I am fired up today. Not necessarily fired up angry or frustrated...well, maybe a little frustrated. I am fired up about an issue. An issue that keeps reappearing in my life. I am fired up about a cause that seems to get pushed under the carpet because of the stigma associated with it. I am fired up about suicide.
I have lost several people in my life to suicide. And I am not embarrassed to say that on two different occasions in my life it was something I considered...all the way down to having a full bottle of pills in my hand that I figured would allow me a peaceful death. I am not that same person anymore. Suicide is not the answer.
In the past I would get fired up about a cause and then it would die down. Why do I let that happen? I have noticed that when we let something that stirs up like that die down then we voyage away from participating in promoting awareness. When awareness wanes so does the likelihood then that someone who needs our help may likely choose the route of taking their life rather than seeking help. I can't let that happen anymore.
Did you know that almost a million people a year commit suicide in the world? (879,000 to be exact..). If each of these people has at least one other person in their life, then another almost million people are affected and so on. I gotta do something. To personally know 3 people in the last 7 years who took their own life is 3 too many people.
Today I am going to work on maintaining this motivation and doing something about it. Who's in it with me?
Suicide is a problem that is difficult to recognize in a person. It's hard for people to reach out and talk about their problem. I contemplated suicide when I was a teenager many times. I wanted to end it, but couldn't do it because of my Christian upbringing. I just knew it was wrong, and I didn't want to hurt the people around me. I wanted to get out of this life, but couldn't do so because that would have hurt other people.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how we can work against suicide, except to just monitor our own families and friends as best we can. If we see that someone we know is depressed, we can try to talk with them about it, and hopefully ease their depression. If it is really bad depression, it would be best if they would agree to get into counseling.
As I look around my own family and friends, I don't see anyone in the danger zone. I would be very surprised if anyone were to kill themselves from within this circle. But who really knows what each person is thinking and feeling inside?
Well, you have me motivated. I'm in.
ReplyDeleteWe can do something about it by working with local churches to traine sucide prevention counselors that aren't just going to tell those in need that if they committ suicide they will go to hell. We need compassionate places people can go to. We need suicide prevention materials in public locations. We need (popular opinion) leaders who are willing to stand up and talk about the issue.
ReplyDeleteWhy do we have so many young people dieing these days from suicide? Of these three people I knew, not one was a person who I would see as a potential person to kill themselves...and yet they did. The most recent one was the most shocking....a young man who was involved in his faith, generally happy, kind to everyone, had a loving family, etc. You don't know who it will be. Thus the need for trained people and awareness by all.