Preventing Suicide

[news]

On September 5, 2014—in the presence of ministries-of-health leaders, ambassadors, administrators, and health professionals—the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva issued its first-ever comprehensive report on suicide.1 Its goal was to reduce the rate of suicide by 10 percent by 2020.

View the full article

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Quote

Dr. Peter Landless, Health Ministries director for the Adventist Church, said the stigma of suicide could be reduced with more awareness in society and in religious organizations, which would allow people to seek help more readily.

“We need to talk about it, we need to be available for people to see the Church as a safe haven, so if they feel hopeless they can come find hope in Jesus Christ and renewed purpose,” Landless said. “That’s what we as a Church are all about.”

https://news.adventist.org/en/all-news/news/go/2014-09-19/adventist-health-leader-commends-who-for-first-suicide-report/

I don't think church members as a whole have changed their views of people who are suicidal.

I still remember back in 1979 when an SDA psychiatrist told me that "happiness is a choice" and if I wanted to be "happy" instead of depressed, that it was all up to me.  What a crock.

[Geoarrge]

The vast majority of suicides are men. Not to discount women, but I have a great deal of understanding on this side of the problem.  I haven't seriously considered suicide myself, but it hasn't been for a lack of serious depression at times. I know the state of mind, from which there are only a few exits: check out physically through suicide, check out spiritually through hedonism, or solve the underlying problem which is often a long and weary process facing multiple setbacks.  
Ignore, for a moment, that the context of this speech is that of a drug lord trying to keep his chemist.  It sums up what I'd guess is, in some form, running through the back of most men's heads.

It should be as straightforward as putting our noses to the grindstone, getting through studies, or starting an entry-level job and getting through the first couple of promotions. That period of having nothing of real worth to offer should be bearable if we just get through it, but after a few setbacks it can often be more comfortable to stop trying, even if it is unfulfilling-- especially when we discover that nobody really takes notice.  But having nothing to offer leaves a man feeling invisible, and wondering if it would not be just as well if he didn't exist at all.  It's all very well to ask for help, but at the end of the day, nobody can be demanded to make the necessary investment.   It's probably fair to say that a lot of these men are sexually frustrated.  Especially those trying to hold on to biblical morals and channel those impulses correctly, which leads back to having to prove one's ability to provide for a family.

What can the Church can do about this? Young men generally want two things: a livelihood and a wife.  I tend to think that an effective strategy for helping with this would cut suicide rates by at least 20 percent. 

[Gregory Matthews]

The following will give information related to suicide:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_differences_in_suicide     International gender differences.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/suicide/basics/risk-factors/con-20033954    Suicide risk factors.

https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=military crisis line&utm_content=veteranscrisis&utm_campaign=veterancrisis      Crisis line for military veterans & family members.

https://www.vetselfcheck.org/disclaimer.cfm     Suicide Self check primarily for veterans & family and friends.

800-273-8255    The National Suicide Hotline  NOTE:  Press #1 for a military veteran focus.

https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/Resources/AdditionalInformation.aspx#@Resources and Programs      A listing of national resources & help for both veterans and non-veterans.

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/suicide-prevention/suicide-prevention-helping-someone-who-is-suicidal.htm    General listing of information.

 

 

 

[Gregory Matthews]

Back in a prior life, I taught this subject to military clergy in a formalized academic setting.  This included a longer time period when I had admitting privileges at a military hospital.  One of the services that I provided was to assist Commanders by making a decision as to whether or not a military member needed to be hospitalized.  I was fortunate enough in that I never had a person suicide as a result of my making a wrong decision.   Suicide is preventable.  Yet, there are exceptions, sometimes because the system does not work.  Several months ago I had the police take an individual in for a 72 hour mental health hold.  The system did not work and the individual was not properly provided a mental health evaluation.  Some intelligent and informed people can scam the system.  Based upon my experience, the following may be helpful.

*  The Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)  lists a family of depressive disorders.  These range in seriousness and the likelihood of suicide.  Evaluation should best be done by someone trained  in such diagnosis.

*  Depression may be an element in suicide.  But, it may not be present.  In fact, no formal mental illness may be present in such a person.

*  In the United States, in just about anywhere, a person may be held for a 72 hour mental health evaluation, without their consent.  Any person may potentially begin this process by calling either a local police agency or by calling a local hospital Emergency Department.  I prefer to call the police. This is likely to be most effective when it can be said the person is  threatening to harm themself in any way and  has a stated plan that  could reasonably result in harm to themself.

*  Any indication that a person is potentially thinking of harming themself is a crisis that requires an immediate response on the spot.  It does not matter where it is, who is present or what the situation is.  The response should be immediate.  The human life of any person is valuable.  That value is more important than anything else.  In the case that I mentioned above, other people were present and with the involvement of the police more people became aware and involved.  Such was not fun to the person involved.  Such happens.

   *  In some cases mental health support may include prescription medication.  This can be very helpful.  Such does not mean that the individual will need to continue on medication forever.  That medication may likely need to be prescribed for a short period of time.  Counseling may be a most effective treatment and provided for a limited time.

*  When I was teaching clergy as to immediate action to take I taught them to engage the person in a direct, focused conversation that included the following elements:

1)  Are your thinking of harming yourself?         Be direct.  Do not beat around the bush.  Do not say, Surely you are not thinking of hurting yourself.

2)  How are you thinking of harming yourself?   The purpose here is to consider the likelihood of succeeding and how soon it could take place.  I was once told:  I am gong to fill the sink with water and hold my head in the water until I die.   That is not a reasonable plan.  That person needed help, but not hospitalization.

3) Does the person have the immediate means to kill themself?   A threat to not pull the rip-cord on a future parachute jump is not immediate.  A person who has a tropical snake in the home has the immediate means--an actual case.

*  The above consists of information that it will be helpful to the people who will evaluate the person.

*  I also included an additional question that I used to help me decide whether or not to hospitalize the person:

4)  Will you agree to contact a near-by hospital emergency department if you begin to consider harming yourself?

 

Well, folks, this is just a brief comment that comes form my experience.   I assume that others reading this will be able to add more that they have found to be helpful.