Dr. Gina Moore's Social Media Resume

Dr. Gina Moore

has worked in social media for 10 years. Her resume is impressive. She has had extensive social media content and risk management. She loves social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+. She has several pages devoted to all positive information throughout the web.

What she can do for your company is help you discovery your social media goals, design a strategy and management the loads of information that you will receive when you start your process.

For entertainment and performance social media, from pre-production goals, she can set up the accounts, organize a workable campaign to generate audience discussion and post relevant content for engagement.

If her skills seem like something you would like to employ, contact her with your inquiry.

Gina Moore's Social Media Resume

Forced Sterilization in North Carolina is a Crime Against Humanity!

The news reports are incomplete but it seems a number of women, mostly of color, had forced sterilizations in the State of North Carolina due to being young, ignorant and pregnant.

We at the The Ari | af | ya Universe and Sistah Mental Health and Wellness are taking the political stance that these actions taken by the State of North Carolina based on moral zealotry rather than researched scientific fact are crimes against humanity enforcing sexual domination will on impoverished women, mostly of color--African descent.

That the remaining State individuals need to be lawfully arrested for torture, and that these actions need to be brought to the World Court at the Hague. Restitution must be in order in the form of never paying any taxes again and pain and distress.

This is the sepia position paper for this business.

Isle Sanctuary Creative Artists - A Labor of Love

Isle Sanctuary Creative Artists is the premiere entertainment roleplaying group on Social Media that creates and performs stories using an array of optimized metrics and analytics to maximize the audience's enjoyment. Contact us here!

Our areas of focus are: 

• 
  

  We test scripts at pre-production with social media to see if any adjustments are required using social media metrics

  
  


• 
  

  We tell stories on social media by roleplaying (RP)

  
  

Our social media outlets are:

• 
  

  On the Web

  
  


• 
  

  On Facebook

  
  


• 
  

  On Twitter (@IsleSanctuary)

  
  


• 
  

  On Blog

  
  

We hope to expand to Second Life and others. 

There is a lot of work that goes into performing a story by social media roleplay that is mentioned on Isle Sanctuary Blog

This company is available to test scripts at pre-production to see if changes are required before launch and filming.

What the client would provide:

• One or more scenes of a script loosely dialogued script with a plot goal


• Internet actors required for the scene(s) that can ad-lib and use social media professionally


• Attendance to "performance times" and any "in character" interactions

What we provide:

• Social media account set-up, development and content based on consultations


• Script preparation for social media


• Pre-roleplay blogs posts


• New character launches and test drives


• Performance management at "social media opening"


• Post performance reporting of dialogue, response rates, and evaluations


• Post performance in character blogs

With our service you will have dedicated fan base willing to see new and exciting entertainment on social media. When performed with social media, due to tactile interaction causes "memory" in the audience's mind. The audience will feel they are a part of the entertainment process and will develop a loyal and an anticipation of new products.

• 
  

  If this is something that interests your group and want to know more, please contact us or at any social media node

  
  

Observations in Neurological Communication Disorders in Social Media

The advent of Web 2.0 and Social Media has exploded over the last 5-10 years. Facebook and Twitter are the predominant avenues that have connected people socially unlike that ever seen in human history.

Recent political events have been shared globally, and human interest stories have moved through social media rapidly where even 10 years ago it was unheard.

Then there is another side of social media that few people have seen little but those that experience it are well aware. That side is where people gather and separate into groups and one group dominates - another cycle of power and control. Those that capitulate will become minions to this group. And those who fight back will have what called a cyber-war. These days we call that "cyberbullying" and the reason for concern is our children are on the "frontlines" of this war and we are unsure of how to protect them.

Cyberbullying is not just a bully hurting a "nerdy" or "odd" child on the online "school yard" for their online "lunch money". Rather, cyberbully is like "Electronic Mind Rape", always about "Power and Control" and a pliable mind, like that of an underdeveloped pre-teen without life experience is the target. Moreover, it is not once or twice that a cyberbully posts something mean, it is an onslaught, and the bully often coerces his or her minions to follow suit. So the target receives inappropriate behavior from all different directions. Lastly, the bully is never someone who behaves in that manner in real life. There are two lives: 1) that is mild-manners, somewhat socially anxious and shy; and 2) an online live where one's wildest fantasies can be fulfilled.

