Suicide Awareness: One death is one too many

What’s up folks! It’s ever exciting to have you here as we unfold various issues that affect the youth and subsequently pose a threat to Mental Health. This week’s focus will be on suicide and as always; we start from the basics. Just an interesting fact before we get into it; September is in fact Suicide Awareness Month and we will try as much as possible to do justice to the topic.

What is suicide?

Suicide is the act of deliberately killing oneself. It is one of the leading causes of death among youth worldwide. The most common suicide methods include hanging/suffocation, ingestion of pesticides and jumping/lying in front of a moving object or jumping from a height.

Statistics

More than 700 000 people die due to suicide each year (that’s an awful lot of people). If you do the math, every 40 seconds someone dies by suicide.

77% of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries. It is estimated that around 20% of global suicides are due to pesticide self-poisoning, most of which occur in rural agricultural areas in the low- and middle-income countries. Knowledge of the most commonly used suicide methods is important to devise prevention strategies which have shown to be effective, such as restriction of access to means of suicide.

Suicide statistics reveal that women are roughly three times more likely to commit suicide though men are four times more likely to die by suicide. As compare to men, women show higher rates of suicidal thinking, non-fatal suicidal behaviour and suicide attempts. The differences in attempts and completed suicides in women have erroneously led many people to believe that suicide attempts in women are often a method of seeking attention rather than a serious risk and this is too far from the truth. The success of many men in committing suicide is accredited to their use of more violent suicide methods as compared to women. Each case of attempted suicide should be addressed with the same importance and urgency as a failed attempt at committing suicide is in fact the greatest risk factor for suicide in the future.

Risk Factors

A risk factor is anything that increases the risk or susceptibility of an individual to something. The risk factors for committing suicide include the following among others:

• Previous suicide attempt(s)

• Drug and substance abuse e.g., alcohol

• Mental disorders, particularly depression and other mood disorders.

• Access to lethal means.

• Abuse

• Ongoing exposure to bullying

• Relationship problems

• Loss of a close friend or family member

• Knowing someone who died by suicide, particularly a family member.

• Social isolation.

• Chronic disease and disability.

Warning signs

The following are observable signs that one may be considering committing suicide. Early detection of warning signs can lead to professional help and mental health treatment and can even save a life.

Talking about dying or wanting to die

• Depression

• Talking openly about wanting to kill one’s self

• Previous suicide attempts

• Inappropriately saying goodbye to friends and family

• Talking about feeling empty, hopeless, or having no way out of problems

• Mentioning strong feelings of guilt and shame

• Talking about not having a reason to live or that others would be better off without them; statements like “You would be better off without me” and “I wish I were dead”.

• Social withdrawal and isolation

• Development of a suicide plan

• Making ambiguous statements such as, “You won’t have to worry about me anymore”

• Making out a will, giving away personal items and wrapping up loose ends

There really isn’t any typical pattern of behaviour for someone who is suicidal but the above signs may be a helpful indicator of suicide intent. Because of social stigma and the desire to avoid being viewed as weak, some individuals may still successfully hide what they feel and not show the warning signs for suicide.

Suicide does not have a face; anyone is to some extent risk of committing suicide which makes it very important to stay wary. Anyone; regardless of economic or social status may still consider committing suicide. The topic should therefore be discussed more often in order to get rid of the stigma and actually allow more people to seek help when in need.

What to do if someone seems suicidal

When you suspect that one is contemplating suicide, call for help and do not leave them alone until help comes.

If the situation does not seem immediate but you still have your suspicions, open up and speak to the person. Communicate with compassion and empathy without dismissing or judging. Ask tough questions e.g., “Are you thinking about killing yourself?”. Mentioning suicide or discussing it is not going to push anyone over the edge and make them take action but rather encourages more openness about the matter. Encourage whoever may seem at risk to seek professional help. The Friendship Bench is one example of an organisation that can offer help to a person in need. Another important thing would be following up. Continue to check in regularly with the person who may be showing warning signs of suicide; just a simple text or a short call can make a huge impact.

And what if you are feeling suicidal?

No matter the pain you may be experiencing at one time; you are never alone. It may seem as if you are but there is always someone who cares and can help. Feeling suicidal is not a character defect and any people; big [people; respected people have also felt the same at some point. The key is to know how to deal with such feelings.

1. Promise not to do anything at that instant

At times it is only a wave of temporary pressure that may make you feel like life is not worth living. It is therefore important to wait for a day, a week or even a year to ease off before you make any big decisions.

2. Avoid drugs and alcohol

Drugs and alcohol may exacerbate suicidal feelings and would do you no good in that state.

3. Make your home safe

If you start feeling suicidal, remove from your reach any means that you may use to take your life e.g., firearms or pills. If you are considering taking an overdose of your prescription drugs, give them to a trusted individual who can monitor your intake.

4. Open up about your feelings

Don’t allow fear, shame, or embarrassment to bar you from seeking help. Talk to a trusted person e.g., a friend, doctor, teacher or a member of the clergy. If you feel misunderstood; try talking to someone else. Just talking about suicide will help you deal with the suicidal

feeling.

SUICIDES ARE PREVENTABLE!

So, here’s the good news; there are a couple of measures that can be implemented to effectively prevent suicide.

• Restricting access to means of suicide e.g., firearms and pesticides

• Early identification and treatment

• Introducing alcohol and substance use policies

• Establishing strong support systems

• Training more health workers to assist in Mental Health service provision

• Following up on all attempted suicide cases

• Educating communities on mental health and suicide

Our world is bleeding; too may lives are being lost due to suicide which is something we can prevent. Play your part in scaling down suicide cases by looking out for yourself and your friends and also raising awareness about this pertinent issue. Together we can end suicide!

Thank you for reading. Here’s to hoping you have learnt something and will join the fight against suicide. If you still haven’t done so, please to hit the subscribe button at the top of this page and keep in touch with all Youth Convo activities and discussions.

REFERENCES:

World Health Organisation Mental Health and Substance Use Data