a second holiday
here's the list for may 3rd and 4th
May 3
National Teacher Day
May 3
World Press Freedom Day
May 3, 1898
Birthday of Golda Meir
Prime minister of Israel, 1969–1974
May 3, 1933
Birthday of James Brown
Godfather of Soul
May 3, 1984
jane gains a taste for competition when her younger sister is born
May 4, 1970
“Four dead in Ohio”
Four Kent State students killed by National Guardsmen during a protest of the Vietnam War
May 4
Childhood Depression Awareness Day
May 4, 1979
First Woman British Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher appointed first female British Prime Minister
May 4, 1961
Freedom Rides
A group of civil rights activists ride buses from Washington, DC to New Orleans to expose the unconstitutional segregation practices still in effect
May 4
National Anxiety Disorders Screening Day
I would like to draw special attention to childhood depression day. After going through a phase of continual apologies and letting everyone "cut" in line so that recess would end before I had a turn on the swing, or at tetherball, or four square, i tried to kill myself at the age of nine. I attempted to smother myself between my mattress and the boxspring. I feel asleep, woke up two hours later, and my family hadn't even noticed i was gone. By the time I was fourteen, i had swallowed numerous bottles of pills, cut my wrists with nail clippers, safety razors, and kitchen knives, jumped off my roof, jumped out my window, and lay down in the middle of a dark street. My parents never noticed. More specifically they never noticed I was depressed. They assumed I was on drugs. This assumption was not helped by my mood swings and "spells" that I can now identify as panic attacks (see national anxiety disorders screening day above as well). Just because a young person has "no reason" to be depressed does not mean that they're not fucked up. And if they are brave enough to ask for help, do your best to offer support.
May 3
National Teacher Day
May 3
World Press Freedom Day
May 3, 1898
Birthday of Golda Meir
Prime minister of Israel, 1969–1974
May 3, 1933
Birthday of James Brown
Godfather of Soul
May 3, 1984
jane gains a taste for competition when her younger sister is born
May 4, 1970
“Four dead in Ohio”
Four Kent State students killed by National Guardsmen during a protest of the Vietnam War
May 4
Childhood Depression Awareness Day
May 4, 1979
First Woman British Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher appointed first female British Prime Minister
May 4, 1961
Freedom Rides
A group of civil rights activists ride buses from Washington, DC to New Orleans to expose the unconstitutional segregation practices still in effect
May 4
National Anxiety Disorders Screening Day
I would like to draw special attention to childhood depression day. After going through a phase of continual apologies and letting everyone "cut" in line so that recess would end before I had a turn on the swing, or at tetherball, or four square, i tried to kill myself at the age of nine. I attempted to smother myself between my mattress and the boxspring. I feel asleep, woke up two hours later, and my family hadn't even noticed i was gone. By the time I was fourteen, i had swallowed numerous bottles of pills, cut my wrists with nail clippers, safety razors, and kitchen knives, jumped off my roof, jumped out my window, and lay down in the middle of a dark street. My parents never noticed. More specifically they never noticed I was depressed. They assumed I was on drugs. This assumption was not helped by my mood swings and "spells" that I can now identify as panic attacks (see national anxiety disorders screening day above as well). Just because a young person has "no reason" to be depressed does not mean that they're not fucked up. And if they are brave enough to ask for help, do your best to offer support.
posted by Jane Vincent at 12:12 AM
4 Comments:
*hugs from a fellow depressive* Glad you didn't succeed.
Wow. I can relate so much. I wrote my first suicide note around age 8. I made my first real attempt at age 13 and spent a night in the hospital. I was a well-read, intelligent young person and identified it as depression by the time I was a pre-teen but my mother (who had been a nurse no less) said, "You're not depressed, you're just bored." When I spent an evening cutting my fingers just above every nail on both hands she finally started to notice.
Children can be depressed. Children can be mentally ill. It's definitely a worthwhile day to promote. And as for anxiety screening - where can I get me some?? I have tons right now.
Wow. What a list. So MANY things worth noting. Interesting similarity between yours and Nadia's childhood experiences.
-G
Well. What can I say. I'm glad you're alive.
Post a Comment
<< Home