What is sad is bullies become adults who commit the same behavior that often leads to chronic health conditions like heart and stroke risk, cancer and premature death. But for those who are online, the health risks are unclear. How can cyberbullying be so pervasive in this other side of Social Media?

I posit that the reasons for behaviors seen on social media reflects the neurological development of communication disorders and the inability to evolve to the novel technology.

What that means is, many humans evolutionarily have not mentally evolved for an effective means of communication and online behavior. Those who are adapting to it are those who effectively communicate or can sway an audience to understand it. And the people who do have the knowledge base and wherewithal in real life have not yet caught up to those who can "short sell" an idea quickly on social media. A person who can influence people with a few quips on social media could be cyberbullies. More often than not, it is the cyberbullies who are popular; whereas, those who may have well developed knowledge base in their real lives are the outcasts.

I am of the opinion that neurological and mental health issues play a huge role in the propensity of one being bullied and I will show pieces of my evidence.

Recently, I wrote a blog that high functioning Autistic people probably seem and do fine on social media because the level of communication only requires two dimensions, a computer and basic reading skills. In Autism spectrum disorders, it is well known that some people have an inability to make inferences.

Inference is is the act of drawing a conclusion by deductive reasoning from given facts. The conclusion drawn is also called an inference.

I have witnessed an avowed high functioning autistic person unable to draw inference. When bringing several concepts together, it is difficult for a young high functioning Autistic teen to understand all of them together. As one gets older and has more life experiences, they are able to ask for explanation although they may not completely understand as a coping skill. It is hard to do.

Generally, when a young person dealing with autism, their brain development does not allow their left and right hemispheres to appropriately communicate. What is observed online is while they may have what looks like a vibrant social media life, in fact shows how easily mislead they are by nefarious people. If they become the targets of bullies, you see anger in their words and a disconnect. If they are doing the bullying, there is often repetition in believing something that is not true and spreading rumors and gossip about the target.


The next communication disorder is bipolar which I discuss in my previous blog. What happens in the brain of a bipolar is the emotion centers from the amygdala, parietal lobe and the hippocampus form a rapid depolarizations and action potentials along these nerves. In fact in untreated bipolars, if one closes his or her eyes, one can "see" these "lightening" in his or her brain. Often the behavior associated witht his neuronal misfiring is mania. Then the rapid cycling episode or fall becomes the depression.

What this looks like online from what I have seen and experienced is that depending on what phase the bipolar is, mania or depression, their livelihood is expressed in that manner. If in a manic episode, the person creates many accounts on the same social media platform, attempts to force a process to happen and gets too involved with the personalities on line equivocating it to "real life" friendships. Inevitably, doing all these activities shows degeneration which can lead to depression and the comments heard are "no one cares", lots of profanity, and suicide threats. When bipolars use social media as an expression, usually, one can review their blogs and the comments are long, disjointed, misspellings, grammatical errors and gross logic fallacies. It is tough to understand what it is that they are saying.

What that mean for someone dealing with bipolar and acting out online is the other person engaging him or her often feels the exhilaration then overwhelmed. The two dimensions of social media have not evolved far enough alone to fully express one who is dealing with bipolar.

If the bipolar person is a bully, often it is seen in the manic phase as a passive aggression, in the form of blocking, bragging to others about the injustice with a lot of profanity. If on the otherhand, the bipolar person is being bullied, the risks are huge, as they will become depressed and threaten suicide, especially showing in blogs.

Here is an example of a suicide threat from a person who may have been bullied:

Btw you make me feel like suicide is the best option at the moment. And I feel like I am caught in a cross fire between 2 people. I am seriously thinking about leaving both groups and just doing it with the people that seem to care about me, and myself

What to do in that instance is to contact the following groups and give them the information. At best, that is the end of any conversation until the person seeks help.



This should be standard operating procedure, but there are too many misnomers young people have on recourse. Fact is, an adult needs to be involved, preferable one trained and licensed in this type of occurrence.

