By Krista Berge

September 10, 2022

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The Signs and Warnings I Saw: My Husband’s Suicide

I wish I could give you a comprehensive checklist or even a flow chart on warning signs of suicide.  Wouldn’t it be nice if you could easily make the next move based on what someone says, does, or even insinuates right there in print?  I would even color code it for you too.  But I can’t.  My heart hurts that I can’t offer you any of that, and I am guessing if you’re reading this, your heart hurts too. But I can tell you what happened to us. I can be brutally honest and tell you where I missed it…the “it” that maybe would have kept him alive another day, year, or 50 years.

Losing Brian to suicide four years ago was my worst nightmare and still is. 

I would desperately lay awake every night for years, trying to avoid the scenario of him taking his life. I would ask him directly and also in roundabout ways if he was going to do it.  I reached out to family and close friends. I made all the doctor’s appointments and went with him.  I was honest about how bad things were getting in the sense of the “lows” coming more and more often.  I removed weapons from our home, searched our cars regularly, counted pills, and watched to make sure he was actually taking the medications (once we decided to go that route).  During the first six to eight weeks of any medication, he was not left alone for a single second. My world revolved around him, his safety, his health, and our children. 

August 16th, 2018

On August 16th, 2018, with our four children watching, Brian attempted to take his life and succumbed to his injuries a few days later.  I was asked countless times “what happened” by hospital staff, interviewed by police, questioned by family, you name it. All of whom were hoping maybe I could trace back to what ultimately led us to his devastating death. The untraceable lines of mental illness and suicide are murky and blurred with my tears to this day. 

So that’s where I will start.  Mental illness is a tricky thing because you can’t actually see it. What makes it even more mortifying is there actually weren’t many concrete signs at all for us in the thick of it.  Even as an RN, I was taught that people who are suicidal do have clear signs.  Some of those include giving away items, making comments about death, fixating on dying, etc.  It didn’t look like that at all for us, though.  It was not a black-and-white illness for us but also what mental illness is?

So here is the hard truth…..I missed it

I admit it, and I have to live with it.  I missed how much pain he was in.  He didn’t speak of wanting to die constantly but more of the frustration of having to live. I didn’t see they were one of the same. He wasn’t sure why he had to have this disease when God could just take it away.  He wasn’t sure why the 3rd and 4th medications he tried weren’t working.  He wasn’t sure I would stick around to fight this with him.  The lies crept in and because he appeared healthy and kept working…so many of us didn’t actually think it was that bad.  I grew complacent in a way and was also starting to think this was how life would be from now on.  

The hopelessness

I missed the hopelessness he felt daily and for years.  I missed the exhausting tone in his voice throughout the day.  I missed the emptiness in his eyes in family pictures. With me being so task-oriented, it meant we would keep moving forward.  I would check search histories to make sure he wasn’t trying to look for ways to end his life. There were honestly only a few moments Brian expressed suicidal ideation, and each was met with a specialized doctor’s care. So on to the next doctor that was recommended to us.  On to a less chaotic job and schedule.  On to the next medication.  On to the next bone-broth recipe.  On to the next minute, hour, and day of keeping him safe. And it worked for a little bit…or at least I thought it did.  

suicidal

I remember the few specific times he spoke of wanting to die, and each time was how we (the kids and I) would be so much better off.  I called him selfish.  Ugh, I hate to admit that, but I did (crying as I write this).  I asked how he could ever think of doing that to us.  Just like that…I cut the only lifeline he felt he had in me.  He wasn’t selfish.  Not. One. Bit. I guilted him further and told him I would never get past him taking his life.  I told him I would never recover.  So he felt even more hopeless.  Without knowing, I heaped on even more guilt and shame.  He was hopeless, and I unknowingly confirmed it.  

Self-sabotage

One other clear sign I missed was self-sabotage.  I knew what suicidal ideation looked like, so if he wasn’t expressing it…we were in the clear. He was doing anything and everything he could to feel better.  Some were great ideas, and others were not.  I did not notice this was him grasping just to find something, anything at all, to alleviate the pain.  I made the mistake of thinking he was trying to hurt me.  But the opposite was true.  He was doing whatever he could to make the pain stop, so my pain of watching him struggle would also stop.

