World Suicide Prevention Day – Prioritize Your Mental Health

Irrespective of what may lead to it, each suicide is preventable! There are alternatives available, one has options! ‘Life gives chances’ is a message that needs to go across the world.  Above all, today is an important reminder for all of us that mental health matters! Today is the World Suicide Prevention Day.

“More people kill themselves than die in all wars, terrorist acts and interpersonal violence combined” says Brian Mishara, IASP president.

|| WHO reports that more than 700,000 people die due to suicide every year. ||

Depression & Suicidal Behavior – a serious public health issue

The fundamental question is why do people commit suicide? The short answer is, people suffering from extreme depression & dejection see ending their lives as the only option. There is a wide variety of reasons for this. People think that they are not heard or seen, or that their opinions do not matter. While some others feel bullied, lonely, discriminated against, and see their lives as meaningless, they are hopeless and ashamed. While there are some who are dejected because of continuous failure in their endeavors or relationships. Some people succumb to the never-ending financial ordeals, feelings of being unworthy, cultural pressure, being a burden to others, and the feeling that life is not worth living or that they simply can’t carry on!

There are also medical conditions like clinical depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc. that can also lead to someone developing a suicidal behavior which may lead an individual to committing suicide.

Notably, more men than women commit suicide. Compared to women, men are three times more likely to die by suicide. This gap, also known as the gender paradox in suicide, points towards various cultural influences and traditions which dictate men’s behavior and beliefs (“men don’t cry”, “men have to be strong”, “don’t cry like a girl/ baby!”, etc.) This makes men inhibited and keeps them from freely expressing their emotions, keeping those feelings within themselves, further leading to lack of communication especially around mental health, failure, missed chances, sadness, etc. This results in a hesitation to open up and seek professional support. Men’s financial status also contributes to this disparity. “As long as we’ve been recording it, we’ve seen this disparity,” says psychologist Jill Harkavy-Friedman, Vice-President (Research), at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This is a health organization that supports people with ways to cope with suicidal thoughts.

On the other hand, suicide statistics reveal that women are actually more likely to attempt suicide then men. That actually surprised me quite a bit, as I thought women are generally pretty talkative and seek support or help, if needed. In the US for instance, it is reported that women attempt suicide 1.2 times as compared to men. But the methods males choose are often more lethal, which increases the likelihood of death, compared to the suicide methods women choose. And you see, that could possibly be an important reason for the higher number of men committing suicide than women.

Suicide Prevention – need of the hour

So how to prevent suicide? With a sense of urgency, we need to build a high level of awareness in the community. We know that mental health plays an extremely critical role when it comes to suicide prevention. Talking about mental health in an open and friendly manner is still a stigma for many people. Your mental health begins with YOU. Prioritizing your mental health is the need for the community you’re living in!

This stigma affects people everywhere – at workplaces, schools, households, and societies in general. And a good way forward is to destigmatize important topics like mental health and emotional wellbeing. How? By breaking this stigma and making this a normal topic to be discussed! Something to be spoken about, to listen intently to others when they are speaking about their mental health or mental illness. So one big way to bring about a change is to be a role model – where ever you are.

Also, if you see something, do something. Like if you observe someone who might be struggling with depression or suicidal behavior, don’t be afraid to ask them questions. Listen to what they have to share; do not judge them on the basis of what they share, even when something doesn’t seem significant to you – it could mean a world to them. If they don’t want to share anything, respect and accept that as well and offer support.

Not everyone is able to give their loved ones hints about their suicidal thoughts. Actually, it could be quite the opposite. So one way to support is to identify warning signs of suicidal behavior. For instance, extreme mood swings, decreased interest in affairs in general, sleeping issues, isolating oneself, risky behavior, an increased alcohol usage or even consuming drugs. It is also crucial to understand the intensity and severity, to be then able to connect them to professional help, as soon as possible. So this is what you can do for them, nothing more than that – it is not your job to get them out of depression or talk them out of their suicidal thoughts! But you can support to make them understand that whatever be their situation, it is not the end of the road! There are plenty of alternatives and solutions available. All that is needed is to communicate and understand that like any other situation, this can be resolved as well and there are people out there who can help!

Friends, on this World Suicide Prevention Day and at any other day of the year, let us all pledge to work towards nurturing a healthy and emotionally fit mind, build awareness around us, and contribute to creating a culture of support allowing others to share and express their emotions freely without worry of negative consequences.

Boost Your Mental Health – Live for life’s sake!

Here are some powerful actions you can incorporate in your schedule to boost your mental health and help others to take care of their mental health:

• Keep a gratitude journal – pen down every morning at least 5 things you are grateful for
• Find at least 3 things every day you love about yourself – even the smallest things count
• Talk to others about mental health (family members like your child, life partner, friends and co-workers, manager)
• Keep your ears and eyes open for others
• Take care of yourself – self-care is not selfish but needed
• Become a great self-leader
• Develop a daily workout routine – workout for 30 minutes daily, do anything you like power walking, gym exercise, Pilates, aerobics, swimming, dance, yoga, meditation
• Be active throughout the day (like take the stairs, walk around, etc.)
• Spend time in nature
• Be “silly”, play around, let your inner child come out
• Be Here and Now, enjoy the moment
• Eat healthy, be mindful about what you consume and how it feels after you ate it
• Create and maintain a great balance in your life
• Build a hobby, it is never too late to start!
• Define goal(s), a mission which is bigger than yourself
• Never forget your friends – talk to them, meet them, and remember a happy social life is crucial to a healthy mindset
• Create a great sleeping hygiene
• Let your feelings come up, the good and the bad ones
• Communicate, communicate, communicate! Have a companion whom you trust and speak out what is going on inside you
• Reflect upon your day before bedtime – check in on a daily basis of what’s going on inside you, how you felt during the day, what went great, etc. – sit with yourself undisturbed for 20 minutes every day and make notes
• Meditate to identify your thoughts, this will help you in the next point
• Become aware of your self-talk and change it, if you find that your self-talk is negative
• Have a Life or Health Coach which coaches you frequently for some time to help identifying hurdles in your life or health , or find ways to coach yourself
• Visit a doctor and seek support, if needed
• Seek support from a Therapist if you observe to have many negative thoughts and can’t change them
• Get to know what or who kills your mood, and change it or them
• Give yourself a break from digital interruptions – once in a while disconnect from the digital world, smart phone, emails and social media and spend the day just by yourself, doing what you enjoy, and reconnect with your inner-self
• Volunteer for a good cause – look around and see what you feel connected with the most. It could be animal rescue, visiting an old age home, distributing clothes to homeless people, etc. No words can describe the joy, inner fulfilment and gratitude of being part of any voluntary work.
• When in stress – talk to family and friends
• Laugh out loud, every day – even for no reason!

Let’s prioritize well-being for ourselves and for people around us!

I wish you and your loves ones great mental health. Please share this article with people who need to read this.

Love, Jasmin

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