The interesting part is while bipolar people can be bullies, more studies are needed to see if they are more apt to being the target of bullies due their inherent disorganized thought process risk.


The next communication disorder I would like to tackle is anxiety. People who are dealing with anxiety often neurologically have the ability to heighten their blood pressure for activities that would not cause blood pressure to rise, such as standing and waiting in a grocery line. In real life, anxiety prone individuals feel they must do everything thing themselves and only they can do them or else it is failure. It looks like mania, but not as grandiose and outlandish as mania. People dealing with anxiety are quite logical in fact. Have well thought out and detailed plans that actually make sense, just too many steps to them and once they realize they have done too much, they have an overwhelming sense of failure that could cause a depression.

Most of the time, people dealing with anxieties can get angry when they feel they steps are foiled and they lash out. It is different than the anger that bipolars display often sensationalizing how others have hurt them; whereas, anxious persons often are combative and in ones face.

What that means for social media is people who are dealing with anxieties, can easily join a group and will defend the group and its coda. But anyone with differing ideas from the lexicon will be ostracized, rapidly. More often than not anxious individuals will not give the offending person a second chance on social media and are often confrontational publicly. Their behavior on the outside appears one of aloofness and "libertarian" but internally, because of the confusing feeling based on missteps that they cannot control in another person, they give up on that person. It would seem that people dealing with anxieties are the bullies, but I have also witnessed them being bullied and then taking on a "I do not care" mentality.

The bullying example of a person dealing with anxiety appears as such:



I have reams of similar behaviors manifested. It would be interested to see if aggression showing in those dealing with mental health issues creates this kind of behavior and treatment toward unknown individuals and how it pairs out into each mental health condition.

Moreover, there is a huge issue of jealousy in the social media world. The person to formulate the idea first online makes it a competition of who does the best job, lightening speed flow of information and the one who gets the money. Because both major social media markets, i.e. Facebook and Twitter were inherently designed for marketing and advertising dollars it is conceivable that immediacy of broadcast in this fast paced environment does not allow introspection and promotes doublespeak and groupthink. Why? Because it is easier to implement actions online than doing it in real life. And unfortunately, teens have little life experience, already testing their boundaries, and their judgment can be at times questionable, one can easily see how those young people suffering from mental health issues can be attacked due to their vulnerability or easily be a part of the cyberbullying.

What is worse is there are predators online who are incapable of compassion and target these same individuals. They often come off a nice persons, easily pliable and readily manipulate young people into amoral actions. And they are good at what they do. Some are excellent writers.

To protect one's child/teen from this actions, a parent must be able to spot transparency and process in the activities of their child/teen.

Which is why on every one of my sites I manage, I can be identified as to who I am and I can be contacted for any questions.

The other thing a parent can do is understand process and choose to agree to it. In my businesses, I have branding and a clear business plan. I can tell you what it is I do. My credentials are former University instructor and these are the repercussions and benefits in falling under my activities.

When it comes to one's child/teen or young adult, while some kind of decisions can be made by themselves as learning experiences, to keep your child safe while online, especially those that deal with neurological communication disorders, my business is dedicated creatively in making a positive-enriching learning experience than just for fun that often looks like a time-waster to outsiders.

The lists of my business are below:

The Ari | af | ya Universe - Where Science Meets Mental Health and Wellness Online
Sistah Mental Health and Wellness - Mental Zeal for Spirit and Well-Being
Isle Sanctuary Artistic Division - We tell stories on social media

GYM Right - Get Your Mind Right Health and Wellness Coaching
Mental Health Angel Investment Group - For professionals to advocate the best mental health care for populations in health disparity

Multitasking as an Autistic or Bipolar in Social Media?

As the owner of The Ari | af | ya Universe, and one that deals with bipolar personally and uses social media to help others with my research science background, I literally crashed into this revelation:

Those that deal with Autism Spectrum issues OR Bipolar, specifically in the non-psychotic manic phase, MULTITASK on the computer using Social Media!

Here is my evidence:

Autism is in wikipedia and no way has the breadth and depth as other sites, but can offer some basic insights for those who deal with it.