In our last conversation, he told me he had tried everything. Before trying multiple medications, doctors, and psychiatrists, he even tried going vegan, healing his gut, working out, meditating, constantly praying, and seeing Christian counselors, you name it.  Yet he said nothing was working.  I didn’t recognize the hopelessness in his voice.  I became frustrated because, of course, we hadn’t tried EVERYTHING.  In my mind, it was time to call the doctor again and go back to the drawing board that day like we had so many times before.

Invisible suicidal signs and unspoken words

Obviously, I wish I could tell you I saw the invisible signs and heard the unspoken words, but I can’t.  Some days the “what ifs” cloud my mind, and I dream of doing that day all over again.  I hurt when insults are hurled like flaming arrows that if only I loved him harder, didn’t encourage medication, or had Baker Acted him; he would still be here.  All that is left now is for me to tell you where I missed it…where I missed the hopelessness. 

There is so much I can’t tell you about that day or Brian’s illness. But I can tell you there is always hope.  I can tell you the thoughts that we would be better off without you are NOT true.  I can tell you to please stay and fight another day.  I can tell you that you matter. We are not better off without you in the world.  We are better because you are in this world.  Please stay, and I promise we will hear what you’re not saying.  

Please, if you or anyone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental illness, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. You can also contact the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741).

Krista has written many articles for us on mental illness and suicide. If you would like to read more of her story, you can find it here. You can find Krista on social media as well, she is on Instagram and Facebook.

By Krista Berge

May 5, 2022

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How I Survived My Husband’s Suicide

How did I survive Brian’s suicide?

The unedited version is…I didn’t. I desperately want to put a beautiful bow on how I successfully made it through to the other side of this immeasurable grief, but I can’t. I deeply wish I could tell you I leaned on my faith in those early times of confusion and pain, but that would be a flat-out lie. The me I was before suicide inflicted a death blow; died with Brian. I just couldn’t accept I had lost him and myself. It felt like defeat at every turn.

Admittedly, I walked around like a zombie regretting my choice not to climb into the car with him for well over a year. I relived every second and knew I would have had more than enough time to stop breathing before any kind of help would have shown up. In those moments of self-disdain and being so utterly lost, I can also tell you the only reason why I didn’t that day was because our kids were right there. The kicker is they had to watch Brian die, and in so doing, they were the only reason I was breathing (ok, that was REALLY difficult to write). I remember saying, over the beeping of machines keeping him alive for those few days, “I just want to be with him,” and I didn’t mean in that room. He was already gone, and so was I. 

I didn’t survive

I didn’t survive, but I sure was trying to make it look like I did. I continued to run at 100 mph. There was SO much pressure. Pressure to grieve “correctly,” handle legal matters, run a household, hold space for all of the kids’ pain, etc. The list goes on, and I feel sad for the girl I was trying to be. It was like I was standing over my own dead body, trying desperately to revive her. If I could just grasp what I lost…I would be ok. I could make this pain go away if I tried a little harder. I mean, Brian would still be here if I tried a little harder, right? If I just could be good enough and do enough. If I could fill all my seconds with busyness, then the darkness wouldn’t come. All the lies that I swallowed to fill the void are something I was doing out of despair and desperation. 

This new and chaotically beautiful life

I kept trying to be who I was before Brian’s suicide, and it took years to see that just wasn’t possible. I had to learn (and am still learning) some hard lessons in order to not only survive this incredible loss but to thrive in this new and chaotically beautiful life.

