This week is National Suicide Prevention Week sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
According to the Foundation, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US and already in this century there have been more than five million suicide deaths worldwide.
The suicide toll is higher than the total number of world deaths each year from war and homicide combined.
Suicide is the leading cause of death amongst teens and young adults.
The Cayman Islands are not immune from suicide deaths, many of us have been forever touched in some way by suicide within our community.
Suicide is tragic but often preventable. Most suicidal individuals give some warning of their intentions so the most effective way to prevent a suicide is to recognise the risk factors, take the warning seriously, and know how to respond. As society starts to recognise that suicide is the result of a medical condition, not a sign of weakness or character defect, the stigma surrounding mental illness will decrease and more individuals will receive the necessary treatment.
Know the facts
Ninety per cent of people who commit suicide suffer from one or more psychiatric disorders, in particular: major depressive disorders; anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorders; bipolar disorders; alcohol/drug abuse and dependence; schizophrenia; eating disorders; and personality disorders. Studies show that 25 to 50 per cent of people who kill themselves had previously attempted suicide.
Warning signs
Threats to hurting or killing oneself
Looking for ways to kill oneself and has plan to do it
Talking or writing about death or dying
Feelings of desperation, hopelessness, rage, anger, anxiety
Feeling like there is “no way out”
Engaging in risky, violent, self-destructive behaviours
Withdrawing from friends and family
Increased use of drugs/alcohol
Helping
Take all these warning signs seriously.
Half to three-quarters of all suicides give warning of their intentions.
To help someone you think may be considering attempting suicide, listen to them and voice your concerns. Actively encourage and assist them in finding proper treatment.
If person is threatening, talking about or making plans for suicide, they are in crisis: Do not leave that person alone; remove any objects that could be used for suicide; take the person to an emergency room or call 911. ince 90 per cent of all people who commit suicide have a diagnosable mental illness, it is important to recognise that depressive disorders and alcohol/drug disorders are the most common mental illnesses related to suicide.
Nearly a half of depressed people suffer from an anxiety disorder, and although most depressed people are not suicidal, most suicidal people are depressed. Suicide can be prevented through early recognition and treatment of depression and other psychiatric illnesses.
In Cayman, the Depression and Anxiety Foundation is being developed with a mission to create public awareness and understanding of depression and anxiety to improve the lives of those affected by these illnesses.
The goals of the Foundation are to promote societal change, de-stigmatise mental illness, increase treatment availability, and directly assist funding for those who cannot afford treatment.
Pauline VanderGrinten MA, LPC, NCC, LMHC is a licensed mental health counsellor in the Cayman Islands and the United States.
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