Craig A. Miller
Craig Miller is a member of The Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention and The American Association of Suicidology. He is trained in both SafeTALK and ASIST.
When he was fifteen-years-old, Craig Miller was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Psychiatrists at a New Hampshire Hospital determined that the rituals and behaviors associated with Craig’s OCD consumed ninety five percent of his waking hours. His compulsions spanned the entire spectrum of categorized behaviors including washing, checking, counting, and self harming. His counting rituals were among his most intrusive as he would spend hours performing complex equations in his mind to avoid certain numbers while favoring others. At times he spoke backwards after each sentence to “reverse the intent of the words.” He even performed ritualistic prayers to satisfy an irrational fear of God.
Aside from these behaviors, Craig’s most prominent compulsion was the need to collect scraps of paper he found on the ground. As he walked home from school each day, he collected pieces he saw along the way. He carefully flattened out their wrinkled creases and folded them up in his pocket.
For years he lived in a constant state of fear and depression, isolated from the world under the complete control of his OCD and the anxiety associated with it. But despite the overwhelming power OCD had over Craig, there was one thing that was off limits to his intrusive thoughts and compulsive behavior-- writing.
As a result Craig began writing constantly, expressing his struggle through song lyrics and poetry. He carried a pen with him always. And more often than not he used the scraps of paper he collected on the side of the road to write his words.
By the time he reached twenty-years-old, his life's traumas, as well as his battle with mental health issues had reached its peak. And one night while sitting on the edge of a rented bed, he attempted to end his life. For three days that followed he lay in the Intensive Care Unit fighting a battle to start over. His triumph over this battle would prove to change his life forever.
After self-publishing his memoir, This is How it Feels: a memoir of attempting suicide and finding life, Craig joined The Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention and began speaking out about his suicide attempt and his battles with mental health issues. Since then, he has shared the insights from his lived-experience with thousands of people internationally and keynoted dozens of Suicide Prevention and Mental Health conferences throughout the United States.
As a public presenter, Craig speaks safely and compassionately while being open about the contributing factors that led to his suicide attempt including, childhood sexual abuse, early childhood suicidal ideation and the onset of mental health issues, as well as his life's battles with depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. His story, as well as his contributions to the suicide prevention and mental health field have been featured in two documentaries as well as dozens of media and news outlets. Craig has been recognized by several suicide prevention organizations for this work and presented with several awards including Leadership in Suicide Prevention and the Social Justice Advocacy and Action Award. Craig's first book, This is How it Feels: a memoir of attempting suicide and finding life, is used in both suicide prevention trainings as well as Social Work curriculum for colleges and universities.
When he was fifteen-years-old, Craig Miller was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Psychiatrists at a New Hampshire Hospital determined that the rituals and behaviors associated with Craig’s OCD consumed ninety five percent of his waking hours. His compulsions spanned the entire spectrum of categorized behaviors including washing, checking, counting, and self harming. His counting rituals were among his most intrusive as he would spend hours performing complex equations in his mind to avoid certain numbers while favoring others. At times he spoke backwards after each sentence to “reverse the intent of the words.” He even performed ritualistic prayers to satisfy an irrational fear of God.
Aside from these behaviors, Craig’s most prominent compulsion was the need to collect scraps of paper he found on the ground. As he walked home from school each day, he collected pieces he saw along the way. He carefully flattened out their wrinkled creases and folded them up in his pocket.
For years he lived in a constant state of fear and depression, isolated from the world under the complete control of his OCD and the anxiety associated with it. But despite the overwhelming power OCD had over Craig, there was one thing that was off limits to his intrusive thoughts and compulsive behavior-- writing.
As a result Craig began writing constantly, expressing his struggle through song lyrics and poetry. He carried a pen with him always. And more often than not he used the scraps of paper he collected on the side of the road to write his words.
By the time he reached twenty-years-old, his life's traumas, as well as his battle with mental health issues had reached its peak. And one night while sitting on the edge of a rented bed, he attempted to end his life. For three days that followed he lay in the Intensive Care Unit fighting a battle to start over. His triumph over this battle would prove to change his life forever.
After self-publishing his memoir, This is How it Feels: a memoir of attempting suicide and finding life, Craig joined The Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention and began speaking out about his suicide attempt and his battles with mental health issues. Since then, he has shared the insights from his lived-experience with thousands of people internationally and keynoted dozens of Suicide Prevention and Mental Health conferences throughout the United States.
As a public presenter, Craig speaks safely and compassionately while being open about the contributing factors that led to his suicide attempt including, childhood sexual abuse, early childhood suicidal ideation and the onset of mental health issues, as well as his life's battles with depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. His story, as well as his contributions to the suicide prevention and mental health field have been featured in two documentaries as well as dozens of media and news outlets. Craig has been recognized by several suicide prevention organizations for this work and presented with several awards including Leadership in Suicide Prevention and the Social Justice Advocacy and Action Award. Craig's first book, This is How it Feels: a memoir of attempting suicide and finding life, is used in both suicide prevention trainings as well as Social Work curriculum for colleges and universities.
The Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention (MCSP) is a broad based inclusive alliance of suicide prevention advocates, including public and private agency representatives, policy makers, suicide survivors, mental health and public health consumers and providers and concerned citizens committed to working together to reduce the incidence of self-harm and suicide in the Commonwealth.
Click here to become a member
Click here to become a member
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