Bristol County Suicide Attempt Survivor Launches Notebook Series to Encourage Others to Recover Loudly

Because I Stayed Notebook

Series producers Annemarie Matulis & Tracey Medeiros

Let's get this Because I Stayed conversation going!”
— Tracey Pacheco Medeiros
NEW BEDFORD, MA, US, May 22, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- Tracey Pacheco Medeiros experienced her last suicide attempt more than 20 years ago. Throughout her nonstop advocacy work, she has been puzzled by the fact that within the suicide prevention, intervention and postvention communities, more time, energy, and research funding has not been spent on engaging those who experienced ideation or an attempt and did not die by suicide? “Why don’t we do better follow-up? Who can better help inform all of us what coping skills and actions do work?” were questions she raised in a conversation between workshops at the recent Massachusetts Conference for Suicide Prevention.

She continued, “We rarely, if ever, hear about the how and why that not only did ideation/attempt survivors lives change because they stayed and had life opportunities and experiences that they would not have had, but also how they were able to increase their own self-awareness, acknowledgement, and acceptance that they continue to make a positive difference in the lives of others by being here,” adding a reference to the George Bailey character in the 1946 Frank Capra film, It’s a Wonderful Life. “That film changed my life, Medeiros noted. “I began to see that I have had angels like the Clarence character in my life.”

Taking a #BreakTheSilence and #BeTheOneTo approach, she began to write down what it is she has done and learned that influences her day to day intentional decision to choose to live life fully. The result is a new series of informal notebooks titled, Because I Stayed. The first volume was released on Amazon on May 21. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5S7Q59C?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 Volumes 2 and 3 will be released in June and July, respectively.

Not unfamiliar with developing a movement within the suicide prevention field, Medeiros joined friend and mentor, Annemarie Matulis in 2014 to launch an Impacted Family & Friends Movement through their nonprofit A Voice at the Table. “We’re the little-engine-that-could in postvention,” co-founder Matulis said smiling. “So are these notebooks.” Both agree that there is no one-size-fits-all solution that ideation/attempt survivors can turn to, any more than suicide loss survivors can as they walk through their bereavement.

Medeiros reflected that this is not an easy road to travel because “there is still so much prejudice, discrimination and judgement, but I hope this new series will motivate other ideation and attempt survivors to step up and be much louder about who they are and what more is needed for resources to make sure we stay. The goal is to prevent suicides. “Let’s get this Because I Stayed conversation going!”

Tracey Pacheco Medeiros has a B.A. in Psychology, is a suicide attempt survivor, loss survivor and impacted family member; she is the co-founder of the grassroots, nonprofit Movement, A Voice at the Table/Impacted Family & Friends, she holds the Attempt Survivor/Lived Experience seat on the Executive Committee for the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention (MCSP). Tracey is an active member with the American Association of Suicidology (AAS).
As the co-developer of the peer-to-peer Re-Energize & Re-Connect wellness self-assessment workshop series, Tracy has helped deliver these workshops in person across the country & Internationally, as well as and virtually. Her informal, conversational memoir, Embracing Imperfection, was published in 2017. https://www.amazon.com/Embracing-Imperfection-healing-journey-survivor/dp/0997423951

Annemarie Matulis
A Voice at the Table
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