Dr. Jeffrey D. Morris Credit: Provided by Jeffrey Morris
On October 10, 1997, Jeffrey Morris attempted suicide for the first time. Over the next decade, Jeffrey continued to struggle with thoughts of suicide, attempting it five more times.
Eventually diagnosed with Bipolar 2, Jeffrey wrote, Just Live: Simply Take the Next Breath. By sharing his journey and the lessons he learned, Jeffrey hopes to help others experiencing serious mental illness and thoughts of suicide.
For twenty years, Jeffrey was a dedicated math teacher, high school principal and superintendent. Now retired, he has shifted his focus to teaching suicide prevention in schools across the US Midwest while advocating for mental health awareness.
Jeffrey lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his beloved dog, Griff. He is the proud father of Chloe and Quinn, whom he considers his greatest accomplishments.
Through his work and personal life, Jeffrey continues to inspire and support others on their journey toward mental wellness.
Jeffrey had been married for seven years, had a seven-month-old daughter named Chloe and was the superintendent for his school district.
Yet, while on lunch break, Jeffrey drove home and tried to commit suicide by running his truck inside his closed garage. Eventually, Jeffrey chose to live. No one, not even his wife, knew about the suicide attempt.
Jeffrey’s son, Quinn, was born in 2000, the same year that he was diagnosed with Bipolar 2. Yet, between 2000 until 2010, Jeffrey attempted suicide five times.
Eventually, Jeffrey learned to embrace the '“down times” rather than trying to prevent them and to manage his depression instead of seeking a cure. Unfortunately, not before his marriage ended in divorce.
Today, Jeffrey exercises and practices mindfulness every day, but keeps both short and sweet.
He also maintains that medications and counselling are critical to preventing suicide. Although, folks may need to change their medications and their counsellors several times before finding the combination that works best for them. And, that is all part of the healing process that also includes learning to manage stress, anxiety and sadness.
As we head into the holiday season, find out what advice Jeffrey offers to get folks through this difficult time and to make sure they Just Live.
Just Live is available for purchase from Jeffrey’s publisher, Words Matter Publishing, Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Folks wanting to buy Jeffrey’s book in bulk can contact him directly at jdmoe67@gmail.com.
Thanks to everyone who read today’s article and listened to my podcast. With your continued support, a little Nicoll can make a lot of change.
Music: Real Estate by UNIVERSFIELD is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License. freemusicarchive.org.
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