| How to Empathize with People Who Have Suicidal Tendencies Posted: 06 Nov 2019 12:00 AM PST Over 800,000 people die due to suicide every year and there are many more who try to attempt it.[1] Having suicidal tendencies is actually a call for help that shouldn't be ignored by the society. A person's life is at stake from the constant torments of their inner demons to the points that they decided that enough is enough and chose to end it. Suicidal feelings may include believing that "death is your only option, having low self-esteem and feelings of anger that you direct towards yourself."[2] There are several ways to show your empathy towards people with suicidal tendencies, including lending an ear, showing that you care about them and giving them hope. [Edit]Lending Your Ears - Start by being an "active listener". In other words, be attentive to what the person in crisis has to say and maintain direct eye contact, as well as showing your willingness to talk about anything with that person, including their feelings about suicide.
- Try to communicate about their problems. Seek to understand their situation without passing your judgement on them as this would only drive them away. Offer them the specific help that they wanted, despite them being dormant or closed-off.
- Validate their feelings. Let them know that it's okay to be upset, and there's nothing wrong with them for having a hard time. This can help them feel cared about and understood. Use phrases like "I'm sorry to hear that you're dealing with that" and "That must be hard."
[Edit]Showing That You Care - Hide harmful materials from their line of sight. This falls under the category of exhibiting care for their well-being. This is because statistics has shown that 49.9% of U.S citizens committed suicide using a firearm and 26.7% uses suffocation as a means for suicide.[3] In other words, people with suicidal tendencies are at a higher risk of committing suicide should they be exposed to harmful materials.
- Offer to help them manage their medications. Work with them to help them take their medication safely and as directed. Ask them how they want you to help them.
- Lock up any firearms, and don't tell them the combination. Or, get rid of the firearm.
- Don't leave them alone to their thoughts. This falls under the category of showing that you care for them as a whole. If a person has expressed suicidal feelings has a plan, the means available and has a time set, you should always take them seriously and be sure to never leave them unattended.
- If you absolutely must leave them alone for a while, make sure they are set up with something to do (e.g. a movie), ensure that they feel they're feeling okay enough to be left alone, and tell them when you'll be back to check in and say hi.
- Keep in touch with them so you can be there for them. Stay with them or arrange for someone whom they trust to stay with them. It is important for them to stay in supportive circle of people that will always remind them that they are important, and give them a sense of belonging. Never let them be alone and mulling about with their dark thoughts without support.
- It's also helpful to provide them with a list of helpful resources, especially if they live alone. This can help them reach out when they need help. For instance, tell them if they want to text someone, they can reach the Crisis Text Line by sending a message to 741741 in the US, 686868 in Canada, or 85258 in the UK.
- Look out for any warning signs. For example, if the person suddenly isolates themselves from the society, drops in academic performance, or constantly visits suicide promoting websites, these could be indicators of a problem. It is very important for you to keep a constant awareness and to always look out for signs of a cry for help. Usually, the people with suicidal tendencies are reluctant to seek help due to societal stigma, so it's important for you to be the one who is on the lookout.
[Edit]Showing Your Empathy - Give them hope. Help them think about positive things, such as how valuable they are to others, how their loss would be tremendous for the people around them and to look forward to the exciting events that is to come in life, and also help them to love themselves because there's always a second chance, even for people who feel they've made mistakes in the past.
- Encourage them to stop dwelling on the past. While there are many reasons why a person would consider suicide, thinking about the past can make things worse. However, it's often hard to stop thinking about past events. Help them focus their thoughts on the present and their future. Additionally, get them brainstorming about positive events that may come.
- Build a strong support system for them. Connect them with people who have survived suicide attempts, people they trust, and people in their life who are supportive. This will help them feel a sense of belonging and eventually they may feel positive and hopeful about life.
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| How to Measure Astigmatism Posted: 05 Nov 2019 04:00 PM PST Astigmatism is a common eye condition that causes blurry vision. It occurs when your cornea is more oblong, or football-shaped, than round. Astigmatism can be diagnosed by your optometrist or ophthalmologist with a comprehensive eye exam. It can be corrected with glasses, contacts, or sometimes surgery – but measuring the shape of your cornea is important for getting the right lens prescription.[1] Astigmatism is usually measured with a series of eye exams, some that are standard practice and others that may apply only to certain circumstances. [Edit]Using the Standard Measurement Tools - Perform the Visual Acuity Test. At your eye doctor's office, stand where your doctor tells you and look at a chart of numbers and letters on the wall. Cover one eye and read the lines of text to the smallest line you can clearly read, then repeat this with your other eye covered. This tests for myopia (near-sightedness) and hyperopia (far-sightedness), as well as astigmatism.[2]
- Astigmatism accompanies myopia or hyperopia 50% of the time. Blurry vision could be caused by astigmatism or one of these other common conditions.
