Mental Health – Suicide Prevention

Suicide… It isn’t a word that many of us are comfortable with. It can be a very difficult and complex issue to talk about but I am going to try and address it nevertheless because while it may be difficult, it is extremely important. In my previous column I wrote about speaking out about mental health, about our shared responsibility to care for each other. I think this is the best place to start, to begin making sure that we are not scared to talk about how we are feeling. It is a scary thought to share our feelings, we worry people are not interested or that they will not understand but I promise that there are so many people that do want to help.

According to WHO (World Health Organisation) almost 800,000 people commit suicide every year. It took me a while to be able to move past that statement when researching as this is a monumental number and so much could still be done to reduce it. Firstly, by beginning to talk about it more, by not being afraid of the subject, to quote J.K. Rowling ‘fear of a name, only increases fear of the thing itself.’ By not talking about mental health and suicide we have made it something that is feared and whispered about. We should be talking about it to remove that fear, so when people feel this way, they feel more confident and comfortable in seeking help and talking about their feelings.

While there are many things that need to be improved in our society with regards to suicide prevention, with collaboration needed, as WHO states, among ‘multiple sectors of society, including the health sector and other areas such as education, labour, agriculture, business, politics, and the media’. There is also a lot of work to be done on an individual level, with us as human beings. At some point in our lives we will feel down, we may grieve, feel hopeless even, and this shared experience should make us stronger as a people, we should strive to help others who are feeling as if there may be no tomorrow.

I have personally had to confront the possibility of a loved one taking their own life and I want to share a few things that seem to have become commonplace. Firstly, people who consider suicide do not do so lightly, often they see it as their only way out, so if someone tells you they are considering it then please do take them seriously and help them find the support they need. Second, one of the things that I hear a lot of people saying is “it is selfish and cowardly, don’t you care about the people in your life?” I cannot emphasise enough that this is never the right approach. From my experience when someone considers suicide, they are so far down a rabbit hole of despair that nothing else does matter. In my own life the person thought that people would be better off without them here. Do not try and make them feel guilty for their feelings, you will only drive them further away, try to reassure them, not punish them. Sometimes just being there for someone is enough to show how much you care for them.

Let me ask you this, imagine you found yourself in such despair that your only thoughts were about ending your life, wouldn’t you hope that someone would lend you their hand? That just one person would try and understand and not judge you for your feelings? That is all most people want, to be heard, to be understood and to be given time and help to heal.

My advice for anyone who may be considering suicide or harming themselves: focus on just getting through each day, I know how hard that sounds right now but stay close to those who care about you and take it a day at a time, you are loved and wanted in this world, never doubt that!

Below is the phone number for Samaritans who will help anyone and Childline who can help people 19 and under. Call them and they will help you.

Samaritans – 116 123

Childline – 0800 1111