Openly discussing the impact of a suicidal crisis on family and friends is still shrouded in prejudice and discrimination prohibiting those who need it the most, from reaching out to receive the support they deserve. No one ever asks, "How's your suicide attempt survivor?" Is This the Night: Finding Inner Peace is not a clinical training manual with companion PowerPoint slides and certificate of achievement. It is an informal conversation, a sharing of lived experience. What can we do to help support friends and families of suicide attempt survivors who are themselves emotionally drained and exhausted, worried about their loved ones, and paralyzed with fear? How can we help them recognize to first and foremost take care of themselves? Author Annemarie Matulis gently but firmly guides participants through the maze of emotions that can entangle family and friends with loved ones in suicidal crisis. This is her story, too. Dr. Bart Andrews, a nationally well-known and respected psychologist and leader within the field of suicidology, or as he prefers to say "life-ology" (because this work is about living), describes Matulis' writing tone as "so fresh and genuine and there is both a vulnerability and sassy optimism." Is This the Night: Finding Inner Peace was designed for and dedicated to the family & friends of suicide attempt survivors or anyone experiencing any form of suicidal crisis. In 2014, with the publication of "The Way Forward: pathways to hope, recovery, and wellness with insights from lived experience," the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention expressed concern for the family of those who experience suicidal crisis and recommended that "coping strategies to avoid burnout, especially in consideration of their vigilance and help-giving efforts" be developed. The exercises outlined in this workbook may not be "the" answer to that challenge for this huge population, but they offer a starting point to begin to tear down the walls fear has built and develop new self-care skills that can bring some inner peace within while walking through a difficult emotional challenge. While the author has already produced three related documentaries, "A Voice at the Table," "Voices Still Unheard," and "Voices from the Shadows," this workbook is the first in what will be a series of support materials.
About the Author: Annemarie Matulis, a survivor of childhood trauma and intimate partner violence, spent 35 years in the public, private and non-profit sectors of domestic violence, substance abuse and suicide prevention. She continues as a trainer for suicide prevention, intervention and postvention; is a certified suicide loss grief support facilitator; has produced 3 documentaries focused on suicide attempt survivors and their families & developed a wellness check workshop series for attempt & loss survivors. In 2009, she received a Paul Newman Foundation/National Make a Difference day award for creating a teen center for kids at emotional risk; in 2012, she received a state-wide Leadership award for suicide prevention & was "Person of the Year" in her community. In 2016, Matulis was honored in a "Women in History" project by a local newspaper for her community activism. A member of the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention's Executive Committee, she also sits on the board of a local non-profit & is an active member of the American Association of Suicidology. In April 2017, Matulis co-authored "Embracing Imperfection: the healing journey of a suicide attempt survivor with Tracey Pacheco Medeiros. Known for her community organization skills, Matulis is frequently asked to speak at conferences and summits as well as create and present panels and workshops. She is a recognized public health change agent.