Key points it is about communication: For whatever reason the way those who do not have Autism brain's communicate are different than those who do have Autism. As shown by this MRI suggestion.

It is thought that the left and right hemispheres of the brain ineffectively connect in the brains of Autistics and that the areas most affected are communication, some motor skills, sociality, and the ability to gain inference in learning to similarly aged counterparts.

I was awestruck on this subject because people dealing with Autism have a high level of extreme loneliness due to difficulties in communication in person. And I have "electronically met" many autistics online who are rather communicative, in fact they enjoy this kind of interaction...


Next piece of evidence:

Bipolar is has a true biochemical imbalance associated with it that causes mood swings and can lead to suicidal ideation if left untreated.

General signs of bipolar is mixed episode and rapid cycling. Mixed episode swings the moods from depression to mania over a duration. Depression can be extremely low to suicide ideation, excessive sleeping, excessive crying, and isolation. And mania is extraordinary energy, insomnia, irritability, combative, and grandiosity. Rapid cycling is when all these mood swings happen in less than two weeks time, repeatedly.

Without any medication, it is thought that "bipolar disease" will cause memory loss, much like traumatic brain injury does.

With the advent of newer Fluorescent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) it has been shown that persons who deal with bipolar often has an inability in their "emotional brain centers" to control their impulses. That these brain centers are anatomically the amygdala and the hippocampus. Several studies suggest that while bipolar children learn similarly to non bipolar children, and their ability to socialize is not impaired, the actual socialization of controlling impulses are inappropriately irrational for the given situation, i.e. bringing a gun to an event after a spat online.

I have "electronically met" many bipolar people online and I myself have found ways to self-manage my condition, I have seen classic differentials from bipolar people.

Lastly my evidence for Multitasking:

Multitasking is doing several tasks at the same time. In this day and age of building the web 2.0 with social media explodes, people are engaged in the World's events or the "next big thing". Last year, the New York Times wrote a piece on "Your Brain on Computers: Attached to Technology and Paying a Price", which discusses how "wired" we are as a society and what it does to our "physical culture".

A blog showed what multitasking does to drivers in our country. Research suggests that:

“Attention refocusing” is an additional task in the brain going from one task to another and returns which then involves a refocusing to once again engage in the original task.

The problem with multitasking is memory loss as indicated in this WebMD article. People cannot maintain their focus on the task at hand and are unable to compensate, eventually causing them to forget all the tasks that they are to do. Disjointed (non conflicting) tasks done do not share the same parts of the brain, such as folding laundry and listening to music. Conjugated (conflicting) tasks done share same parts of the brain, such as texting while driving...


So what an interesting layer it is when we talk of people who deal with Austism or Bipolar?

For Autistics that are high functioning and/or have mild forms of the spectrum, it would seem to me that they can multitask very well, especially on the computer, but the outcomes of those tasks if not logically outlined for them would never start. In fact, looking at the evolution of computer technology, it does seem like there were some high functioning Autistic programs to make all the "machines" speak to one another. Once you show an autistic individual how, s/he understands and can repeat the action, with high fidelity. Only thing is would one want to do that knowing that is their natural, inherent ability?

For Bipolars it depends on their treatment regimen and how severe it is on either side of the episode. Personally, when I am in an conflated upbeat mood, I set up too many activities online to have them all crashing down within 3-4 months within a level of predictability. Fortunately, I am far enough along to have a wellness recovery action plan that when I do drop, I do not hit the ground hard. I also have some resources at my disposal. I become more combative and argumentative with people, then show remorse. I actually do have problems with forgetfulness, regardless of the social media component. So when I multitask, I become disoriented and fearful. I know I do better with routine and then I can become creative. But managing tasks that I view as others doing themselves seems to me overbearing. So I have to pull back. I have seen others show similar symptoms as mine and while I do not disclose my self-management, at the time of interaction, I do share a few resources, then step back and allow the other person to make a decision.

Social media is an awesome technology and structure is being decided as it is evolving. And with crossing platforms from Facebook to Twitter and the programs that use these platforms, combined with a blog, it causes a lot of multitasking. For individuals dealing with Autism OR bipolar or other major mental illnesses, self-awareness, knowledge and management is key to being in one's best health and wellness.