1. I had to learn to rest. 

I never really understood this concept before. I didn’t know how to rest, and I didn’t want to. If I could just keep up the charade that I had my life under control…then I would eventually feel better. If people believed I was ok, then maybe I would feel it, right? The rug was pulled out from under me, but I was not willing to accept Brian wasn’t coming back or why. I couldn’t be who I used to be, and it was slowly killing me. I kept trying to fill the void, and nothing worked. Much like depression, it finally sunk in that I took a major blow to my body. A trauma had occurred, and I was finally willing to understand that this was my story. The only way I can explain it is, “imagine if someone had half of their body amputated…you wouldn’t tell them, “Quit crying and let’s go!” It would take YEARS of therapy to relearn how to use the half that was left. Yet I placed this pressure on myself to keep moving as if I was intact. Grief and pain finally caught up with me, and the only thing to do was to stop running and rest. To let my body heal. This was and is still imperative to my healing even close to 4 years later. 

2. I had to learn to show myself grace. 

I lost Brian and so much more. I watched as my children lost their father. I lost ANY sort of security in my and their future. I lost my dreams. I lost my financial security. I lost my protector. I mean, now, who was going to get up in the middle of the night when I hear a strange noise? I lost my reason to believe God is good. I lost my world. But here I was pretending like everything was normal. Why is it that if my best friend was going through what I was going through, I would heap so much grace upon her? Why was it so difficult to extend this to myself? Once I realized I could actually be kind to myself and extend grace, THAT became my oxygen. I didn’t need to carry this weight anymore. I found friends that bestowed immeasurable grace on me and still do when I am incapable of extending it to myself.

3. I had to learn to be ok with losing people. 

Suicide will ripple FAR past what you could ever imagine. Grief not only changed me, but it changed everyone around me. Some were willing to accept Brian’s death, while others kept wanting to talk through the timeline of it; why didn’t I tell them? They would ask me what specific medications he was on, was I aware of the side effects, what was our last conversation, etc. HINT: Don’t do this, please…you are only placing more pain onto someone that feels solely responsible (it needs to be said again that suicide is a symptom of a disease that ravishes the body). In finally realizing my answers weren’t good enough and also they wouldn’t bring him back…I just stopped even trying to explain the unexplainable. When I began to get my life back together or started working, or the forbidden “dating” as a widow…I lost even more people. Sometimes, and this is a hard truth, others like you are so broken so they can repair you how they want to, not necessarily what is best for you. The second I began to come alive again little by little….I gained myself back but lost others. It seems counterintuitive, right? I lost more people on this road of healing, for sure. I just wasn’t willing to lose myself anymore to keep them. 

4. I had to learn to NOT people please.

I was living in a fishbowl. I was either too sad OR didn’t seem sad enough. Was it even ok to laugh and smile? Was I joking around too much? I was either moving forward too quickly or not quick enough. Why was I still so sad after the first year when everyone said that was the most difficult? I mean, I either looked too disheveled, or who was I dressing up for? The people-pleaser I was couldn’t keep up anymore. No one was happy with me now. Brian’s suicide clouded so many people’s eyes, and I felt it was my responsibility to try and make them all feel better. But grieving is work, and it takes time to go through the process. But I couldn’t make anyone do it either. Once I let go of others’ expectations of me, I started to breathe again. 

5. I had to learn to not only form a new identity but take responsibility for it. 

Suddenly I was a “widow” and a “suicide survivor .”Shoot, I didn’t want to be either, and I still don’t. But I am. When the opportunities (and yes, they are called “opportunities”) come up to talk about losing Brian, I better….lives depend on it. When I hear of someone else deeply grieving….eventually, I need to speak up and tell them what I have learned OR better, yet I can just sit there and be quiet (take note this is all you need to do in someone’s deep pain). I need to tell them that who they were before suicide wreaked havoc isn’t coming back and to stop trying so hard. That just being alive when all you want to do is die is more than enough. I so wish someone had told me sooner that just breathing from one painful chest stab to the next was all I had to do. I wish someone would have grabbed my hand and told me to put on my favorite sweatshirt and cry in bed all day. Now it is my responsibility, to be honest about suicide and what it actually takes. Suicide always takes more than just one life, and this may not be who I wanted to be, but it is who I am now.

