| Emotional Adjustment and Scleroderma |
 Hello, I am Janey Willis, ISN Guide to Emotional Adjustment. I know from experience that scleroderma can place unique demands on patients and caregivers alike. I have systemic scleroderma (SSc). It is common to suffer reactive depression with scleroderma. If you or someone you care about is having a difficult or suicidal time right now, call your nearest suicide hotline, or a doctor, or hospital. This is a medical emergency and it is okay to go to the emergency room or to call for help from your local police or fire department. The important thing is to make a call—any call—until you find help. | |
| Emotional Adjustment and Scleroderma (MAIN MENU) |
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| Suicide Prevention |
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| Overview of Suicide |
| If you or a loved one are even casually thinking about suicide, this is a medical emergency! Call your local emergency number (911 in the U.S.) or go to your local Emergency Room right away. |
| You probably feel like you do not want to call for help, or that you do not feel up to it. But muster all the strength you have left and call for help anyway! You do not need to suffer in silence anymore! Call for help NOW and keep calling until you find the help you need. I promise you that some day, you'll be very glad you called for help! |
| Suicide Risk Factors |
| Suicide Risk, Affective and Anxiety Disorders in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis. Less than 50% of SSc patients with severe depression received adapted psychiatric treatment. The high prevalence of major depression and anxiety disorders in SSc patients can no longer be ignored and systematic screening and psychiatric treatment interventions are needed. (Article Out of Print) Thierry Baubet. 1689/514. ACR 2004. |
| Suicide Warning Signs |
Suicide Warning Signs. Call 1-800-273-TALK if you or someone you know exhibits any of the following signs:
- 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, 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
- Increasing alcohol or drug use
- Withdrawing from friends, family, and society
- Feeling anxious, agitated, or 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
U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. |
| Suicide: Offering help and support when someone is suicidal. Not everyone who thinks or talks about suicide actually attempts it. But it's not true that people who talk about suicide won't really try it. That's why it's important to take them seriously, especially if they have depression or another mental disorder or are intoxicated or behaving impulsively. Mayo Clinic. 2006. |
| Suicide Prevention Resources |
| Suicide Hotlines (Worldwide Phone Numbers and Email Crisis Support). When You Feel You Can't Go On... Let Someone Know Your Pain. Call for comfort, call to survive. do not wait! Call someone now. This web site has suicide hotline and email support numbers for the U.S. and worldwide. |
| National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. If you need help, please dia 1-800-273-TALK (8255). |
| Suicide Treatments |
| Cognitive Therapy Reduces Repeat Suicide Attempts by 50 Percent. Recent suicide attempters treated with cognitive therapy were 50 percent less likely to try to kill themselves again within 18 months than those who did not receive the therapy. NIH News. 08/02/05. |
| Personal Stories |
| Charmaine C: Lichen Sclerosus and Scleroderma Soon multiple spots developed across my abdomen, with a few stray ones on my forearms and more on the left leg... |
| Judy R. Thompson Devlin: Diffuse Scleroderma with CREST He said 1 in 200 people get a disease in their lifetime, and that scleroderma was like having 20-30 diseases at once... |
| Robin H: End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)/Transplant Recipient It has been almost two years now since my kidney transplant. I am doing better than ever... |