Telltale signs of #Depression: I knew s/he was crazy, but...

I often get asked what are the Telltale Signs of Depression, and I usually say, Google or WebMD?

Since I deal with diverse populations, Google and WebMD are often NOT our BFF's. When explaining to diverse groups there are plenty of "yes, buts" or "what ifs" after even the listing all the Telltale Signs from the DSM-IV revised by a Nobel Laureate in Medicine!

In this written piece, I am relaying and translating the societal and cultural nuances so that mostly everyone can be on the same page for depression and suicide. While knowing the basis of the mental illness through listing the symptoms, it is just as important or moreso that these symptoms are understood fully even the variations in behavior that are witness, so that all have a positive mental health diagnosis and prognosis! Everyone deserves equity and parity in mental health care and everyone needs full understanding and education on what is known and treated in serious mental illnesses like depression and suicide.

First, below is the listed symptoms of depression from WebMD that was obtained by the National Institutes of Mental Health:

What are symptoms of depression?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of depression
may include the following:

• difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions


• fatigue and decreased energy


• feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness


• feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism


• insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping


• irritability, restlessness


• loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including
  sex


• overeating or appetite loss


• persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive
  problems that do not ease even with treatment


• persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings


• thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts

Are there warning signs of suicide with depression?

Depression carries a high risk of suicide. Anybody who expresses suicidal
thoughts or intentions should be taken very, very seriously. Do not hesitate to
call your local suicide hotline immediately. Call 1-800-SUICIDE
(1-800-784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) -- or the deaf hotline at
1-800-4889.

Warning signs of suicide with depression include:

• a sudden switch from being very sad to being very calm or appearing to be
  happy


• always talking or thinking about death


• clinical depression (deep sadness, loss of interest, trouble sleeping and
  eating) that gets worse


• having a "death wish," tempting fate by taking risks that could
  lead to death, like driving through red lights


• losing interest in things one used to care about


• making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless


• putting affairs in order, tying up loose ends, changing a will


• saying things like "It would be better if I wasn't here" or "I
  want out"


• talking about suicide (killing one's self)


• visiting or calling people one cares about

Remember, if you or someone you know is demonstrating any of the above
warning signs of suicide with depression, either call your local suicide hot
line, contact a mental health professional right away, or go to the emergency
room for immediate treatment.

Suicide Warning Signs

---

by Kevin Caruso

If you or someone you know exhibits several of the suicide warning signs listed below, immediate action is required,
so please read the information on the home page of this website and take action. Thank you.

Suicide Warning Signs:

• Appearing depressed or sad most of the time.
  
  (Untreated depression is the number one cause for suicide.)


• Talking or writing about death or suicide.
  

• Withdrawing from family and friends.


• Feeling hopeless.
  

• Feeling helpless.
  

• Feeling strong anger or rage.
  

• Feeling trapped -- like there is no way out of a situation.
  

• Experiencing dramatic mood changes.
  

• Abusing drugs or alcohol.
  

• Exhibiting a change in personality.


• Acting impulsively.


• Losing interest in most activities.


• Experiencing a change in sleeping habits.


• Experiencing a change in eating habits.


• Losing interest in most activities.


• Performing poorly at work or in school.


• Giving away prized possessions.


• Writing a will.


• Feeling excessive guilt or shame.


• Acting recklessly.

It should be noted that some people who die by suicide do not show any suicide warning signs.

But about 75 percent of those who die by suicide do exhibit some suicide warning signs, so we need to be aware of what the suicide warning
signs are and try to spot them in people. If we do see someone exhibiting
suicide warning signs, we need to do everything that we can to help them.

If you or someone you know exhibits several of the suicide warning signs listed above, immediate action is required, so please read the information on the home page of this website and take action.

Always take suicide warning signs seriously.

