Suicide is a tragic experience whether in your personal life or in hearing about the recent news of celebrities,  Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain.  After watching a segment on CBS’s Sunday Morning called, “A life cut short:  trying to understand suicide”, that aired on June 10, 2018, I decided to share some facts of suicide, stress and inner conflict with you.

New Facts about Stress, Suicide, and Inner Conflict 

Suicide Prevention Lifeline (SPL) quotes the following:

• 12 ½ million people think about suicide
• 2000 teens kill themselves every year
• SPL answer 2 million calls
• SPL saves numerous lives daily

The suicide prevention hotline is 1-800-273-8255.

More Facts about Stress and Inner Conflict 

• There are more suicides than car accidents
• There are twice as many suicides than murders
• Suicides are up 25% since 1999
• 2000 teenagers commit suicide yearly

More Facts about Stress and Suicides 

• Suicides are not spontaneous
• Suicides don’t happen abruptly
• 90% of people who commit suicide have a pre-existing mental disorder – whether diagnosed or not
• Most people who commit suicide have been thinking about it for a long time

Fallacies about Suicide

I’ve spoken to numerous mental health professionals who agree that the three statements below are wrong.

Suicide is easy.
It may look easy, but the suicide victim had inner stress and demons that they may have hidden from loved ones for a long time.

Suicide is selfish.
It may look like a selfish act at first when they leave loved ones to suffer – especially children.  Again, the
demons take over.

Suicide is unstoppable.
Suicide isn’t stoppable for all cases, but there are startling instances that show how asking the right questions and going to suicide prevention groups have saved lives.

Thoughts about Inner Conflict from Joyce

The definition of despair means the complete loss or absence of hope.

Suicide victims feel like they have no other option.  Relatives and friends may feel guilty that they never saw it coming.  That is because the suicide victim doesn’t want others to see the extent of their despair.

Mental health professionals recommend that relatives and friends need to ask the following question to loved ones who are in such despair:  Are you thinking of suicide?   They tell us that this one question “could” bring the problem into the open for some victims.

The question we need to answer ourselves is:  – when does the suicide victim reach a threshold that they are compelled to take their life?  Many times, suicide happens after an event occurs in their life.  Suicide victims have a pre-existing condition and don’t act spontaneously – even though it may look that way at first.

I have learned some new approaches with loved ones who have a mental illness; for example, I give them flowers when they return from a stay in a mental facility.  Loved ones tell me how much they appreciate the flowers or books.  Each time I have given gifts the conversations are about how mental health patients are NOT treated like they have a disease.  It is sad to hear these comments.  It is their truth.  I feel that there is still a stigma for people who suffer from mental illness of any kind.  We need to treat them with the same care, respect, and love as we do with those who have a physical illness.  Neither illness can be helped.  It could be in their DNA.

Read more here about my article on “An Internal Fight Within All of Us.”

I want to hear from you

Add a comment to my blog on your experience with loved ones who suffer from mental illness.    What stories or techniques have you used that helped them with their inner stress?  You will receive a response from me because I enjoy connecting with my readers! 🙂  You are always welcome to send me a private email with concerns that you are experiencing at work or home.

Please share this and any article that speaks to you or your company

Loyal readers like you help us find more people who could benefit from these posts.  Help us help them reduce conflict and improve leadership skills and quality of life.

 

This is Joyce Weiss

Corporate Communication Strategist and Career Coach

Until next time, Remember…“You Get What You Tolerate!”