JOHN'S LIFE SPACE DISCLAIMER:

"John's Life Space" features a variety of content to many audiences. The majority of content is meant to suit an audience 13 years of age and older. Some material offered in this blog may not be suitable for all audiences and may include some topics too sensitive or discomforting to discuss. All advice offered in this blog is not meant to replace or substitute practical help. If you require counseling or want more professional help, please consult your healthcare provider, a psychologist, or any other qualified individual.

Monday, August 31, 2020

Absent Parenting

John B. Marine | August 31, 2020 | | | Be the first to comment!
This blog post regards absent parenting. In researching this topic, I initially looked at "never there" parenting. Some believe child development is best when having both a mother and father figures contributing together. The case of absent parenting is where a parent or parents never seem to be loving or caring. Maybe one parent continually seems to be away. Maybe one only rarely offers some sort of compassion for his/her child(ren), or maybe only interact with a child or children only when something wrong is happening. No matter what the case, parenting is an immense responsibility. So all hands must be on deck to offer solid parenting. Allow me to discuss this topic as best as I can.






Absent Parenting


Absent parenting is when a certain parent does not seem attached to or positively involved in a child's life. Because many people feel having a mother figure and a father figure are important in the development and the life of a child, not having one or both parents being involved can be damaging to the life of a child. Some parents understandably are in circumstances in which they are not always available to be around children often times. For instance, job like truck driving or certain sports do not allow you to see your family often because you are always on the go and always away from home. It still is a tough deal to try to manage working a quality job while also taking care of your family.

In the case of some unloved children, there are some children who dislike an absent parent so much that he/she is ashamed to call that parent his/her mother or father. Certain parents who a child or stepchild may detest usually don't think such an absent parent doesn't feel loved enough to really consider that person a true mother or a true father in his/her life. Some children feel happiest knowing a certain someone is in his/her life through some significant moments. For example, a child may be happy that his/her parent(s) were involved in when that child graduates from High School or gets married. Not having these parental moments can seem hurtful and may even hurt the psyche of a child. Some children feel having loving support from a mother figure and a father figure are important to the development and well-being of a child. However, when one (or even both) figures are absent even when not involving a signficant event in a child's life, it hurts when the most significant persons in a child's life are not there.

There are some cases in which a child may wonder who his/her real father is. Anyone who watches daytime talk shows such as Maury may know about certain men who refuse to fulfill their duties of being a father to his child(ren). Such men are given paternity tests to determine whether certain males are the father of children. There are also some cases of children who question who their real mothers are. Those are the cases of where maternity tests. In some of these cases of such absent parents, some of the absent parents may possibly say they are the real parents of a child or children. Certain others, though, try to keep those possible parents away from children for a number of reasons. Most of these reasons stem from certain relationship issues. Some others just are about simply trying to keep away certain people from entering a child's life. Whatever the case, some absent parents are absent due to relationship issues or anything of that nature.


Triggers of Absent Parenting.

A child may be feel unloved when he/she does not feel connected to whatever parent(s) seem neglectful. Some children may have a physical loving parent or stepparent, but that child may not feel he/she is loved enough in the case of an absent parent. This is where a level of trust is debated and questioned between the child and such absent parents. It can be an extreme case of a parent that is not involved.

Some factors of absent parenting can be because of certain occupations, lack of certain resources (like money), abuse, addictions, and more. Having a parent who is out of touch can seem like you refuse to honor a certain individual who is not in your life consistently or regularly. I always say the most important people you will love in your life are your parents and your family. When this parental bond is broken or damaged, trying to repair and mend can be a tough task. How much one is willing to keep hope alive can be key in hoping life gets better for the long term.


Impacts of Absent Parenting.

Studies have indicated that having absent parents can lead children to rough and questionable lifestyles. Children may be more likely to engage in violence, substance abuse, addiction, sexual activity, and more thanks to absent parents later in their lives. It is also possible for children to have lower self-esteem simply from not knowing right from wrong. Other health factors may develop, such as (but not limited to) depression, anxiety, weight gain, lack of exercise, lack of interest in favorite hobbies, and more. An absent parent can also make a child feel more able to isolate himself/herself from such parent(s) as well.


Communication When Away.

Modern technology allows us to connect with people from afar. One such method is through the use of video applicaitons such as Skype, Zoom, Facetime, Google Meet, and more. This allows for children to connect with certain parents in today's technological world. Some, though, will believe there is no better way to connect with people than with physical, face-to-face contact. When you don't have this liberty, this is about the next best thing.

It also helps for a parent to every now and then express and show love for his/her children. One has no idea as to how comforting and assuring it can be for a parent to show love and respect for a child. Ruining this balance can have dire consequences and may even lead to isolation. It also helps to be loving and respectful. A parent who only or mostly seems to communicate with a child only when things seem wrong leads a child to not feel as jovial in the presence of such a parent. It just becomes a case of, "okay. How bad of a kid am I now? What did I do wrong this time?" This really leads to an unhealthy and toxic relationship between children and parents. If there is an activity that you and a parent enjoy, partake in those times together to keep a healthy bond going. If you two do not share a common love, try to find something to try to bring you two can share and enjoy. Most important is just to keep a child-parent relationship healthy and not damaged beyond repair.