Thank you,

Kevin Caruso

Now for my personal and professional point of view to translate it mainly for the African American community. While it is clear that not ALL of these symptoms are manifested and there are variations between individuals, these are the main kinds of "tricks" that someone who is depressed "plays". It is NOT like someone who is depressed makes an "ACTIVE" choice more than the wrong choice or inaccurate choice--it is like the person thought it was a good idea at the time, but... Or the thought never occur to him/her that the idea was illogical. At this time, I will not be listing what to do to manage these symptoms, but, one is more than welcome to visit one of The Ari | af | ya Universe's brands: Sistah Mental Health and Wellness or GYM Right-H/W Coaching and Events.

The other issue is I organized this "Translation Navigator" so that we all know what we are discussing by being on the same page. I mean no disrespect to those who understand this information, but seriously, looking at the mental health disparities, something MUST be done, and I have chosen to do develop this written piece which I also will place on the Crazy Black Woman blog under a more marketable title. This written piece needs to be used complementary to your professional health care provider and does not supplant or supersede your treatment plan with a licensed provider. Nor does it counteract against the written reference material.

Here it goes:

The inability to concentrate often resembles forgetfulness--but everyday forgetting important tasks, like missing due dates for bills, or forgetting to call key people like doctors. It is not the casual forgetfulness of losing keys or dementia like forgetting where you are--like Alzheimer's--that is very different! This forgetfulness is like after have a profound conversation with the depressed person (more like an argument) and they forget to pay the cable bill, still... Mainly forget to do important tasks.

Being fatigued or decreased energy means if the depressed person exercises every day at 12 PM, then they stop and do not do it for a month because they complain of fatigued or exhaustion or "I'm tired"--then it probably a depression. It is the dramatic shift in routine over a month that this symptom resembles.

Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and/or helplessness are often not articulated or said and generally men do not state this. If men say anything it resembles blame of any perceivable target--often you! Generally, depressed women complain, then blame. Shortly, I will explain what that looks like because it is a manifestation of depression as a disorder.

Hopelessness and/or pessimism often looks like "commentary" that teenagers provide whenever you make comments. For example, when you say, "Let's go to the Beach, it is a nice sunny day!", a depressed individual would say rapidly, "Why to get burned by the sun!"

Insomnia or excessive sleeping: I have not been privy to insomnia due to depression, but I have slept all day for several days without being sick. Like I would choose to sleep vs choosing to exercise, or go to a fun social activity.

Irritability or restlessness: Irritability often looks like whining and snapping at whatever you say. You could just say "BOO" and the depressed person combined with the feeling of guilt would bite your head off for saying "BOO"... The restlessness is often combined with the forgetfulness. Watch when they cook. Tell the depressed person to make Koolaid/punch and s/he will get flustered by making a simple recipe... And remember, the behavior is not sporadic, it is consistent over a month or two.

Lost of interest in activities once pleasurable, includes sex: This particular symptom I have witnessed and experienced its combination with the forgetfulness, the fatigue, the guilt the pessimism and the excessive sleeping symptoms. It could be any activity that you know your loved one enjoys. One of mine was going to the movies. I was very much into science fiction and reading the latest trailers and previews. Then, my loved ones would ask, "Hey, let's go to the MOVIES" and I would say I did not want to go. I had no reason why and one would have to twist my arm to make me go. The other issue is when it is several activities once enjoyed that have been done as tradition and the reason why it is not wanting to be done is no known reason! Such as your depressed loved one and you enjoy having fries and shakes after a heavy workout, it is your ritual, and for no reason, the depressed individual refuses to go--not because s/he took a new nutrition class, but just does not want it... Remember, the behavior must be consistent over a month and is not sporadic!

Changes in eating behavior: I have witnessed and experienced overeating. I may have done some forms of appetite loss, unrealized. But, I have overeating junk food more than not eaten at all... What a depressed individual does when s/he overeats is a lot of carbs! Breads, cakes, sugary. Apparently, the medical aspects of depression feeds off of glucose in the brain, the full mechanism is unknown. Moreover, the meal is one time of day--all day and does not stop until sleep! Alternatively, what a depressed person looks like when his/her appetite loss is s/he has failed to go grocery shopping and all that is left is something indistinguishable, often the depressed person is living off of something bizarre like gum or rationalizes vitamin supplements have nutrition. Most of the symptoms mesh with each other, so this one is combined with forgetfulness, inability making decisions, helplessness and hopelessness. Moreover very little eating can cause the insomnia...