 I had to learn how to come alive again in an impossible situation. I had to let go of Brian and accept a horrible disease had taken his life. I had to let go of the girl who had tried saving him for years. I had to let go of the guilt and the shame that I did all I could, and it still didn’t work. I didn’t survive losing Brian, and I was never going to. Accepting Brian’s death by suicide did not overshadow the beautiful soul he was and still is. I was terrified death meant defeat. It was only by accepting Brian’s death, my own, and learning these hard lessons that I could truly begin to live again.

We can all help prevent suicide.

The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals at 1-800-273-8255. You are not alone in this fight!

If you would like to read more articles from Krista, click here. If you are looking for more articles on mental health, click here.

And remember, If you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts…please reach out to someone, anyone. And make sure you STAY. YOU, my dear, matter.

By Maddie Torres-Gypsy Nurse Correspondent

September 25, 2021

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Suicide Prevention Month: Ending the Stigma

September is National Suicide Prevention Month.

With an increase in isolation due to COVID-19 quarantine regulations, people are feeling lonely and disconnected. The pandemic has also caused high levels of uncertainty, causing increased anxiety for everyone, no matter their vulnerability to the virus. These conditions make it particularly critical for people to frequently focus on their mental health. Making authentic connections with others while distanced and wearing a mask, or online via Zoom, is much more challenging.

People are feeling disconnected from themselves as well as other people. This “new normal” brings an onslaught of mental health challenges, particularly for traveling health care providers, who may find themselves in unfamiliar places with fewer connections to stave off loneliness. Despite the circumstances, it is important to emphasize that people do not have to experience these feelings alone.

A person’s feelings and mental health matter.

The month of September is dedicated to National Suicide Awareness and an important reminder that a person’s feelings and mental health matter. Health professionals, allies, survivors, and community members take this time to come together to promote suicide prevention awareness and end the stigma surrounding mental health. As of mid-2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that one person dies from suicide every 40 seconds. This staggering statistic is an important reminder that suicide or suicidal thoughts are pervasive.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Health (nami):

  • Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-34, and the fourth leading cause of death for people ages 35-54
  • The overall suicide rate in the United States has increased by 31% since 2001
  • 46% of people who die by suicide had a diagnosed mental health condition
  • While only half of the individuals who die by suicide have a diagnosed mental health condition, research shows that 90% experienced symptoms

An article published by the Journal of American Medical Association Psychiatry (JAMA) warned that the COVID-19 pandemic may create a “perfect storm” among medical professionals, many of whom are already at an increased risk of death by suicide. Travel nurses on the frontline can be particularly susceptible to thoughts of isolation or depression due to their current work with COVID-19 patients. With long hours, grueling work, and a feeling of displacement that comes with being assigned to an unfamiliar location, it is essential to take time for personal check-ins. Finding the right resources may be individualized and there are a number of tips and tools available.

Silver Lining

A silver lining of virtual connection is the emergence of online forums, community boards and virtual groups where people can come together and share their experiences. Although a sort of unspoken taboo still exists in terms of talking openly about mental health, organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Health (nami) are creating a dialogue so people can share their stories and build a sense of community. People around the world are posting photos on various social media platforms to share their journey with mental health or suicide prevention with hash tags such as #SuicidePrevention or #Stigmafree. This public series has now surpassed 1.5 million posts on Instagram and is therefore available for anyone to look at. Some have found the sheer act of sharing these posts liberating and freeing.

However, if the act of sharing seems too public, there are other resources and tools available for those who struggle. Or for those who may know someone who is struggling. More specifically for healthcare workers, the American Nurses Association (ANA) is a great resource. There is an entire page dedicated to mental health tips designed specifically for nurses. Which includes important links to support groups and wellness initiatives. Even quick tips for relieving stress either at home or at work.

Some of the tips from the ANA webpage include:

  • While at work, take back the act of handwashing as moments of self-care. Recite a meditation or affirmation, sing a song, or pray
  • Take a lap around the department for 1 minute while focusing on breathing. Breath in for 4 counts, holding for 7, and out for 8
  • At home, spend time outdoors safely by going for a short walk
  • Write down 3 people or things that you are grateful for every day

The significance of this information does not expire once the month of September is over. Utilizing these mental health resources can play an integral role in relieving anxiety, depression or other emotions that can lead to suicide. Healthcare workers on the frontline are working tirelessly everyday to fight COVID-19.