I mostly discussed this issue in regards to biological parents. The next section pertains to having stepparents or being a stepchild.




Absent Parenting: Stepchildren and Stepparents


I tried to mention both biological and non-biological parents. This section, though, pertains exclusively with the case of having stepparents or being a stepchild.


Absent Parenting With Stepparents.

If a biological parent is deceased, you may have a stepparent taking care of you. A stepparent may have some other obligations and some differing levels of love for you. That level of love can vary depending on that person. Will a stepparent have the same support as one's biological father, or will a stepparent be more cruel and only get communicate when something is wrong? A stepparent may have proper motherhood or fatherhood ties to other children and may be more supportive towards those children than his/her stepchild(ren).

Some stepparents can be either uncaring or even violent. I heard of a case in which one stepparent was mostly violent and disrespectful to a child to where he did something like throw a video game console at him. This is where a certain stepparent can be abusive and uncaring. The parental bond at this point is minimal or completely broken. One has to be thankful to have a stepparent in his/her life in a time like this. Conversely, one has to wonder if a stepparent can be as loving and as supportive. A lot of factors go into something like this. What can be done to make sure such bonds do not become broken? These are questions you will need to answer on your own.


It is now time I look into providing soem final thoughts on this matter.




Absent Parenting: Final Thoughts


Having parents in our lives are important in our development physically and emotionally. When one or both parents seem absent, it begins to hurt us in a multitude of ways. A lack of love or a parent who never seems to be entirely involved can seem like someone lives rather than exist. Many believe a child's development is best with both a mother figure and a father figure. Sometimes, one person can even be mom and dad in the life of a child or children. Even a parent who does not seem readily available or always loving need to at least be there for a child and show (as well as prove) love on a regular basis. One would be better served to have a loving parent figure rather than someone who seems to not care less about certain children.





Remember that this topic concerns not only biological parents but also stepparents. Here is my discussion question to you in case you want to start a conversation:

How important to you is having both mother and father figures in your life or in the life of another child? How would you handle a case of an absent parent?

This has been a rather tough topic, but I did all I could to explain matters as best as I can. I hope you appreciate my efforts. I hope all of you can could relate to this topic and can be able to learn from this topic. Various life issues are what this blog is about. So if you want more and are not yet subscribed or followed, please do so to get more of my advice and insight. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
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Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Suicide

John B. Marine | August 11, 2020 | | | Be the first to comment!
In 2018, we lost celebrities like Verne Troyer, Kate Spade, Anthony Bourdain, and Avicii to suicide. Suicide is defined as the taking of your own life. Almost basically saying you're done with life and choose to end your life. There is no coming back when you try to take your own life. When you, as a solo entity, are dead; you're dead... for good. Scary thing is that no one may even know you have taken your own life unless a loved one or somebody else reports someone has committed suicide.

This blog post is a discussion of suicide. This is actually a post I had planned long ago but never got to complete until now.

Before I Begin...

Suicide is a very serious matter. If you or someone you know is in crisis involving suicide, get professional help IMMEDIATELY. Consult with your healthcare provider or seek professional help.

On a different note, this is my first blog post ever since Blogger/Blogspot updated its interface. I am still committed, though, to providing quality blogging content for all of you regardless. Just trying to get used to some of the new changes.






Suicide


For all intents and purposes, suicide is basically giving up on life. It is someone believing life is no longer worth living and that there seems to be no reason to want to live anymore. This feeling suggests one serves no further purpose in life and society. Because of this, a person who is suicidal feels he/she can no longer become a functional member of society.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. The AFSP also reported that in 2018, there were 1.4M suicide attempts, and 48,344 of the 1.4M attempts were successful suicides. Suicide rates in 2018 were highest among middle-aged white men. Males have committed suicide 3.56 times more than females. Suicide rates in America have steadily increased between 2009 and 2018, going from 11.75% in 2009 to 14.2% in 2018. If you want to read more statistics on suicide in 2018 in the United States, you may view this: Suicide Statistics | AFSP.

A person should honestly never think this way or feel his/her value has been totally diminished. However, there are those people who feel they can no longer contribute or become so deep in pain that they feel living only prolongs one's pain. Everyone in life has the opportunity to make as much of one's own life and contribute to making the world a better place. Those who are suicidal, though, feel their abilities are not great enough to be loved and respected.

The aftermath of suicide can be devastating. The taking of one's own life will have people wondering how exactly someone could hate himself/herself so much to the point of wanting to commit suicide. There was one girl in one of my classes back in High School who killed herself. The school counselors were in our class offering grief counseling afterwards. This is a matter that brings together everyone in a heart-wrenching way on such a somber note.


No matter how anyone views suicide, this is violence that is unwarranted and has no justification whatsoever.


Suicide Sources.