Persistent malaise: A depressed person complains all the time about physical issues and when s/he chooses to see a primary care physician, knowing that the ache and pain is in his/her mind is currently discouraged due to lawsuits. Laboratory tests and manifestations cannot convince the depressed person of his/her ailment. Remember this is another symptom that meshes itself with other symptoms, so if this one is see, the other ones are seen... I have experienced this one with the fatigue, guilt, hopelessness, irritability and lost of interest in activities symptoms.

Persistent negative thoughts: A depressed person complains about "nobody likes me" or any absolute statements: NEVER, ALWAYS, NOBODY, EVERYBODY. AND often you also see judgmental with accusations types of comments: "You should's" and "You must's". The empty feelings look like "listlessness" or lack of response--especially when you ask a simple question like "How are you going today". A depressed person will respond with a shrug or say "I don't know" on a consistent basis. Remember, this type of symptom is meshed with the other ones... The thing is this one is a trigger: meaning when you start hearing them frequently is when your antenna needs to be risen!!!

Thoughts of suicide: When the comment gets made, it needs to be taken seriously. Whether or not there is a plan, that will be discussed later, no games can be made or discounting it. By that time, depressed people have actually intensely rationalized and thought about it, so now they are beginning to vocalize it... It is the process of the disease of depression. Literally, the brain is damaging itself due to the aforementioned symptoms. It is thought that all the symptoms meshed together overload the system and crashes the brain--like a hard drive. But there are other organs attempting to save the body at the same time: i.e. the heart, the muscles, the stomach, the liver and the kidneys, plus many others to override the "self-destruct" button... Remember, this behavior is not night and day or sporadic, does not lessen the impact though, so watch this behavior closely.

So please permit me to use some creative license and combine some of the warning signs to suicide from WebMD and Suicide.org:

There are some key spots that MUST be watched and vigilant with someone suffering from depression, especially as it relates to suicide! I cannot stress this enough if you love this person, this is NOT about "Dr. Gina" being crazy, this is about me going into thoughts of suicide and generally these thoughts resemble the below discussion. Also, these are the telltale signs. This IS what you look for so that you can do "if you could have done anything differently..." The way to think about this is the splinter in the tiger. The tiger by itself is a lethal fighting animal, but when there is a splinter, they writhe in pain and while you might think "it is not a big deal", it is to the tiger and usually it will kill itself or gnaw off its paw to minimize the pain... However, if you do notice key suicide warning signs, you need to include a professionally licensed provider for any intervention. But laws vary from state to state, and no one can be hospitalized against his/her consent. I am only pointing out the suicide symptoms, as usual my disclaimer is this is completely complementary and suggestive of any professional statements, it cannot be used to diagnose, supplant or used contrary to any professionally licensed provider's treatment or medical orders. In fact the information presented here has not been verifiable so you must use it at your own risk and it is for casual informational purposes only!

Sudden switch from very sad (depressed) to calm/appearing happy: While obviously stated, often this looks like the depressed person has found "resolution" to his/her problem--usually it is committing suicide--like the game show buzzer--EHHHN--inaccurate conclusion here. So, if you notice this behavior with your loved one, ASK what his/her wants are? Asking this question is also called a question of autonomy. The point of this question is have they made a definitive decision--you will get an answer to this question no matter what the answer is... If s/he flies off the handle or shuts you out, that answers your question. If s/he actually tells you what is going on, then you may have to make your own decisions, which does NOT include yelling at him/her.

Always talking and writing about death. Generally, we think of this "Gothic paraphernalia", like always wearing black like a vampire... But really, making this culturally relevant for African Americans, this symptom looks like wanting to be that "gangster" or "thug", with the guns, listening to "gangsta rap" or "thuggish" music and actually believing it is real. And the discussion looks like dark and dreary kind of lifestyle, such as robbing people, misogyny, prostitution, etc. This symptom meshes with another symptom as described later.