- The results will be listed as a fraction, such as 20/20. 20/20 is normal visual acuity. The first number is the distance between you and the chart. The second number is the size of the letters on the last line you can read compared to normal visual acuity. For instance, someone with 20/40 vision has to be 20 feet from something that can be read at by someone with normal vision.[3]
- Measure the curve of your cornea with a keratometer. A keratometer is the instrument your eye doctor can use to measure the curve of your anterior cornea (the front surface of the cornea).[4] Sit with your chin on the chin rest and look straight ahead into the instrument with one eye then the other, when prompted by your doctor. The keratometer shines a circle of light onto your cornea and measures how it reflects over your cornea's surface.
- This is an especially important test for getting contact lenses that fit correctly.
- Though this method has its limitations, it's still the standard way of measuring astigmatism.[5]
- Use refraction to measure astigmatism. Sit up straight and look forward while your doctor places a retinoscope in front of your eyes. The retinoscope is a small, handheld instrument that measures light refraction on the eye. Your doctor will move a large machine with lenses (a phoropter) in front of your eyes that either clarify or obscure your vision, which measures how your eyes focus light. You will have to tell your doctor whether each lens makes your vision better or worse.[6]
- The refraction test helps to establish the location of the irregular shape of the cornea. This will be called the "axis" in a corrective lens prescription.
- Be honest with your doctor during these tests – even though technology is improving, your feedback still helps determine the outcomes of your eye exam.
- Understand your astigmatism prescription. After your eye exam, your doctor will give you a prescription for glasses or contact lenses to help fix your astigmatism. The prescription will usually have three numbers – the first one relates to if you're near-sighted or far-sighted, and the last two relate to your astigmatism.[7]
- The second number is for "cylinder," which is a measure of how flat or irregular your cornea is. This is measured in diopters. Most people with astigmatism have between 0.5-0.75 diopters; you probably need prescription lenses for a diopter measurement of 1.5 or higher.
- The third number is for "axis" and goes from 0 to 180, which is a degree measurement of where on your cornea the astigmatism is located.
[Edit]Utilizing Other Measurement Options - Use a corneal topographer for more precise measurements. A topographer is a newer version of the keratometer.[8] Your doctor will have you sit at a table and look into a bowl. This bowl's inner surface is covered in a pattern of concentric rings. A digital camera sits at the base of the bowl and charts the cornea's surface by measuring the reflected pattern in the eye. This basically creates a contour map of your eye, and it's an excellent technique for measuring irregular astigmatism.[9]
- Most corneal topography tests measure 8,000 to 10,000 points on the cornea, making it the most accurate keratometry test.
- Other advanced ways of measuring astigmatism include autorefractors that measure refraction, and the IOLMaster that makes extensive measurements of the interior and exterior of the eye. The IOLMaster is usually used before cataract surgery.[10]
- Try a Placido disc for irregular astigmatism. The Placido disc is an old-fashioned, hand-held device that is shaped like a giant lollipop. The disc has several sets of concentric circles painted on one side, and is used to measure the regularity of your cornea's surface. Your doctor holds the disc up to their own eye with the rings pointed towards you, and they look into your eye. Sit still and look straight ahead. The image of your cornea reflects back, and where there is irregular shape it makes the concentric rings look distorted to your doctor.[11]
- This old-fashioned method can help to diagnose keratoconus, a disorder that causes irregular astigmatism due to thinning and protruding of the cornea.
- Use a Scheimpflug device to measure the posterior cornea. The shape of your posterior cornea (the back surface of the cornea) can influence the severity of your astigmatism.[12] Keratometry can only measure the front of your cornea, but Scheimpflug imaging uses tomography to get more accurate readings of how thick your cornea is and what the back of it looks like.[13]
- This method can be helpful in predicting how successful surgery may be in correcting your astigmatism.[14]
- Usually, more than one eye test is done to measure astigmatism. An ophthalmologist or optometrist will do a series of tests in their office using various equipment.[15]
- Most astigmatism can be treated by wearing prescription glasses or contact lenses. Depending on the severity of your astigmatism, laser surgery like LASIK may also improve your vision. In severe cases, like with keratoconus, a corneal transplant surgery or the use of rigid, cornea-shaping corrective lenses may be necessary.[16]
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| How to Wash a Stuffed Animal in a Washing Machine Posted: 05 Nov 2019 08:00 AM PST After being fiercely loved and lugged around for years, plush toys and stuffed animals can get more than a bit scruffy. And if you're donating, many charities will not take stuffed animals unless they have been washed. Surface washing can't always get to all of the hard spots. Scrubbing and harsh chemicals may get out stains, but they can also damage fabric or cause colors to fade. Sometimes the best option is to machine wash a stuffed toy. By taking the proper precautions, you can wash your plush or stuffed animal without ruining it! [Edit]Preparing to Machine Wash - Make sure that your plush toy's fabric is washable. Check to see if it has a tag with washing instructions. Toys with any types of stiffeners should be surface washed only. Mohair, wool, rayon plush, and alpaca fur are not to be washed in a machine at all. And if the toy is too old and fragile, too big, or too firmly stuffed, you'll have to hand wash it.[1]
- Sequins or other glued-on, glittery items will probably not survive a wash, either.
