Activity Report

Sarah Gilman
Sarah Gilman
@sarahgilman18
Followers: 725,478Posts: 881Following: 934
actress & mental health advocate šŸ«¶šŸ» i readšŸ“š: @goodreads_and_chill
View all posts from @sarahgilman18
another suicide prevention month has come and gone. but! every single day is suicide prevention day. is mental health awareness or world mental health day. these are as weaved into our everyday lives as how tired we are when we wake up in the morning. ā€˜suicide prevention’ is just another way of saying ā€œfinding the pieces of life that make each day meaningful and bearable.ā€

though this has been such a big part of my life since childhood, i formally began advocating in this space in 2019 when the pandemic brought so much pain to light. years before that, following my own suicide attempt, I embarked on a mission to coexist with my brain, to break through stigma and educate myself on why i felt and coped the way i did and how i could help myself. 

it’d probably take a book to write down all I’ve learned since then but here are a few I think about most days:

✨our best looks different every day, for reasons within and without our control. just like some days you’re extra tired, some days you’re going to be more irritated or sad and you may not know why. you don’t need to fix everything, some things are just meant to be weathered until they pass. 

✨when you’re in a bad mood or a depressive episode is NOT the time to think about the future. 

✨during a crisis is a terrible time to plan for a crisis. things will fall apart, that’s life. set yourself up for a soft landing by making a plan, identifying safe people and places, bookmarking resources, and prewriting messages. 

 ✨we don’t build trust by offering to help, we build trust by ASKING for it. by showing that we can be vulnerable, we open the door for vulnerability. 

✨be a pupil, not a judge. instead of jumping to valuing or moods or actions as ā€œgoodā€ or ā€œbad,ā€ get curious about why you feel the way you do, how it shows up in your body, what your brain is saying that is actually speculative and untrue, etc. 

✨the future is a job for future you, and you’ll handle it when you get there. as you’ve handled all your worst and best days so far! you never know what you’ll bring to the table, so you must stick around to find out. 

✨things change, but only if we change them (Andy warhol)

šŸ’™sarah
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Representation matters. This is from season 2, I worked with our amazing director/producers/writers at the time to get this in the script and eventually the final cut of the episode, especially @ekaestle19 and Phil Baker. To our knowledge, first case with a lead Disney Channel character. REPRESENTATION MATTERS. Wish we could’ve seen them on screen, but it was a good first step for the channel. #happypridemonth🌈 (repost creds and thank you to @phylofthepast )
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how it started vs. how it’s going: sarah solving crimes edition

huge thanks to @lasvegassun for their article on my @lvmpd ridealong to study up for @csicbs. as a kid who grew up watching crime procedurals at night with the back door open to build strength of character, this is very surreal.
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when’s the Hannah Montana Movie reboot happening?
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Golf is a team sport. Sean does all the golf stuff and I drive the golf cart, read, reseed(?), eat the snacks, and force detours so I can talk to the deer.
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hard times look different for everyone, but the fact is we all have them. i’m partnering with @LApublichealth to share 5 strategies for setting yourself up for success BEFORE the hard times hit. because the worst time to figure out how to navigate a mental health crisis is during a mental health crisis. 
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think of these suggestions as a packing list for a tangible emergency kit, like one you would put together for an earthquake, storm, or fire. when times feel extra difficult, whether it’s because of what’s happening in the big wide world or in your day to day life, it makes a difference to have a go-to list of tips and tricks you can fall back on. because who wants to think up the wording for a text or look up support resources when you feel like you’re falling toward rock bottom? and the middle of a hard day, depressive episode, or anxiety attack is not going to be when you’re doing your best brainstorming of things that make you feel safe and calm. 
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as you test out coping skills and lean on different people and activities, you’ll find what works for you and your ā€œmental health toolkitā€ will grow. keep your safety plan on your phone, tack it on a wall, or make a little first aid box with happy pictures, reminders, and crafts or distractions. you’re not alone, and there is always support out there waiting for you. but it’s also important to get to know yourself, and learn what can help and hurt. the more you know
you, the more you can communicate that to people who want to help. and the more you can soothe yourself in pockets of
stress and sad. 

add your ideas šŸ‘‡ I’m always looking for new ways to build out my mental health first aid plan!

