Suicide

Looking through twitter today, it has come to my attention that today is World Suicide Prevention Day. So for this blog post, I'm going to be talking about suicide and how you can help to prevent it. I would recommend to you now that if you think this might trigger you to do something that you stop reading this now but I think that this might help some people with what they're going through.

Suicide isn't a laughing matter. There are many things that can cause a person to want to end it all; therefore resulting in suicide. They are in so much pain mentally (and sometimes physically) that they feel like they can no longer cope with what's going on around them.

A lot of people that commit suicide or have suicidal thoughts, have depression. These people tend to shut themselves out from the rest of the world and sometimes feel like there is no one there for them to talk to. A lot of people don't realise what these people are going through so don't really try to help that person with what they're going through. Others do know what that person is going through but don't know how they can help them.

Statistics show that in 2012, 21% of people in contact with the Samaritans (over 600,000 people) said they had suicidal feelings. Also in 2012, on average 4590 men committed suicide and 1391 women committed suicide; giving an overall total of 5981. Also, the lowest suicide age group for males in 2012 was 15-19 year olds and the highest was 40-44. The lowest for women was 15-19 year olds and the highest was 50-54 year olds. Over 20 years from 1992-2012, the year where the most men committed suicide was 1998 and the lowest year suicide rate was 2008. For women, the highest year was 1992 and the lowest was 2006.

I think what has surprised me the most by looking at these figures is that there are more men committing suicide than women. I guess this is because society today is convinced that women are the ones that self-harm and get depressed; resulting in suicide.

Being 15, I'm growing up in an ever-changing world, yet these problems still exist. I have seen a few suicidal posts on social media (mostly instagram) and it's just the fact that the majority of people like that post but don't bother to comment anything or offer them any kind of help. I don't know whether it's because these people don't know what to say that can help them or if they couldn't care less as it's not their problem.

I'm writing this post today to tell you all something. If you think that by ignoring a post or the actual person who has suicidal thoughts because it's not your problem that it's okay; it's not. You could help to save someones life just by commenting something or talking to them in person to make them see that their life is worth living.

People who feel the need to commit suicide could be experiencing hopelessness, helplessness, fear, bullying, loss of inspiration, lack of faith, feeling unloved/unlovable and/or depression. If you are going through any of these or know someone that is, this website http://www.harnessinghappiness.org/suicidalfeeling.aspx gives great advice to anyone going through any of these feelings.

But it's not just down to a website to talk someone out of suicide, it's also down to someone who genuinely cares for that person.

I have a friend who is depressed and on New Year's Eve last year, she was going to commit suicide. As it was the holidays and we were off school, I remember sitting there in fear, scared that I'd get a phone call or something telling me that she was dead. I remember thinking 'I wish I could help her'. And I did. Me and a few others managed to talk her out of it and she is still alive today. She is still a little depressed and obviously has her moments, but she's doing better than she was last year.

See what talking to someone can do to stop them committing suicide?

So I beg you that if you know someone who has suicidal thoughts, to talk them out of it. You could save a life. If it is you that is feeling suicidal and feels like you want to talk to someone that isn't anyone you know, my twitter is @teenagelifebeth. Please don't be afraid to contact me. I will try and help you in the best way that I can. I would hate for any of you to have to go through this.

Love Beth xx