Myths, Truths and "So, What Do We Do about It?"
[Part One of a Three-Part Series] - by Beth Healey
How often have you
heard people remark that those who commit suicide are “cowards… selfish…just
looking for attention…are guilty of something?” If you’re reading this, I hope
you do not agree with hurtful comments like these. (They are made by folks who are seriously
misinformed.) Whether you do or not, please take a little time to learn the
truth about suicide and the most common reason why people are driven to do it—which happens to be depression.Chances are good that you know at least one person who has taken his or her life or someone who has survived the loss of a loved one through suicide. (Personally, I know three.) After you have read this three-part series on suicide, you will hopefully have a better understanding of this tragic, worldwide problem. (If you are a ministry leader, clinician or someone who wants to learn how to help others—from a faith perspective—who are suicidal, now is your chance to register for Soul Shop.)
First, let’s start with some facts about suicide.
·
38,000+ people in the U.S. take their own lives each year
·
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in
U.S. (homicide ranks 17); it is the 3rd leading cause of death
worldwide for those aged 15-44; and is the 2nd leading cause of
death among college students
·
Males have nearly four times the suicide rate of females
·
Baby
boomers (born 1945-1964) have a higher rate of suicide than any
other age group
·
There
are more deaths annually of young people by suicide than auto fatalities
·
There
has been a 128% increase in suicides among children aged 10-14 since 1980
·
One
in 12 high school students attempt suicide
·
More
young people die from suicide than cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects,
strokes, pneumonia, and lung disease combined!
·
15%
of clinically depressed people commit suicide
o
80-90%
of adolescents that seek treatment for depression are treated successfully using therapy and/or medication.
o
Only
half of all Americans experiencing an episode of major depression get
treatment!
·
80%
of those who die by their own hand have given warnings of their
intentions to others
·
The
suicide rate among military veterans is 50% higher than that of civilians
There
are at least a half dozen reasons why people commit suicide. As I mentioned
earlier, the most common one is depression—an illness that is often
misjudged and misunderstood.
If
you were to tell someone afflicted by depression to “just snap out of it…things
aren’t that bad,” you would be giving the most precarious kind of advice, even
if your intentions were well-meaning. To expect someone suffering from
depression to just snap out of it is like expecting someone who has just broken
a leg to hop up on both feet and run around the block.
We understand that when a limb or an organ is injured or unhealthy, we are limited in what we can do until healing occurs. Yet, due to lack of knowledge
and the lingering stigma, we do
not seem to understand that when a person’s brain is not functionally normally, he or
she is incapable of snapping out of anything! Depression is a mental disorder.
It impairs thinking. It distorts and debilitates…
[Check
back in a week for Part Two will include indicators of suicidal thinking and depression symptoms.]
Resources:
www.nami.org
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