World Mental Health Day 2019: Learn How To Prevent Suicide Around You

Today is world mental health day and this year, the world federation for mental health has decided to focus on mental health promotion and suicide prevention. Such an objective is to attract the attention of governments throughout the world so that the issue might be given priority in public health agendas.

Although suicidal behavior has been there for centuries, it has been increasing gradually across the globe and has reached an alarming level in the past few decades. The world health organization reports more than 800,000 deaths by suicide every year and that suicide is the principal cause of death among individuals between the ages of 15 to 29.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the world is trying to lose their life to suicide. And it’s high time you learn how to prevent suicide around you. Continue reading to find out how.

• To be able to prevent suicide, you should first know the signs. You should be able to recognize the signs of suicide such as talking about death/suicide, expressing feelings of hopelessness, extreme mood swings, giving away possessions, telling around that they are a burden, or saying goodbye to loved ones. Such signs indicate suicide threats or attempts that should be taken seriously.
• Never try to dismiss any suicidal threats or talks. If someone around you seems to indicate that they feel depressed or thinking about ending their life, you shouldn’t ignore them but take them seriously without being judgmental
• Try to be a good listener. It can help them in relieving their unbearable build-up of pressure which could have led to a suicide attempt. Simply being for them and showing them that you care will actually help.
• Encourage them to seek help for their depression. Getting immediate professional help at the early signs of depression is a crucial step in suicide prevention.
• Look at suicide attempts as a cry for help rather than a sign that the person wants to end their life. Suicide indicates that a person is in extreme pain and is unaware of how to deal with it. Also, it could sometimes be an attempt of reaching out and expressing that they need help.
• If you know that someone is in danger of hurting themselves, do not ever leave them alone. Help them get away from such means as weapons or pills or call 911 immediately and help them seek medical help immediately.
• Advice them to consult a mental health professional and encourage them to follow up throughout their appointments and treatment plans.