trigger warning // suicide
I never knew what “heavy heart” really meant until l learned last week that my brother-in-law died by suicide. Sean fought bipolar disorder for 12+ years and was 33.
We're unsure how to tell our toddler about her fav “Uncle Seany”. We're gutted knowing he’ll never meet his new nephew. Because of them though—because he loved them SO much—I know that living even one more day with the pain and exhaustion of this illness, wasn’t an option.
If you know my story, you know I’m privileged to have been in psychiatric care for mental illness since the age of 12. I've thought of and planned death many times. The first time at 12—collecting pills and storing them in my tiny, white, heart-shaped, jewelry holder.
I’ve spent 26 years in the daily fight. Living with all the ups and downs that go along with it. And, while I'm unsure of so many things right now, I’m certain about one thing:
suicide isn’t selfish.
We want them to stay and get "better". We look for flickers of hope. We believe, just maybe, that love and adoration for a niece might be enough. But we overlook that "staying" means living through a daily existence more challenging than most ppl's hardest days combined.
I learned an important lesson growing up playing ball: you can play an incredible game and still lose to a greater opponent. Sean didn’t give up. He played his ass off every day. Bipolar disorder was simply his greater opponent.
No words can express my love for Sean—the first to meet me, accept me, and make me feel welcomed in my wife's family. So, instead of searching for words, I’ll do what I do best and share information.
See below for some MENTAL HEALTH IN NFTs 101 and other resources.
Why is it “died by suicide” vs. “committed suicide”?
❌"committed" implies suicide is a sin or crime (it's not) and reinforces the stigma of it being a selfish act
✅death/died by suicide helps remove this blame/shame from the person who lost their life
More language guidelines?
❌failed suicide ✅ survived/lived through a suicide attempt
❌<Name> is suicidal ✅<Name> is facing/has experienced/has suffered through suicidal thoughts
❌she's bipolar ✅she has bipolar/is living with bipolar
*source @CAMHResearch
What web3 projects/communities support mental health?
faves ➡️ @ClinicNFT, @BetwixtNFT, @therapetsNFT, @4bidden4ruit4, @lostboyNFT, @HappyNationNFT, @TwistedTweakNFT, @headspacesnft, @hhmetaverse, @healthedeal, @alphagirlclub, @monstersofmind, @MagicMindNFT, @twoplus_xyz
What web3 folks working on/in mental health should you follow?
faves ➡️ @sheiladarcey, @Krista_Kim, @Wardalejack, @Zeneca_33, @holisticeth, @tyspecti
ves, @sxtvik, @Maliha_z_Art, @camilledargan, @Vieparlafoi, @lem__ny, @ariweiss_, @beijingdou, @michaela_nft, @AmberShae1111
Is there a Twitter list of creators, projects, and communities in web3 doing this work? rebrand.ly/web3mentalheal…
Follow it and DM me on Twitter (@flynnkristina) with anyone or anything I may be missing.
Big love to anyone in the web3 family who is struggling today and big love to those that support them daily.
*This article was adapted from a Twitter thread by Kristina Flynn on Tuesday, July 5, 2022. The original post can be found here.
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