Mission
At Misfire.me, our mission is to offer a beacon of hope and a tapestry of survival stories that illuminate the path away from despair. We believe in the transformative power of shared experiences to both heal and educate.
By providing a space where voices touched by suicide can resonate, we aim to foster connection, understanding, and resilience. Our commitment is to empower individuals to find solace in stories and strength in community, contributing to a world where the choice to live is supported and celebrated.
Bio of Author
Dennis Dunham is an accomplished author, educator, and diplomat with over three decades of experience in higher education. As the former head of the University of Central Oklahoma’s Global Affairs Office for 17 years, he has made a significant impact on international education. Recently appointed for a ten-year term as the Honorary Consul of Korea designee for the State of Oklahoma, Dunham has been recognized as the Outstanding Civic Leader of Oklahoma by the Asian Society of Oklahoma.
Holding a PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Oklahoma, he is also this year’s recipient of the National APEX Award for Recruitment and Marketing Videos. A fluent Korean speaker, Dunham has published books with YBM Publishing in Seoul, Korea. He is the founder of Misfire.me, a blog dedicated to suicide prevention through story-sharing. The blog’s name, ‘Misfire,’ is inspired by his upcoming memoir, which recounts his personal experience with parental suicide.”
“Suicide is the intentional taking of one’s own life. Persons who commit suicide often verbalize feelings of emptiness and pain. Suicide is then used to end pain immediately and the suffering mentally being experienced.”
“According to the World Health Organization, over 700,000 people die yearly due to suicide. The question then is, what can we do to prevent this?”
Suicide signs
Suicide prevention is becoming acquainted with the warning signs for suicide. Though the act of suicide can be shocking when attempted or carried out, there are tell-tale signs.
Some suicide signs include:
- Verbally confessing the desire to kill oneself.
- Speaking about death often.
- Collecting things that could help in the act of suicide.
- Hopeless talking.
- Disliking oneself.
- Giving away valuable items.
- Sending goodbye messages.
- Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities once loved.
- An unexpected change in feelings from extreme sadness to happiness.
Final Thoughts:
As you seek to help a friend or family member struggling with suicide, encourage them to speak up when feeling sad, as this is a crucial way to prevent suicide. It is also helpful to be yourself, listen actively, and show genuine care, sympathy, and understanding in their presence.
It is important not to argue with them, but if you feel led, you could encourage them to think about the other people who love them and how these loved ones would feel, potentially feeling responsible, no matter what.