#NeverABother #ConversationsCanHelp #LACDPHpartner

#mentalhealthawareness #anxiety #depression
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#mentalhealthawarenessmonthšŸ’š is over but tough conversations are part of life, so I’m partnering w/ @lapublichealth to share some of my favorite tips for navigating conversations about mental health, whether you’re looking for help or providing it. 
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I struggled with self harm and suicidal ideation starting in middle school, and I never knew how to talk about it or ask for support—and in the silence, with catastrophizing thoughts in my head, it just got worse. After my rock bottom, I dedicated myself to looking everywhere and anywhere for advice on how to safely ask for help. And, in learning how to ask, I also learned how to create that space for someone else, too. 
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Start today! Check in on one person. Don’t be afraid to have the conversation—here are some of my favorite reminders and approaches that I still use every day. If this is new for you, it might feel awkward and stilted and scary at first! But, so does everything else when you try a new thing, like a new musical piece on your instrument or a new move in sports. Please please please trust me when I say, as someone who has been there, it gets easier with practice and it’s more than worth it. 

Sending love xx

#neverabother #conversationscanhelp #lacdphpartner 

#suicideprevention #talktosomeone #youarenotaloneā¤ļø
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šŸŽØ a perfect Saturday dressing up with people I love to raise money for the arts! theatre was an integral safe space for me growing up, and to this day improv class is one of the places i feel most comfortable being myself completely and unabashedly. there’s a safety in the arts and a deep connection borne out of the stories we choose to share with each other. stories build empathy and community, two things we need more than ever (always, but especially right now). all over the nation, spaces and organizations for the arts are facing new challenges as the trump administration cuts federal grants dedicated to the arts and arts education. grassroots organizations and community engagement will be more powerful and necessary than ever. arts are for everybody. thank you @ojaiplays for your commitment to the arts, to community, and to equitable access and opportunity. and thank you @marghelgenberger for welcoming me to such a wonderful night and cause.
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🪁 i wanna talk about everyday suicide prevention because i’ve been having a string of sad brain days—you know the ones (or at least the feelings that come with it): feeling insecure, discouraged, unmotivated, disappointed, hopeless, and overwhelmed. and something as simple as flying a kite in a windy day helped ground me and make me smile. bad days and negative emotions (and for some, depression and other mental illnesses) are part of life. we’re all bound to have them here and there. it’s not about never feeling bad, it’s about having tools and activities and people to turn to for when the negative feelings and down days happen.

If prevention is connecting with a crisis line or reaching out to a friend looking for support, what prevents us from even getting to that point? It will differ for every one of us, but mainly I think it all boils down to what healthy behavior helps you feel in control, what helps you feel present and grounded on this earth, what helps you feel social and connected, and what feels meaningful. And it doesn’t need to be a huge undertaking like a 7-day trip to Fiji. Think small. 

I have quite literally written on my to-do list: ā€œDon’t hurt yourself.ā€ so I could feel the accomplishment of getting to the end of the day crossing that off the list. I feed the neighborhood crows because I like watching them walk around and hop. I puzzle while watching a show in the background. Coloring and painting. Legos. Cleaning my space—an organized space is an organized mind. Flying a kite. Following a recipe. Dancing around with my headphones in. Reading. Having a 5-min morning routine that I can rely on and that I can control. Finding accountability partners or community groups to help you stick to activities you love but don’t always have the motivation for. Trying to sew. Calling friends while wandering around. Calling my parents to ask about their recent wins. Collaging. The possibilities are endless. But these little daily, doable things are seeds that you plant here and there to keep you rooted to people, places, and things. Leave some of your ideas below šŸ’™
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when your brain tells you to cancel plans and stay at home, I want you to ignore those thoughts !! try socializing with strangers !! and watch a unicorn’s slightly horrific revenge campaign instead !!!!

šŸ¦„ thank you @a24, @deathofaunicornmovie, & @blueprinteventco for having me! 

šŸ“ø and thank you @iamtoddphoto for taking some of my favorite event photos maybe ever
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oh the bookstores & libraries you’ll go…if you stop buying books on Amazon šŸ«¶šŸ» 

bezos doesn’t need you, the library does!!!
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new year,  new haircut, new headshots. 🄹

šŸ“ø: @paulsmithphotography 
šŸ’„: @muadrianabena
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