World Suicide Prevention Day
Short on time? Click the button to go to the audio version of this blog. Have a listen while you work/cook/drive/pretend you're listening to something really important!
For those who like a little music while you read, this week's playlist is not so subtly linked to the blog's theme of loneliness.
Talk Is Cheap
That's a phrase that used to mean something along the lines of, "it's easy to say you're going to do something, but harder to follow through". For me it means something a little different. Hopefully that'll be clear in a minute.
To be honest, I nearly didn’t write this blog at all. World Suicide Prevention Day is a delicate subject after all. One that requires expertise and training, one to be handled with care. These are just some of the excuses I came up with for not writing anything. And that’s exactly what they are…excuses, not reasons, not justifications, not even plain old-fashioned ‘good’ answers. The whole reason there is a need for a suicide awareness day is precisely because of the stigma attached to it, that I was about to perpetuate. We have a view in society that suicide is a taboo subject, something not to be discussed, something even to be ashamed of. It’s because of that view that the figures for fatal suicide attempts is still so high.
By stigmatising suicide and suicidal thoughts, we prevent people from feeling able to seek help and support, or even just to talk about what they’re going through.
So, before we go any further, let’s be clear. Talk about your thoughts and feelings with anyone…everyone…you trust. Every individual is unique and wonderful, and the world is a much better place for having you in it.
So yes, talk is cheap. In fact it's free. So don't skimp on it.
Facts and Figures
I always believe that statistics should be viewed with a little scepticism. You can always find some data to support your view, so make sure you know your sources and their agenda. However, it doesn't matter where you look, figures for fatal suicides are worryingly high across the globe. My data for this blog comes from the organisers of World Suicide Prevention Day. You can find out more about them here https://www.iasp.info/
Some of their statistics include:
- An estimated 703,000 people die by suicide worldwide each year.
- Over one in every 100 deaths (1.3%) in 2019 were the result of suicide.
- The global suicide rate is over twice as high among men than women.
- Over half (58%) of all deaths by suicide occur before the age of 50 years old.
And here are some of the statistics that, with my wellbeing and neurodivergent hats on, I find particularly troublesome.
- An individual suffering with depression is twenty times more likely to die by suicide than someone without the disorder.
- Autistic adults are up to 9 times more likely to die from suicide. (https://www.autistica.org.uk/)
- Autistic children are 28 times more likely to think about or attempt suicide (https://www.autistica.org.uk/)
What Can We Do?
First of all, it's important to know that there are professionals and organisations out there that are trained to help. Here are a few of those:
Maytree Suicide Respite Centre
Organisations like these should be the first port of call for anyone thinking of suicide. But, sometimes you might find that someone considers you their safe person, and chooses you to open up to. How you respond to that is critical, and goes beyond being calm and supportive (although those are absolutely essential).
The language we use when talking about suicide can have a massive impact , whether that's when talking to someone thinking about suicide, or talking about suicide. You never know who is around you, and what their experience of life is. So here's a link to just a few of the ways we can unintentionally make matters worse, and what we can say instead - Words Matter
To give one example from this link, we often use terms like 'completed', or 'failed suicide'. This phrases tragedy as achievement, potentially a challenge to undertake or even something to strive for. Instead, it is more recommended to use terms like 'fatal' and 'non-fatal' suicide attempts.
We cannot possibly know what the person in front of us is going through, or what their ability to cope with it is.
"Be kind whenever it is possible. It is always possible." - Dalai Lama XIV