Clinical depression as described in the above section.

Having a "death wish"--taking unnecessary risks: this one discussed in all the statements resemble activities the African American culture does not do, classically. Running red lights is unsafe for any African American in the United States, so that would not be something we would manifest. But carrying a gun into a club saying we are protecting ourselves is an "unnecessary risk"... The death wishes we have is getting involved in very dangerous activities known to ruin our lives and are self-destructive--which leads us to our next symptom

Substance abuse: Alcohol is a depressant, and some illegal substances, like marijuana and methamphetamine make irrational thoughts worse. Many people in our community abuse substances to self-medicate from their depression. It is a self-destructive habit. This is probably one of the single elements that is seen more in the African American community than others. The symptom looks over and above the normal consumption of substance abuse--a functional alcoholic or smoker, etc. And substance abuse treatment differs from depression treatment, while the two are intertwined inexplicably, first the addiction is treated then the mental health issue...

Acting impulsively: This symptom is one of my signature ones. Usually I would run to go somewhere or act like I was running away when I was younger, living with my parents. My folks were not astute enough to pick up that was a suicidal symptom, so, without treatment, this one can precipitate to a worse outcome, like a suicide attempt--which I did. Since this discussion is about depression, acting impulsively is doing something without thinking about it and letting the chips fall where they land--meaning if the depressed person dies, that will be where the chips land... The depression symptoms you often see meshed with this suicide warning sign are guilt and hopelessness.

Performing poorly in school and work: For youths you can see the grades and you know they can do the work. For adults, it accounts for missed days of work, lack of follow through and missed deadlines. The depression symptoms you often see meshed with this suicide warning sign are lack of concentration, fatigue and excessive sleeping.

Putting affairs in order, tying up loose ends, writing/changing a will, giving away prized possessions: So many depressed African Americans feel they do not have anything, so changing wills is infrequent occurrence. Moreover, I have not seen or experienced giving away prized possessions freely. I gather this suicide waring sign resembles vandalism or destruction of property. The depressed person's thinking is "Since I have nothing to lose (hopelessness) and everyone thinks I am worthless (guilt, worthlessness), I will vandalize this property by graffiti or I will destroy this property by stealing/thievery of key items". What makes this illogical thinking occur in a depressed person is putting the affairs in order or tying up loose ends... What makes this a suicidal warning sign is the risk of arrest involved along with the depression symptoms and other suicidal warning signs like substance abuse or a death wish.

Feeling strong anger or rage: It has been told to me that depression is anger turned in on myself. The anger I have had and still have is due to unresolved hurts and pains done to me or experiencing what I perceive as a traumatic event. Some people casually say, "this is what is called life, deal with it"--is a destructive comment to make to clinically depressed individual, it is what will tip them over to just thinking about suicide to actually committing suicide. The heartless comment often is misconstrued to a depressed person who is already having inaccurate gross conclusions in thought and the comment causes the person who is incapable to articulate his/her feelings to only verify his/her self-worth with the depression symptoms. What you see is either the first suicidal warning sign of "listlessness" or "empty" feelings or you see an anger/rage unloading, often with crying. What causes this anger? I have a blog on anger as it is written from my bipolar POV. When I realized I was very anger or enraged, I had to develop an action plan to remove myself from the event so that my brain was not damaged by my negative thoughts. I also include several other activities and if you would like to know more, you would have to join Sistah Mental Health and Wellness -- the premier online social media site for diverse women: SistahMentalHealth.com!

Remember, it should be noted that some people who commit suicide do not show ANY warning signs. So, loved ones may still feel, "I knew s/he was crazy, but..." And if you actively see these symptoms and want to help him/her, judgment does not help them, professionally licensed provider can! A few pastors have qualifications for professional mental health care and it does not only include prayer or telling one to just be saved! Many professionally licensed providers lack cultural sensitivity and could look "crazy" to you! Finding the what works for you, navigating the mental health care system, implementing mental health and wellness goals for you and your loved ones is very important! If that is something that interests you and you are a diverse woman, please feel free to join us at Sistah Mental Health and Wellness! We await your presence, today!