Create your own avatar at the Lifeline Gallery

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, with a donation from producer James L. Brooks, runs The Lifeline Gallery, a powerful virtual space where suicide survivors, attempt survivors, and suicide prevention supporters can share their stories. There are three categories from which users may choose: Loss, Turning Points, and Helpers. Basically, you can create an animated avatar that looks like you (or not), then record your two-minute message by phone. The website instantly links your message to your avatar’s lips, and then you can save your story in the gallery.

“If you can’t [talk about suicide], maybe your avatar can,” says Christopher Gandin Le, co-creator of the Lifeline Gallery… “The Gallery offers a safe platform for people who have traditionally stayed silent about suicide and mental health.”

"These personal stories are deeply affecting, as are the faces in the Gallery who tell them. When, in our daily lives, are we encouraged to talk about something so personal, yet so unfortunately common, as suicide? I love that this Gallery harnesses the semi-anonymity of the internet so that people can create an avatar who will tell their story online." - Jennifer Gandin Le

Real Lives: Share Your Story

This one-of-a-kind project by Mental Health America invites people who struggle with mental illnesses to break the silence and share their stories. We all know how empowering human connections are to those seeking wellness and recovery. By speaking out about your experiences, you help give a voice to the 57.7 million American adults—and as many as one in 10 children—who have a mental health disorder.

Your story will help bust the stigma that keeps people from getting care and perpetuates misunderstanding about those affected by mental health disorders. We think there’s no better antidote to that misunderstanding than the real lives of real people. And there’s no better antidote to silence than speaking out.

Together, we can help others and kick open the door to the truth about mental illness: that it ’s real, common and treatable.

So tell your story and give a real voice to a great cause. Your story can change a life, and even save one.

http://www.nmha.org/reallives/storyForm1.cfm

The Loneliness Workbook

In the prelude to The Loneliness Workbook, Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD, says, “I have wanted to explore how other people resolve the issue of loneliness in their lives for a very long time, for as long as I have been aware of how good it feels to be closely connected with others – and how terrible it feels to be alone and unsupported.”

The Loneliness Workbook explores loneliness and how it relates your life. It helps you determine what kinds of friends and supporters you would like to have and how to build these kinds of relationships. Often loneliness is associated with negative thinking, so positive thinking is addressed. There are many ideas about how to relieve loneliness.

Tips on avoiding loneliness:
-- reach out
-- invite people over to eat (no one turns down dinner)
-- no one is going to ask to be your friend – be proactive
-- do an activity
-- start a conversation
-- be perceptive and listen
-- ask people to show off their talents

No one is exempt from loneliness – rich, poor, young, or old. One of our best defenses is to build a network of people, and yes pets, so we can help each other through the daily times, the tough experiences, and to celebrate the best occasions with. Loneliness does not have to be forever for anyone.

For information on The Loneliness Workbook and Wellness Recovery Action Plans visit www.mentalhealthrecovery.com