Your Mind Your Body

We all have bad moments. We can be going along in life and everything seems just fine. Suddenly, out of nowhere something bad hits us. For some of us, it feels like our lives our ruined, the very fabric of our life destroyed.

The following information came from a religious service devoted to providing hope and healing to people facing those dark times in their lives.

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Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. Depending on the source, suicide is listed as one of the top 10 or 11 causes of death in the United States each year. The World Health Organization estimates that 800,000 people kill themselves annually. It is estimated that each suicide victim leaves behind upwards of six survivors left with unanswerable questions, feelings of sadness and guilt. Sadly, those who survive the aftermath of a loved one’s suicide are at a higher risk of committing suicide.

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“But why would he ever commit suicide?”

How many times have we heard a question like this being asked after a young person commits suicide? The questioner often follows up with facts about the person’s life that support their question: “He was so good and well-liked. “She was a straight-A student and president of the student union.” “He was such a great ball player and teammate.” “Life was so great for him; he had his whole life ahead of him, and he had everything to live for!”

Recently released studies have reported an increase on college campuses in the number of students with severe mental illness, such as depression, which is often linked to suicide.

Times like National Suicide Prevention Week are so important because they allow psychologists like myself to make some key points. Here, I want to make four of them.

Filed under: Being in Therapy, Lifestyle & Behaviors, Resilience, Stress | 2 Comments »