    • Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free 24-hour service available to anyone in the U.S. who is struggling with thoughts or plans of suicide.Suicide Prevention 800-273-TALK
  • Coming out of isolation
  • Mental illness and disclosure
  • Take-home tool for making difficult choices (created by Marsha Linehan, PhD)
    • Pros and Cons Decision Tool (image shown)
      • List the pros of doing what you are considering on the top left side.
      • List the cons of doing what you are considering on the top right side.
      • List the pros of not doing what you are considering on the bottom left side.
      • List the pros of not doing what you are considering on the bottom right side.
      • Be as thorough a possible for each decision category.
      • Give each reason a rating according  to how significant a factor it is to you. The scale is 1 to 3 (1 = significant, 2 = very significant, and 3 = extremely significant).
      • Add up the scores diagonally.
      • Analyze your data: based on the reasons you’ve thought of, what appears to be the best plan?
  • Mindfulness

We ran out of time due to active participation, and had to defer covering the following topics:

  • Surviving a hospital stay
  • Advance Directive for Mental Healthcare Decision Making

Comments

17 responses to “NAMI Week Eight”

  1. Kitt O'Malley Avatar
    Kitt O’Malley

    Awesome. You are now a role model for me. Thanks.

  2. wendy Avatar
    wendy

    I do appreciate all the updates on what you are learning. I wish I could be a participant. It is so interesting. I have found mindfulness practice to be the best thing that I have ever done for myself. It is difficult, but it is worth it. Remember to be gentle with yourself. Be present in the moment, be aware of yourself, your feelings and your surroundings – without judgement. The without judgment part is what I really had to learn. Focus on the now. The past we can’t change, the future we can’t change, the only time that matters in now. This is how I try to live each day. Do I always succeed, no, but trying has changed my life.

  3. Kitt O'Malley Avatar
    Kitt O’Malley

    My pleasure. It helps me to digest the material.

  4. Pieces of Bipolar Avatar
    Pieces of Bipolar

    Thanks for that information, Kitt. Appreciate the time it must take to update us all on what you’re learning

  5. Kitt O'Malley Avatar
    Kitt O’Malley

    Be Present as a mantra sounds great. I’m not always able to be present or mindful. Sometimes the only thing that works to slow my thoughts or allow sleep is medication, but I do first try deep breathing at the very least.

  6. Dani Avatar
    Dani

    Kit, do you find mindfulness comes easily to you??
    I have a hard time with it, but revert back to a mantra: Be Present (passed along by my SW sister)
    when I’m struggling.

    With heart,
    Dani

  7. Just Plain Ol' Vic Avatar
    Just Plain Ol’ Vic

    Thanks so much for your well wishes, especially with so much going on in your life! You take care too!

  8. Kitt O'Malley Avatar
    Kitt O’Malley

    I am so sorry, Vic. I just visited your website. I will more thoughtfully respond once I finish reading your post. My prayers are with you, your wife, and family.

  9. Just Plain Ol' Vic Avatar
    Just Plain Ol’ Vic

    Good or bad it is life, right?! Sometimes it is less about what happens and more about how you react to it.

  10. Kitt O'Malley Avatar
    Kitt O’Malley

    Glad to hear it (or perhaps, not so glad, as the case may be).

  11. Kitt O'Malley Avatar
    Kitt O’Malley

    Thank you, Mihrank.

  12. Just Plain Ol' Vic Avatar
    Just Plain Ol’ Vic

    Thanks for the great information Kitt. Very timely and appropriate in my case!

  13. mihrank Avatar
    mihrank

    you have such amazing way to share important post:)

  14. philsblog01 Avatar
    philsblog01

    ok, thanks for the tip.

  15. Kitt O'Malley Avatar
    Kitt O’Malley

    Basically being in the here and now.

  16. Kitt O'Malley Avatar
    Kitt O’Malley

    Meditative practices, deep breathing, focusing on something like the flavor or color or texture of something.

  17. philsblog01 Avatar
    philsblog01

    Kitt, you have mentioned mindfulness several times, but I am not sure, what is mindfulness?

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