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September 10 – World Suicide Prevention Day
Суициды: миф и правда
Suicide is a serious problem of public health, which has far -reaching social, emotional and economic consequences. According to estimates, more than 700,000 suicides are currently committed annually in the world, and we know that each suicide has a deep effect on many other people.
During the three-year period 2021-2023. World Suicide Prevention Day is held under the motto "Give Hope thanks to action." This motto serves as a powerful call to take measures and a reminder that there is an alternative to suicide and that by our actions we are able to instill hope and activate prevention.
Murad Khan, president of the International Association of Suicide Prevention, indicates in his appeal: "There can be many reasons for suicide, which means that there is no one solution to the problem." At the same time, WHO insists that restriction of access to suicide means is one of the most effective measures to prevent them.
September 10 – World Suicide Prevention Day. The main goal of the World Suicide Prevention is to reduce the level of suicides and suicidal attempts (parasuicides). And on this day I would like to talk about myths and truthful facts about suicide, which relate to the circumstances of its committing, the psycho -emotional status of a suicid, the reasons that could push a person to such a step.
Myth 1st: Thoughts of suicide are only among people with mental abnormalities. Reality: the presence of thoughts of suicide means that a person is deeply unhappy, and this is far from always an indicator of a mental illness. Many people who suffer from any mental disorder, on the contrary, do not have such desires, and, accordingly, far from all those who decide on such a step have a mental illness.
Not only the inhabitants are subject to the 2nd myth, but even the doctors, namely: you cannot discuss the issue of suicide, because the conversation can encourage a person to do this. In fact, we all know that suicide as an act of human free will is actively condemned by society throughout the world (excluding some eastern countries), and often people who are overcome by suicidal thoughts simply do not know who you can talk about this so as not to encounter condemnation. But a frank conversation on this topic can reveal other life prospects for a person and will give time to change his mind. Experienced psychotherapists even have such a technique in working with patients prone to suicide: at the end of each meeting, take an oral promise from the patient that he will not commit suicide by the next session. It sounds strange, but it works!
The 3rd and very common myth sounds like this: if someone wants to commit suicide, then no one and nothing can interfere with this. However, these studies clearly show that many suicides and their attempts could be prevented. The main thing is to recognize in time that a person is on the verge, and this is really sometimes difficult. We often hear something in the spirit of “he was so cheerful from loved ones, I can’t believe that he did it” or “everything was just fine in her life, she never complained about anything, and now.” If you still catch a certain critical moment in a person’s life, his poor health, “last breath”, it is important to involve him in the conversation to win time and wait for a destructive impulse that will go into the background and will come to naught, and limit access to suicide means, to be close to a vulnerable person, to motivate to visit specialists in the field of mental health.
Myth 4: if someone has suicidal thoughts, this person will be subject to him all his life. This is wrong. The threat of suicide, as a rule, arises in connection with a specific life situation and does not last long. Suicidal thoughts can periodically arise again, but this does not mean that it will always be so. Anyone who once thought about suicide and even tried to do it can later abandon these thoughts forever.
The 5th myth states that a person with suicidal thoughts certainly wants to die, but, paradoxically, everything is quite the opposite: those who think about suicide often suffer from mood swings, they are torn by suffering, painful thoughts, timid hopes, faith, and the desire to live and fight the desire to stop everything immediately. Simply put, a person equally wants to live and die equally. Someone can really succumb to the initial impulse, and after, if a person is lucky enough to stay alive, he often regrets his attempt. That is why in this matter the resulting emotional support is so important, as well as restriction of access to suicide means.
It is believed that most suicide occurs suddenly, without any alarm signals-and this is the 6th myth. But most suicides are precisely preceded by anxiety signals, which are manifested either in words or in behavior. The problem often lies in the indifference, the detachment of others, which are often in the grip of the entire aggregate of myths. Of course, there are cases that find others by surprise, but here it is important to understand in time what is an alarming symptom and catch this signal, to know what to do in such a situation.
The 7th, a common myth is also expressed, is expressed as follows: a person who speaks of suicide is actually not going to do this and will not commit suicide. This is far from the true state of affairs. The following should be clear: the people who talk about suicide perhaps in this way they are trying to ask them to be extended to their hands, supported in difficult times. For weeks or months before suicide, about 80% of suicides made it clear about their intentions to loved ones, friends, psychologist or doctor. But, unfortunately, not everyone knows how to directly, frankly and confidential, ask to come to the help. Plus, many of those who think about committing suicide experience increased anxiety, depression, a sense of helplessness and simply do not see a way out of the impasse, this is the so -called “corridor thinking”: I do not see any options around, only darkness, and light only in the loop or on the roof of the high -rise building.
Which of this should be concluded? We should be more attentive to each other and harder for the feelings and experiences of other people, trust and help each other and be prepared to always come to the rescue in a difficult situation.
Currently, in healthcare organizations, suicide prevention is carried out by all medical workers. One of the means of prevention of suicides is consultations conducted by psychologists, psychotherapists by phone of trust. Although many of our compatriots have a prejudice regarding the appeal to doctors with the problems of the psyche, and that is why the main task in prevention measures is to instill psychological literacy, to increase the level of culture regarding the need to take care of their mental health in a timely manner, to eradicate the fear of treating specialists in the field of mental health protection.
