Suicide Prevention: What can we do?

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Suicide Prevention: What can we do?

Suicide. Personally, suicide is a term that evokes many strong and powerful emotions. Sadness, fear, uncertainty, helplessness, finality, are amongst the few. When I was 14 years old, my father told me that my mother had tried taking her own life. My first thoughts were that of shock, confusion, and dissociation: was this real? What frightened me most, other than the realization that I had almost lost my mom forever, was that I was completely oblivious to the fact that she had been suffering from depression for years, and had felt completely alone. “Where did things start to go wrong for my mom? Why was I not more self-aware to realize that she was in so much pain? What could I have done to help her if I had noticed?” As these questions echoed throughout my mind, I also remember feeling the strong sensation of guilt. As these questions continue to haunt me to this day, rather than letting my guilt envelop me, I became inspired to learn more about what I can do to become more in tune to people’s emotions. Even more importantly, to learn more about what can be done to prevent suicidality.According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, in 2020, suicide remains the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and in 2018, 48,344 Americans died by suicide. I found these numbers to be alarmingly high. So, what can be done to prevent suicidality from overcoming anyone who might be suffering from these dark and powerful thoughts? Suicide and crisis hotlines have become an increasingly important outlet for people in need of comfort and support, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. These hotlines, such as Crisis Textline (CTL), is a huge step towards filling in these gaps in access to mental healthcare.Melissa states, “The most valuable thing CTL has taught me about suicide is that it is so important to be present with, and to validate feelings, of someone who is hurting. People have a natural tendency to try to “fix” someone’s pain. I can never claim to understand what kind of pain someone is enduring or what relief would look like for them, but I can listen. Sadly, that is often what they are missing: someone who is willing to sit in the pain with them. At CTL we “safety plan” with suicidal texters - meaning that we come up with a series of steps to take if the urge to take their life becomes unbearable. While safety planning is important, that is not what saves them. When someone is feeling hopeless, taking additional steps can seem like an insurmountable task. That is where the power of listening is valuable. There is no expectation for them to be, say, or feel anything other than what they already do. It is incredibly important to be company, without expectation, for people in what may be their darkest hour.” The privilege of being a crisis text line counselor has also been one of my most valuable and rewarding experiences. Approaching and being present for any person contemplating suicide necessitates compassion and understanding. Melissa’s meaningful insight on the utmost importance in the power of listening, is crucial during a person’s darkest hour. Many people contemplating suicide feel very alone, hopeless, and as if ending their life is the only way out of their darkness. Listening and reminding someone that they are not alone is one of the most valuable things a human can do for someone in dire need. Also, it is incredibly important never to discount someone’s thoughts and feelings, and to always take a person’s thoughts seriously.As potentially lifesaving as crisis hotlines may be, we still contemplate further about what can be done for further suicide prevention. There are countless risk factors that may contribute to a person’s suicidality, including homelessness, barriers to accessing healthcare, prior suicide attempt, lack of social/familial support, unwillingness to seek help due to the stigma surrounding mental health as well as lack of awareness surrounding the incidence and recognition of conditions that may cause suicidal thinking. As a society, if we begin to look further into these various risk factors that contribute to suicidality, then maybe we can truly begin to tackle this force at its core. Then maybe, just maybe, those who feel as if life is no longer worth living, can begin to feel hopeful again.

YOU matter. 

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line: Text 741741

Co-writers: Ashley Maestas, OMS IV and Melissa Mahoney, OMS IV[/fusion_text][fusion_code]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[/fusion_code][fusion_code]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[/fusion_code][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]