With depleted energy at the end of the day, it is absolutely pertinent that nurses integrate effective self-care regimens into their daily routine. It doesn’t have to be a time-consuming routine, but even a couple of minutes makes an immense difference. Suicide plagues thousands of families every year. By raising awareness and facilitating open conversations we can begin to end the stigma surrounding mental health.

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Other important mental health resources:

  • Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741-741 to text with a trained crisis counselor from the Crisis Text Line for free, 24/7
  • The National Alliance for Suicide Prevention
  • The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
  • Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) Online Support Group

Sources:

https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/09-09-2019-suicide-one-person-dies-every-40-seconds

https://nami.org/Get-Involved/Awareness-Events/Suicide-Prevention-Awareness-Month

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2764584

By Krista Berge

October 1, 2020

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You, My Dear Matter. Stay

As a part of suicide awareness month, we want others to learn about this very important subject that is becoming more and more relevant in our lives especially with the certain circumstances 2020 has brought us. Depression and suicide rates have increased this year alone.

To help bring awareness Krista Berge went Live to share her story of her husband taking his own life. She gave advice on talking about suicide, how to talk to those who are reaching out to you with suicidal thoughts and tips on how we all can help prevent suicide.

About Krista:

Krista graduated from Florida Southwestern State College with a degree in Nursing. Helping others is her passion. Krista is also a mother to four beautiful children Boston, Lincoln, Brinklee, and Storie Belle. They seem to take up a lot of her time with their sports and loaded social calendars BUT when she finds a moment, Krista enjoys reading, eating an obscene amount of Mexican food, and taking little adventures around the Southwest Florida area.

Krista has shared her story, feelings, and experience in the blog section of TheGypsyNurse.com.

You can read those here: https://www.thegypsynurse.com/blog/author/krista-berge/

We can all help prevent suicide

The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.1-800-273-8255. You are not alone in this fight!

And remember, If you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts…please reach out to someone, anyone.

And make sure you STAY. 

YOU, my dear, matter.

By Krista Berge

September 11, 2020

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The First Year Isn’t the Hardest Year

Brian’s been gone for two years today.  Ugh.  Two. Years.  (Annnnddd reality hit again with typing that)

So today, in a nutshell, was harsh. 

I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t this.  I mean, we made it through year one, the hardest year, right?  But today…it was foggy one moment with “Wait, what happened?” & clear the next as the ache in my chest stole every breath from me.

first year

Today, my mind told me I deserved it all. 

Every crack in my heart, every hardship, every tear. That this was my fault.  That I didn’t try hard enough, that I didn’t pray correctly, that it was me that chose the wrong doctors.  Once again I was able to understand a little bit of Brian’s pain. A small glimpse into depression.

Funny how we can beat ourselves up BUT if my friend was sitting in my shoes and saying these ridiculous things to me, I would probably have to shake her and scream “STOP! Don’t you dare do this!”

So what can I do to fight against these lies swirling in my head tonight? 

Well….I decided to let you into the darkness a little more.  I want to try and help you understand grief during the second year.  Because let’s face it, none of us are immune to it.  We will, or we already have, at one point or another, experienced a significant (the word doesn’t even describe it) loss.

first year
1. It’s not just one day

I lost Brian to depression before I even lost Brian.  But today is the day I found him and knew nothing would ever go back to the way it was.  Today is the day he met Jesus and become whole.  Tomorrow is the day he was pronounced, the following is the day our kids knew Daddy was going to Heaven, and the day after that is the day I received the phone call that all of his organs had been donated.  For most of us in grief, there is the last day we saw them, the last day we had hope, the last time we talked to them.  It is never just one day of loss.

