Suicide is a serious global public health problem that occurs throughout the lifespan. Furthermore, suicide is one of the leading causes of premature mortality among young people in many countries. Suicides are preventable, but preventing suicide is no easy task. Interventions range from training young persons in skills to cope with stressors in life, through accurate and timely assessment, diagnosis and effective treatment of mental disorders, to responsible reporting of suicide by the media, restricting access to suicide methods and the environmental control of risk factors.
So lets start with the MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT SUICIDE
Myth:
Talking about suicide with someone who is suicidal is a bad idea and can be interpreted as encouragement.
Fact:
Given the widespread stigma around suicide, most people who are contemplating suicide do not know who to speak to. Rather than encouragingsuicidal behaviour, talking openly can give a person other options or the time to rethink his/her decision, thereby preventing suicide.
Myth:
Someone who is suicidal is determined to die.
Fact:
On the contrary, suicidal people are often ambivalent about living or dying. For instance, someone may act impulsively by ingesting a poisonous substance and then die a few days later even though they would have liked to live on. Access to emotional support at the right time can prevent
suicide.
Myth:
People who talk about suicide do not take their own lives.
Fact:
People who talk about suicide may be reaching out for help or support. A significant number
of people contemplating suicide are experiencing anxiety, depression and hopelessness and may feel
that there is no other option.
Myth:
Most suicides happen suddenly without warning.
Fact:
The majority of suicides are preceded by warning signs, whether verbal or behavioural.
Consequently, it is important to understand what the warning signs are and to look out for them. Of course, some suicides occur without outward warning, which is why public messaging to educate the public about suicide prevention is so important.
MYTH: Once someone is suicidal, he or she will always remain suicidal.
FACT: Heightened suicide risk is often short-term and specific to the situation. While suicidal thoughts may return, they are not permanent and a person with previous suicidal thoughts and attempts can go on to live a long life.
MYTH: Only people with mental disorders are suicidal.
FACT: Suicidal behaviour indicates deep unhappiness but not necessarily a mental disorder.
Many people living with mental disorders do not engage in suicidal behaviour, and not all people who take their own lives have a mental disorder.
MYTH: Suicidal behaviour is easy to explain.
FACT: The factors that lead a person to suicide are usually multiple and complex and should not be reported in a simplistic way. Health, mental health, stressful life events, social and cultural factors need
to be taken into account when trying to understand suicidal behaviour. Impulsivity also plays an important role.
MYTH: Suicide is an appropriate means of coping with problems.
FACT: Suicide is not a constructive or appropriate means of coping with problems, nor is it the only
possible way to manage severe distress or to deal with adverse life circumstances. Stories about individuals with a personal experience of suicidal thoughts who managed to cope with their difficult
life situations can help to highlight viable options for others who might currently be contemplating suicidal behaviour.
MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT SUICIDE
Source: https://www.who.int/