Obviously, calling 911 is not the right thing to do, but how tragic that someone who is seeking help for themselves or someone else ends up with that kind of response.

Barb! How is everything going with Stars?

Highs and lows-- mostly highs. So far, the reviews have been great (although I'm still hoping that freakin' Publisher's Weekly will review the thing), and I was struck absolutely dumb by a reader review on amazon. Normally, I don't even check there, because, you know, amazon, but someone alerted me to it, saying perhaps I should offer to bear this woman's children. *g*

On the down side, however, I went into one of my local BN stores and they didn't have any and when I asked, Little Dude told me they didn't appear to have any on order or any intention of ordering any even after I told him I was the author and local and blah, blah, blah, although he was happy enough to declare, "but we've got plenty of 'em sittin' in the warehouse!"

No, I didn't reach out and cheerfully strangle him-- aren't y'all proud of me?

The other local stores I've hit have distressingly few copies-- one or two at most. The exception is my local indie which had four out and will have many more for my signing next week. So I have to really hope that people come out for that (I feel like the freakin' Town Crier) and justify their decision to host me for a signing.

Ah, the glamorous life of a published author!

Yeah. I just heard from a second person that suicide hotlines have advised him to call 911. Pretty bad advice, if you ask me.

Barb, I did go to a Waldenbooks that didn't have any copies in stock and strongly urged them to get some.

I haven't published a book, but in my experience promoting my album, I've seen how hard it is for folks who don't have media behemoths and teams of PR people behind them. While a lot has changed about media distribution, that aspect hasn't changed enough yet. It seems you have to engage all your friends to ask that your work be carried. But that's not enough. They have to follow through and buy it there. Personally, I've had trouble getting people to show up at Amoeba or Down Home to buy my album. But the need to do it is why I bought my friend's novel at our local bookstore and why I bought my own brother's album at Tower (this was a ways back...).

I just heard from a second person that suicide hotlines have advised him to call 911.

If a person meets the criteria of having a plan and being a danger to him/herself, then ANY mental health professional is mandated to advise going to an emergency room or calling 911. If the person doesn't agree to do so, the mhp MUST do so.

If they don't, and the individual follows through, the liability is staggering. Very, very sad, and not at all what a depressed person wants to hear, but it's a fact.

The truth is, there is NO perfect 'system' to deal with fragile human emotion.

Did the police shoot him? That's kind of...what happens here. (But SB1070 isn't creepy at all.)

Many double posts today...not sure if it's me, or the board.

bonny, I do understand that therapists and such are required by law to report any credible threats of suicide. I don't know for sure with the one fella what he said to them or whether he is a serious suicide risk. My sense of it is that he is not. But the other fellow also said he'd gotten that 911 referral as a matter of course. He's given up calling hotlines when in a bad depression place because, he says, they just feel scripted, and if the conversation gets too involved, they'll tell you to call 911.

erika, no they didn't shoot him. Eventually the cops went away. Which is good because he's in TX and I wouldn't be surprised if cops there were less trained to deal with those situations.

To be fair to the cops--they never know what they're going to be facing. They're getting information from the 911 dispatcher. Not all local police forces have the same kind of training or knowledge in dealing with mental health issues.

I've worked with some local NAMI chapters in helping get training for officers so that they don't unintentionally escalate a mental health issue in cases like this. It's not easy and not all departments are receptive.