Although it’s a painful topic, our willingness to learn about how we can help those at risk, can reduce suicide’s hideous numbers.
Over one million people worldwide kill themselves yearly (over thirty thousand in the United States). And, for every life lost to suicide, there are (conservatively) on average, six to eight loved ones devastated by this catastrophic loss.
The World Health Organization predicts that by 2020, someone will die by suicide every twenty seconds.
Most who kill themselves suffer from mental illness; the stigma and shame they often feel can be a major contributor to their decision to end their lives.
We are a judgmental society, sometimes, telling ourselves or others to “snap out of it,” or “get off the pity pot.” But Mood disorders such as Major Depression and Bipolar Disorder are serious illnesses requiring treatment.
They can wreak havoc on many lives. All of us can have a “blue day” occasionally. But mental illness can heighten someone’s risk for suicide, as can drug and alcohol abuse.
Family problems, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, bullying or ostracism, problems at school or work, financial stresses, health problems, a tendency toward perfectionism, a history of suicide in one’s family, anniversary dates of significant losses or traumas and more, can all play a role in someone turning toward suicide as a solution to their unbearable suffering.
Be observant of the person making references to suicide, planning his funeral or giving away possessions, purchasing weapons or stockpiling medications, showing changes in personality or mood, increased isolation or secretiveness.
What can we do?
*Treat all life with reverence. Including our own.
*Share your love and concern. Don’t shy away from asking if someone is thinking of killing himself. You will not put the idea into someone’s head by asking this question.
*Encourage the person to seek help. Offer resources.
*If you believe someone may be in immediate danger of killing himself/herself, call 911. Do not wait.
*When in doubt about how to help someone who may be thinking of suicide, get advice from a psychotherapist, or call the Suicide Prevention Crisis Line @ 1-877-727-4747.
*Be sure to deal with your own emotions about loving someone who may be suicidal. Heap love, support and compassionate self-care upon yourself. Seek help if needed.
*If you have lost a loved one to suicide, and need help in coping with the emotions this brings up in you, contact the Didi Hirsch Survivors After Suicide program at 310 895-2326.
We are profoundly connected to one another. Our survival as a species depends upon helping one another, and erasing the stigmas and the illusory boundaries that keep us from sharing lovingkindness and compassion. When actually, it’s all there is. Love is all there is.
September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day.
Lisa Richards, L.C.S.W. is a Board Certified Diplomat in Clinical Social Work practicing in Santa Monica, California. She is also an author of Dear Mallory: Letters to a Teenage Girl Who Killed Herself (2012, New Middle Press).
