National Suicide Prevention Week
Let’s talk about something that might be a bit difficult to discuss: suicide and mental illnesses. National Suicide Prevention Week is September 7th-13th and World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10th. National Suicide Prevention Week is a week-long campaign to raise awareness, reduce stigma and educate the public about suicide prevention and the warning signs of suicide.
Statistics that were published in 2011 state:
- On average, 1 person every 13.3 minutes successfully commits suicide.
- Suicide is the 10th ranking cause of death in the United States and, amongst people under 25, it is the 2nd most common cause of death.
- Suicide is much more common in males than in females: 3.6 males die by suicide for each female death by suicide.
- 9 out of 10 people who die by suicide had a diagnosable mental disorder. However, only 3 out of 10 people who die by suicide received mental health service in the year before they died.
Warning signs of suicide:
- Ideation
- Increased substance(alcohol or drug) abuse
- No reason for living, no sense of purpose in life
- Anxiety, agitation, unable to sleep or sleeping all of the time
- Trapped feeling—like there’s no way out
- Hopelessness
- Withdrawal from friends, family and society
- Rage, uncontrolled anger, seeking revenge
- Acting reckless or engaging in risky activites, seemingly without thinking.
- Dramatic mood changes
A person with an acute risk for suicidal behavior will most often threaten to harm or kill him or herself or talk of wanting to hurt or kill him/herself. This person might look for ways to kill him/herself by seeking access to firearms, pills, etc.
Many people think that people who talk about suicide are just trying to get attention and won’t actually try to kill themselves. However, people who die by suicide usually talk about it first. These individuals are in suffering and a lot of them try to reach out for help because they are unsure of what to do and have typically lost hope. Whenever someone talks about suicide, take them seriously. Additionally, some people believe that suicide typically occurs without any warning signs. However, there are almost always warning signs.
It is important to remember that suicide can be prevented. Most people who are suicidal do not actually want to die. They just want to end their pain and don’t know how to do so without ending their life. Some people believe that it is bad to ask a person if they are thinking about suicide or if they have thought of a plan. Contrary to this belief, it is important to talk to people who are suicidal about suicide because you will learn more about their intentions and their mindset. They might even be able to difuse some of the tension that is causing them to be suicidal.
If you or a loved one is considering suicide, please seek help as soon as possible by contacting a mental health professional or by calling a hotline such as: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
American Association of Suicidology (2014). http://www.suicidology.org/