2.  Everyone is lying if they tell you the first year is the hardest. 

I woke up thinking it was all going to be better after the first 365 days, but it was worse.  Much, much worse. The end of the first year only confirmed I had to do this all over again.  I didn’t have to make it through the “firsts” but the “seconds” and “thirds” and so on and SO ON!  Booooo!

The First Year Isn't the Hardest Year
3.  I regret every single moment leading up to it. 

This isn’t just a “suicide thing” either.  This is anyone that has ever lost anyone.  We wish we kissed them longer, harder, more, or even at all.  We wish we didn’t take the long way home.  That we called and said “I love you” one more time.  That we followed our intuition.  Anything.  It’s hard pulling yourself out of that terrible loop.

4.  I am exhausted more now than ever. 

I swear adrenaline and denial were the only things that kept me going for the longest time.  Now, it’s only by God’s grace I can roll out of bed.  People tend to go back to their normal lives while those in grief are left wondering what “normal” even looks like anymore.

first year
5.  AND there is hope in making it through another year. 

I used to say we lost Brian BUT God is good.  I now feel we lost Brian AND God is good.  See what I did there?  I changed one word and it reminds me that God is God and I am not.  I am constantly learning to change one word.  I don’t HAVE to get up to take care of the kids…I GET to take care of these loud creatures that God entrusted me with.  I am in pain, we all are, AND God is good. 

So there you go.  Enjoy my dark and twisty thoughts.  Even though He has slain me, my future, my dreams, I will praise Him.  I will shout of His goodness!  Praise Him in my pain!  I will point you to the one who gives and takes away!  This is the hard part you guys…this is the place between the pain of this world and the promise of the next.

Praying for your heart right now ❤️

Please, if you are struggling with your mental health and/or suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HELLO to 741741

By Jennifer Traub

May 2, 2019

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Too Close to Home – a Travel Nurse’s Death of a Family Member by Suicide

suicide

The effects of mental illness and suicide on its sufferers and their love is all too familiar to me.

I had a cousin named Stefan

Whom I grew up with and was like a brother. He has had a huge influence on my life. He had tons of friends, was good looking, smart, funny, and the life of the party. Stefan had it all. Little did any of us know what was truly brewing below the surface.

He suffered with severe depression and masked it with drugs and alcohol. He portrayed he was happy and had it all together while remaining too proud to ask for help or acknowledge he even had a problem. Perhaps he viewed that as a sign of weakness.

I was on my first travel nurse assignment in Fresno, California when I woke up to the news that Stefan had committed suicide at age 32 years old and was found on the bedroom floor by my aunt and cousins with a rope around his neck. He had suffered in silence.

It has been 3 years since his death,

..yet the wound is still fresh. There are so many unanswered questions  I have including what demons he faced and where he is now. It is incredibly painful to have someone you love leave you in such a drastic way. How could you choose to take your life? Isn’t life all we have?

My message from this horrific experience is this

No one is better than anyone else. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what your job is, what you look like, how much money you have, etc. As drastically blunt this is, we are ALL going to die, so therefore we’re all the same. You would think given that logic, we’d make existing a little more pleasant for one another.

Growing up and living in the world, and this country could be very tough. Especially today. Society sets a bar of what people feel they should look like, be, or have. They are constantly bombarded with images of this on social media and the internet. If they fall short, they feel like they don’t measure up and are a failure. They feel they shouldn’t exist.

My message to you is that is so wrong

Success could be defined in so many different ways even if it includes just being a good freakin’ person to someone else and performing random acts of kindness for people even when no one is looking. If you’re going to be anything in this life, be kind. Many are facing daily battles that you absolutely know nothing about. Being kind could go a long way even if you don’t realize it. It could even potentially save a life.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC)

The CDC reported that in 2014, there were more than 40,000 deaths by suicide in the United States. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death among all ages.

There is no one cause for suicide. Risk factors include social isolation, substance use, mental illness, and situational crises.

If someone you know is considering suicide, talk to them. Listen to them. Let them know that you are there with them and that they are not alone.


National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Call 1-800-273-8255

Available 24 hours everyday