Suicide

Did you know that in the year 2007 they were 34,598 lives lost to suicide in United States alone? This are completed suicides because there are no accurate records on attempts that were unsuccessful. This translates to 94.8 suicides per day or 1 suicide every 15.2 minutes.  A preliminary report showed an increase of 4.1% of suicides in young individuals ages 15 to 24 years from 2007 to 2008. Daunting numbers.
    
Suicide is the 11th cause of death in United States. This problem like many other medical problems has no prejudice and crosses all boundaries including but not limited to race, socio-economic, and educational status. Suicide is preventable, and in many occasions the warning signs are ignored because of the stigma around mental illness. Some people believe that talking about suicide will influence behavior in a negative fashion. That is wrong, most people give warning signs because they want help. Individuals that commit suicide in many occasions are looking for a solution to a complex problem and not to end a life. Suicide not only affects the victim but also the ones left behind to make sense of the senseless, to grieve while coping with the deep feelings of guilt that loved ones are left with.

Some of the risk factors are depression-the more episodes of depression the higher the risk; substance abuse also increases the risk of suicide because of the impaired judgement to make sound decisions; males are at higher risk and they also used more lethal violent methods, and a family history of suicide and previous attempts place individuals at higher level risk. People that are experiencing life changes or milestones are at higher risk. For example retirement, divorce, loss of a job, abandonment by a partner. Also children that are bullied at school are at greater risk as well. Indivuals who are coping with gender issues and acceptance are among those at risk as well.


Nobody wants to talk about suicide but we should all have our radar on the alert to identify people at risk and recommend them to seek help. We are losing too many lives and we must try to do our best to lower those numbers. Behind each number there is a story, and we should keep that in mind.  

Some of the suicide warning signs are:
      1) Ideas of dying
      2) Substance abuse
      3) Hopelessness
      3) Reckless behavior
      4) Giving meaningful things away
      5) Mood changes like increased depression or anger
      6) Feeling trapped like there is no way out
Today my life was touched by suicide. I found out that one my providers had ended his life. I was devastated to find out. I can't even begin to imagine the desperation that he must have felt to take his own life. He was a well balanced, successful individual. I hope that his soul is resting in peace, that peace that he was not able to find while he was alive.


Note: The statistics on this blog were taken from the American Association of Suicidology and they are latest national numbers available.    http://www.suicidology.org/web/guest/stats-and-tools/statistics