Monday, March 5, 2012 at 5:56 PM 
I was at the launch symposium and event for the Born This Way Foundation at Harvard last week. It was amazing. Energizing. And Overwhelming. What do we do, as people practicing mental and public health, to create programs and services that help create a "Braver, Kinder World?" That's what I'm thinking about this week. That's what I'm meeting about this week.
Love. It's about love somehow.
Monday, March 5, 2012 at 5:09 PM We've just started working to prevent youth suicide in New Jersey. And sadly, two weeks ago a young man died. The mother of another NJ kid wrote in the Star Ledger:
"Young people: Know that you are valued and loved, and reconsider reaching out to someone you trust before making an irreversible decision. Please talk to someone."
I'm happy to be working in this space, but sad that a young man died before we even had the chance to begin.
NJ youth, if you are in crisis, 2nd Floor Youth Helpline at (888) 222-2228.
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 5:42 PM I am obsessed with music. Probably to the point of neurosis. I listen to it all day long. I once joked with a friend, that I would probably be okay with being stranded on a desert island as long as I had Spotify and a way to french press coffee in the morning. In short, music is how I ground myself. I need it to work, to think, to dance, to play, to feel okay. Usually this is a safe, light process--until it crosses over into the things I care about most--namely, my experiences in working in suicide prevention.
Sleigh Bells released a new album, titled "Reign of Terror". The track posted here is about two teens who took their lives by suicide in 1985. According to band, this is a true story (although I have not been successful in finding actual evidence of this.) I don't really doubt the validity of the story, but rather the sincerity behind drawing attention to it.
I would love to begin a conversation about how others feel about this song. When I first heard it, I felt confused. Is its existence good or bad? Is it an exploitation of a real story of pain? A romanticization of suicide? Or is it a positive step in raising awareness and talking about suicide? What do you think?
"You Lost Me"
Behind the circle k,
where our bodies lay,
we took our lives away,
we wanted it this way.
Face down in the dirt,
in your mini-skirt,
teeth touch the tracks,
yeah I got your back.
I don't want you to see me this way,
What a way to die (in 1985)
Down in the ground we can sing from the grave,
take a breath, take a breath
I would never lie to you,
But I'm gonna have to tell the truth.
Ah-ahh, you lost me.
Teenage metal heads,
in your denim vests,
cause you're holding hands,
through your favorite bands,
all your favorite bands.
Your not the only ones
down beneath the sun who never had any fun,
you walk around town with your heads way down.
