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Suicide
Most of us feel unhappy from time to time, but this is usually seen as a signal that something is wrong with the way we are living our lives. We may experience a few days of sadness, and then we manage to make the changes necessary to bring us back to normal again. But some people are unable to do this. For them the only way out is a suicidal act.
For me, I can become suicidal very quickly, and within the space of a fortnight I can change from being quite content with my life to sliding down this slope very rapidly into feeling that there is no point in living and that I need to die, I wanted to die because it was the only way I could see of putting an end to the torment and misery I was suffering. If I'd thought I could have solved it any other way and started to live normally , then I wouldn't want to die.
Suicide is a frightening phenomenom which claims the lives of nearly 5,000 people in Britain every year. That is 86 people each week, 12 people each day or one person every two hours, 5 men under 35 kill themselves every day and in the last 20 years it has doubled in men under 35 while in other age groups the figures have been falling. It is the 2nd cause of death next to accidents in that age group. Over 200,000 try to commit suicide - not because they want to die, but because they feel that life has become too much to bear.
It is estimated that many more suicides are recorded as "undetermined" and that the suicide rate could actually be even higher than it appears.
Why?
These feelings of loneliness and despair can affect anyone at any time and in any walk of life. The risk factors are many and varied:
Bereavement
Relationship Difficulties
Divorce
Redundancy
Unemployment
Pressure at work
Financial Problems
Post-natal depression
Getting older
The pressure of exams
The rise in Divorce, Unemployment/Money problems and Alcohol/Drug abuse have been major factors. But not everyone who experiences problems such as these tries to kill themselves, so is there another reason? It isn't the problems themselves that lead a person to attempt suicide, it's the effects that those problems have on them, on their self-esteem and on the way they view the future, and the key thing seems to be hopelessness.....that seems to be the key factor that leads to a suicidal act. An incident like an argument or a letter from the bank is usually the the thing that tips people over the edge. Warning signs are usually given and people who talk about committing a suicidal act usually do commit a suicidal act. Someone spoke to me and said about her son " He used to joke and laugh, he'd give us ideas that he was going to do it, but he used to laugh so we never thought anything of it, we never took any notice, when he bought me a birthday card, he said that's that last birthday card I'll ever buy you. He was dead a week later"
It's a myth that people who talk about suicide never do it. The majority of people who harm themselves have given warnings of their intention before they do harm themselves. They give indirect clues, they change their behaviour, the change lifetime habits, they begin putting their house in order, giving away treasured possessions, and even when they come to harm themselves, they normally do so in a manner that allows for the possibility of rescue - overdosing when other people are coming home and so on.
Who's At Risk?
Professionals and unskilled workers
Vets, pharmacists, dentists and farmers are the main high risk jobs
There has been a startling increase in suicides by young men - they now outnumber women by four to one
Male prisoners
Among the under 35s, suicide is the second most common cause of death (after accidents)
A study in Oxford revealed that individuals who are involved in a suicide attempt are at a high risk of eventually dying by suicide, the greatest risk being during the first three years after an attempt
Who Can Help
Everyone can help by simply listening and caring. If someone mentions suicide in conversation, no matter how flippantly, don't just ignore it, ask them if they meant it. Try to get to the root of the real problem and help them to resolve that problem.
As soon as a person starts to feel suicidal, they should visit their GP and tell him/her exactly what the problem is. Over 60% of those who attempt or commit suicide consult their GP in the previous month. In most cases, the GP will have prescribed drugs or another form of treatment because patients will have described aches and pains, instead of admitting what the problem really is.
The Samaritans, are volunteers who befriend people who are feeling desperate, lonely or suicidal. They provide sympathetic, caring and confidential support for those for whom life has become too much to bear. They are ordinary people from every background and are carefully selected and prepared for the support they offer. You can share you innermost feelings with Samaritan volunteers without fear of criticism or judgement and be safe in the knowledge they will not repeat anything to anyone. In fact you needn't even tell them your name. In a year they can recieve over 3 million calls, 57% of which are from women, almost 30% of those calling for the first time are under 25 years old. The Samaritans have more than 180 branches and more than 22,000 volunteers providing a round-the-clock service every day of the year. Any branch can be telephone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you are unable to telephone or even visit a branch, then you could write to the Samaritans.
One thing to remember, mental illness accounts for only a portion of suicides and attempted suicides.....so be on the look out.
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