Suicide

From Alcohol and Drugs to Jesus

At the age of 26 I became independent for the first time. That is when I started to abuse alcohol and drugs. Then in July my mother passed away. This was devastating for me and I was unable to cope with her death. I started go to the bars and hanging around with the wrong crowd. I did everything I could to make these people like me in order to try and fill the void that I was feeling. I even gave them money and so that they could use it to support there addiction while I was still supporting my own addiction. I let them use me so they would be my friends.

Are Negative Emotions Controlling You?

Emotions play a big role in our life. They are active and alive twenty-four hours a day, even in our dreams. Emotions literally tell us what to do with our marriage, family, job, career, self, and how we love others. If we don’t control the course that our emotions run, we might be heading down the road towards destruction.

Are you allowing emotions to control your life?

When was the last time you got angry? What do you do when your friend turns their back on you? What do you do when your spouse disrespects you? What do you do when your children continue to misbehave?

What happens if your emotions tell you that you don’t love your spouse anymore? What are you going to do? Do you let jealousy and resentment tell you what to do in certain circumstances?

Before we can understand the full potential of our self and our emotions we need to understand a little bit about who we are, and why we do and say the things we do. How do we handle our selves with certain issues and particular circumstances?

What do we do when conflict rears its ugly head in our marriage? We get emotional, right? We lash out with anger, or we clam up in resentment, or express our self improperly. Are we letting our emotions rule our marriage, our self, and our life?

Suicide Survivors (for loved ones of suicide victims)

Anyone that has suffered the loss of a family member or a very close friend to suicide is considered a survivor of suicide.

Those who have a loved one who has committed suicide all react to shock and grief in their own way but there are some common patterns. In some situations, the family may have expected the outcome. In others, they are hurt and angry. Anyone that has suffered through the tragedy of the suicide of a loved one, has asked themselves the same questions over and over again. You may keep wondering what you should have done or said that might have made a difference in your loved one’s life. This guilt is normal and is a part of the grieving process.

Testimonies About CIR

The following are unsolicited, direct quotes from real people who have been ministered to by CIR. Though Jesus Christ, CIR impacts lives, saves lives and changes lives.

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Thank you for the many many resources that have helped to benefit me greatly during a long period of recurring losses and depression. I know without a doubt that God led me to the CIR website, and the benefits received during my long membership will continue to be an invaluable gift of healing for myself, and others with whom I can share my uncovered strength and wisdom. Thank you CIR! ~Dolores

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Now that I am ill, why does God seem to be so far away?

Now that I am ill, why does God seem to be so far away?

Regardless of how you feel, if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then He is right beside you. In Hebrews 13:5, we are reminded of a promise that God made,

“Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

Illness can often affect our emotions, and it is possible at times to feel very alone. You must believe that God will never break His promises to you.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Another wonderful promise, the best one, I think, is found in Revelation 21:4:

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Suicide Facts and Myths

1. If someone is determined to kill themselves there is nothing you can do to help.
MYTH: Depression and suicidal feelings will pass with time. Giving a person a safe place to vent their feelings, encouraging them to get professional help with their depression and giving them emotional support to put off suicide long enough for the feelings to pass are all ways you can help.

2. People who commit suicide are crazy.
MYTH: While some people who commit suicide are mentally ill, deep grief, extreme emotional upset and depression can all lead to suicidal feelings.

3. Suicide attempts are a plea for help.
FACT:Attempted suicide is a clear sign that a person has feelings that they are not able to cope with and they need help.

Asking for Support: Getting the Help You Need – Part 2

by Dale & Juanita Ryan | see: Part 1

We resist getting help

In spite of the abundance of God’s love and grace and the many ways in which love and grace are available to us, we do not easily reach out for the help we need. Even when we have acknowledged our need for help, we may find ourselves hesitating, finding excuses, resisting. Resistance to getting help is often the result of a mixture of fear and despair and shame.

Fear

It can be frightening to get help. In the process we feel vulnerable and exposed. Jim’s Dad had made cutting remarks about him all his life. Jim was so accustomed to hearing that he was lazy and stupid and irresponsible that every time he shared in his support group, he expected to hear these same hurtful comments in response. Even though people didn’t respond this way, Jim imagined that everyone must be privately thinking these things about him. As a result, he would sometimes begin to share only to freeze with fear and find himself unable to talk.

Asking for Support: Getting the Help You Need – Part 1

by Dale & Juanita Ryan
See: Part 2 | Part 3

The God of the Bible is a God who saves and heals. The Bible is clear about this: He will deliver the needy who cry out, he will rescue them from oppression and violence. Psalm 72: 12,14) When we see our need, acknowledge our inability to save ourselves, and cry out, God delivers us. God rescues us from oppression and violence. Whether it is the oppression and violence of our compulsions and addictions or the oppression and violence of abuse and neglect, God delivers us and heals us. God is powerful enough and loving enough to deliver us from all of the oppression and violence we face.

This is the good news proclaimed in Scripture. And it is the basis for our hope on the recovery journey. We cannot save ourselves. Or heal ourselves. But God can. And God will.

Sound simple? It turns out to be anything but simple. There are several reasons for this. First, we find it hard to believe that God is

Why doesn’t God seem to answer my prayers?

Why doesn’t God seem to answer my prayers?

Often quoted is Psalm 37:4b, “and he will give you the desires of your heart.” This portion of the Scripture is often used to say that God will give you what you ask for. However, the first part of this verse-often unquoted-provides the true meaning behind it. Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will grant you the desires of your heart.”

If you are taking pleasure in the things of God, and you want for yourself no more and no less than God’s will for you, then you can be confident that He will grant you your desires. But, when you mix your own desires and self-made plans into your prayers, God may not answer the way that you thought you wanted Him to. James 4:3 says, When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

I worry so much. What can I do to stop worrying?

I worry so much. What can I do to stop worrying?

Fear, worry, stress and anxiety are not from the Lord. If you feel these emotions, you are not fully trusting the Lord to handle your troubles. Every person struggles with these feelings when he should relinquish a problem into the Lord’s care. When relying on one’s own strength, fear and doubt arise naturally. But, when you truly cast your cares upon the Lord, you can rest easy in His comforting arms.