Suicide can stem from a number of different reasons. A lot of suicide cases relate to depression. Someone who is depressed often can not find any reason or motivation to be happy. So in these circumstances, someone overly depressed has no further hope and decides to kill himself/herself. Suicide is like an extreme case in which someone has a vision of the future and does not like what he/she sees. Some suicides can result from drug abuse (such as overdosing) or any other sort of substance abuse. Some suicides are even accidental or to no fault of one's own.


Suicide from Bullying or Certain Criticisms.

Some suicides can result either from bullying or from some sort of destructive criticism. In the case of bullying or cyberbullying, someone could be talked about in such a bad way that the person targeted could kill himself/herself because of such comments. Certain criticisms can also result in someone committing suicide. These are cases in which verbal abuse can rattle one's mind to be convinced to commit suicide. It all depends on how someone takes certain criticisms or words. This can be especially common among young individuals. Surely in a time of Internet memes and such, the pain from certain criticisms can be damaging and detrimental to one's health, especially one's mental health. Someone who feels he/she is incapable of being loved may feel he/she is no longer welcome in today's society, so that person may commit suicide feeling as if he/she is doing the world a favor.


Suicide From Current Issues.

Some people can not even bear current times, such as the COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic of late. So some people overwhelmed with the state of affairs in today's world feel they can no longer live or provide for their families, so they commit suicide. It is possible certain living conditions and changes to what is considered normal can result in suicide.


Murder-Suicide.

Killing someone or something is a crime in its own right. Killing someone one something, followed by killing yourself afterwards is just as wrong. Someone who commits a murder-suicide knows what one did is wrong, so the person kills himself/herself to avoid having to face any serious consequences. These murder-suicide cases can range in intensity from simple crimes to mass terrorism. Either way, the results can be intensely massive both for those murdered to those who committed the crime.


As you can see, suicide comes in many different forms and executed for many different reasons. This section concludes a general look at suicide. Now comes a look at suicide prevention.




Suicide Prevention


When someone even has suicidal thoughts, it is very important to try to work with people to help prevent suicide. How does one prevent suicide, though? Here are a few things to consider...


Suicide Prevention: Helping Others.

The most important thing to remember is a suicidal person will not immediately have a change of heart. Getting a suicidal person to feel better will be a long task, so the first thing to do is to try to convince someone to not kill himself/herself. A suicidal person has to agree to disclose his/her issues. Be sure to listen and understand what that person is going through. Even if you are not the best equipped or able to help a person's issues, being able to listen and understand someone is the first step towards preventing suicide. If a suicidal person has hurt or injured himself/herself or is ill, get that person immediate medical help. Find the nearest clinic or emergency care unit to help that person recover quickly. It may also be possible someone may have to transferred to a nearby hospital. Whatever it takes to get someone feeling better, it is worth it.


Suicide Prevention: Helping Yourself.

What if you are suicidal and have no source to try to help you feel better? Suicide prevention is tougher when it is you who is suicidal and have no one you trust to help you feel better. Here you must rely on trying to recognize what exactly makes you happy. You must think about if it is really worth it to commit suicide. Usually, suicide is NEVER worth it. Even if you feel you serve no further purpose in society, at least think about all of the people whom love and care for you. Even people who choose not to socialize or have friends should have at least someone to look up to. If you feel you have no one to talk to, gather up the energy and resources to seek professional help. Seek a healthcare professional (preferably a psychologist or psychotherapist) either in your city or through telemedicine. You may need to take antidepressants to help get your mind right. Being alone and suicidal can be almost too easy in a deadly result. Considering everything to help you in preventing suicide is key. Once you're gone when no one is around to help you, you're gone. No one is going to be able to save you or help you once you commit suicide.


Post-Prevention Measures.

If someone is successfully able to defeat suicidal thoughts, the obvious next step is to recover. Recovery is a slow process, but a useful process after having had such suicidal thoughts. Somoeone who may have hurt or injured oneself has to now try to recover to get back to feeling normal and happy again. If one is successful at treating suicide, the next step is to try to get someone to feel happy and confident again after experiencing suicidal thoughts and actions.


Some final thoughts in regards to suicide and suicide prevention are coming up next.




Suicide: Final Thoughts


Suicide is a serious matter. It is an extreme form of depression to where someone feels he/she no longer serves any purpose in society and feel he/she can no longer contribute to society. It is a feeling of giving up on life and hope. Though suicide is serious, measures can be taken to help someone who may be in crisis. No one person would ever joke about wanting to end his/her own life. Suicide comes from a number of resources, and treating such manners is different for everyone. As long as there is patience practiced, it is possible to defeat any suicidal thoughts to return to living a better, healtier life. Medical assistance and professional health care may be required to help increase the ability to defeat suicide and suicidal thoughts. Whatever it takes, suicide must be defeated if one wants to enjoy living happily again.


Thank you for reading my blog post about suicide. If you want resources that I have curated regarding suicide, please visit my Helpful Resources (John's Life Space) page on this blog.





This is my first post since Blogger/Blogspot has adopted a more HTML-style layout. Still, it is important I discuss as many life issues as possible in this blog. The end game is to help bring light to certain issues and offer commentary where needed. I hope you appreciate my efforts. If you do, then please be sure to Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) for more of my content when the content become available. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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