What is suicide?
Suicide is the taking of one’s own life. It is a death that happens when someone harms themselves because they want to end their life. A suicide attempt is when someone harms themselves to try to end their life, but they do not die.
Suicide is a major public health problem and a leading cause of death in the United States. The effects of suicide go beyond the person who acts to take his or her life. It can also have a lasting effect on family, friends, and communities.
Who is at risk for suicide?
Suicide does not discriminate. It can touch anyone, anywhere, at any time. But there are certain factors that can contribute to the risk of suicide, including:
- Those who have attempted suicide before
- Depression and other mental health disorders
- Alcohol or drug use disorder
- Family history of a mental health disorder
- Family history of an alcohol or drug use disorder
- Family history of suicide
- Family violence, including physical or sexual abuse
- Having guns in the home
- Being in or having recently gotten out of prison or jail
- Being exposed to others’ suicidal behavior, such as a family member, peer, or celebrity
- Medical illness, including chronic pain
- Stressful life event, such as a job loss, financial problems, loss of a loved one, a breakup of a relationship, etc
- Being between the ages of 15 and 24 years or over age 60.
Warning signs that someone may attempt suicide
You can’t see what a person is feeling on the inside, so it isn’t always easy to identify when someone is having suicidal thoughts. However, some outward warning signs that a person may be contemplating suicide include:
- talking about feeling hopeless, trapped, or alone
- saying they have no reason to go on living
- making a will or giving away personal possessions
- searching for a means of doing personal harm, such as buying a gun
- sleeping too much or too little
- eating too little or eating too much, resulting in significant weight gain or loss
- engaging in reckless behaviors, including excessive alcohol or drug consumption
- avoiding social interactions with others
- expressing rage or intentions to seek revenge
- showing signs of extreme anxiousness or agitation
- having dramatic mood swings
- talking about suicide as a way out
- It can feel scary, but taking action and getting someone the help they need may help prevent a suicide attempt or death.
Why you should not commit suicide✓
You are not yourself at this point because there is a voice speaking to you to kill yourself and that voice is your enemy.
You will still grasp for breath or help at the edge of dying which means you will still want to live and you may not have the luck to survive it if you try taking your life.
The same way you will feel when someone close to you or anyone else commit suicide, that’s the same way others will feel when you commit suicide.
People may understand your pains but no one will understand how deep it is for you to take your life because after some days, your memory will be forgotten.
People can spiritually manipulate you to take your own life, at the end, you are losing the battle if you commit suicide.
You are more a hero when you are alive to overcome all these challenges and natural death is a safe road to your destination after this world.
What should I do if I need help or know someone who does?
If you or someone you know has the warning signs for suicide, get help right away, especially if there is a change in behavior. If it is an emergency, dial 911. Otherwise there are five steps that you can take:
Ask the person if they’re thinking about killing themselves Keep them safe.
Find out whether they have a plan for suicide and keep them away from things that they can use to kill themselves.
Be there with them. Listen carefully and find out what they are thinking and feeling.
Help them connect to ThesolaceZone.com using the helplines.
Prevention and control
Suicide is preventable.
There are a number of measures that can be taken at population, sub-population and individual levels to prevent suicide and suicide attempts. These include:
- reducing access to the means of suicide (e.g. pesticides, firearms, certain medications);
- reporting by media in a responsible way;
- school-based interventions;
- introducing alcohol policies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol;
- early identification, treatment and care of people with mental and substance use disorders, chronic pain and acute emotional distress;
- training of non-specialized health workers in the assessment and management of suicidal behavior;
- follow-up care for people who attempted suicide and provision of community support.
Suicide is a complex issue and therefore suicide prevention efforts require coordination and collaboration among multiple sectors of society, including the health sector and other sectors such as education, labor, agriculture, business, justice, law, defense, politics, and the media.
These efforts must be comprehensive and integrated as no single approach alone can make an impact on an issue as complex as suicide.
CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES
Stigma and taboo
Stigma, particularly surrounding mental disorders and suicide, means many people thinking of taking their own life or who have attempted suicide are not seeking help and are therefore not getting the help they need.
The prevention of suicide has not been adequately addressed due to a lack of awareness of suicide as a major public health problem and the taboo in many societies to openly discuss it.
To date, only a few countries have included suicide prevention among their health priorities and only 38 countries report having a national suicide prevention strategy.
Raising community awareness and breaking down the taboo is important for countries to make progress in preventing suicide.
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