- If it's filled with small foam balls, as is the case with Beanie Babies, rather than batting or stuffing, it's not suitable for machine washing.
- Double check for any technology. Look for any music or voice boxes, or any other electronics that aren't meant for exposure to water.
- Remove or secure loose parts. Make sure you don't lose Teddy's arm in the wash! Look for any tears or loose parts that need to be stitched. Remove clothing or any other parts that can be separated from the toy. Use scissors to cut any threads or strings that might come undone or cause further damage in the wash.[2]
- Use a mesh laundry bag. Put the toy inside a mesh laundry bag for an extra layer of protection. This will help prevent the toy from snagging or getting torn up in the wash. If you don't have one handy, a pillowcase secured with safety pins will work. In case something does fall off, the pillowcase or mesh bag will catch it before it gets lost in the machine's drain.[3]
[Edit]Using the Washing Machine - Presoak with a vinegar solution. Vinegar is a great natural fabric softener, and works great for common kid-related messes that might involve vomit or urine.[4] Mix one part clear vinegar with two parts warm water and dash of lemon juice or dish detergent.[5]
- You can pour the diluted vinegar solution right into the laundry bag and let it soak before putting in the machine wash.
- If anything is caked onto the stuffed toy, use a sponge liberally soaked in the solution to get any messy matter off before tossing it in the mesh bag.
- Place the toy and detergent inside the washer. If you have a top-loader that doesn't have a separate compartment for detergent, get the water running and put down detergent before you place the toy inside. It's best to use a machine without an agitator. Never use a high-powered laundromat machine.[6]
- Use a very small amount of mild detergent, such as Woolite, or just use the vinegar solution you made. If you go with detergent, a teaspoon or so will do, depending on the size of the stuffed animal.[7]
- Soap nuts also have hypoallergenic properties, which are good if your child has a dust mite allergy.
- Fabric softener is normally unnecessary and can harm the plush.
- Set the washer on cold and use gentle cycle. The gentlest cycle possible will reduce the risk of parts torn off. Don't use hot water, or you'll discolor the stuffed animal. Hot water is especially harmful for any glued parts the toy might have.[8]
[Edit]Drying a Stuffed Toy - Reshape the stuffed animal. When you remove the toy from the mesh bag, you might find that the washing machine has left the stuffed toy lumpy or bumpy. Before letting it dry, check for any balled up batting. Gently work it out with your fingers and fluff while it's still damp for best results.[9]
- Hang dry. Most stuffed toys should be air dried. A dryer's heat, even on low, can melt or damage any glue, plastic, or even the fabric of the stuffed toy. Lay it out on a dry towel, or use a clamp hanger or S-hooks to hang it. [10] If you have any concern about allergies, hang the stuffed animal inside so it won't pick up any pollen or other allergens. Note well, however, that direct sunlight is an efficient dryer, and the sun's ultraviolet light also has disinfectant properties.[11]
- Primp and return to your child. Use a dental pick to pick out knots in the fur, or a fine comb to give it a little more fluff. If the toy isn't too fragile, you could tumble it in the dryer with a few towels for ten minutes for added fluff and softness, but make sure it's set to no heat. Double check to make sure everything is stitched, no threads need to be cut, and that the toy is in good shape, and return it clean and fresh to your youngster.[12]
- Lots of stuffed animals come with machine washing instructions. Read them before making final decisions.
- Do your best to get the stuffed animal dry within a day to prevent mildew growth.
- It's best to wash the stuffed animal when it won't be missed. If your child can't fall asleep without it, don't wash it during naptime.
[Edit]Warnings - If washed too often, the toy can wear out its fabric.
- Too much sun exposure will fade some stuffed animals.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - A dirty stuffed toy
- Needle, thread, and thimble (optional)
- Mesh laundry bag or pillowcase and safety pins
- Gentle laundry detergent
- A washing machine with cool and gentle cycles (not the laundromat!)
- A drying towel or clamp hanger
- A sunny windowsill or veranda
- A dryer (optional)
- Dental pick or fine comb
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References |
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