1% of the world’s population suffers from schizophrenia or psychosis, a condition in which people lose their motivation and organizational ability to a huge extent, and may have convincing experiences which do not actually exist, such as hearing voices, or becoming totally convinced about unusual ideas. Fifty percent of such people will attempt to end […]
Bipolar illness, also known as biploar disorder (previously called manic depressive illness, which has nothing to do with being a maniac!) is a chemical imbalance affecting about 3% of the population to a greater or lesser extent. People with this genetically driven chemical imbalance can become severely depressed very easily and develop overwhelming thoughts of suicide. They can also […]
Suicide and attempted suicide affect not only the individual committing the act, but friends, relatives, colleagues, family members and children. Therefore, statistically almost everyone in Australia is going to be affected by thoughts of suicide, attempted suicide or death from suicide. There are approximately 2000 deaths from suicide per year in Australia at present. This […]
Seek support for yourself: it is emotionally draining to be trying to help anyone who is considering suicide. Make sure you look after your own safety both physically and emotionally. Remember if someone has decided to end there life it is their decision; what ever you have done to try and help will not have been […]
CONSIDER MEDICAL OR PROFESSIONAL HELP: There are a number of psychological illnesses, which distort people’s thinking and let them see only negatives in life; this can make suicide seem attractive. Illnesses, such as depression, panic, alcohol problems, bipolar illness, schizophrenia etc. etc. can all change people’s outlook. It is often hard to convince a friend that their […]
CAN YOUR FRIEND STAY SAFE? This is the point where you can assess if you need to get more help: Ask your friend if they can agree with you to ‘stay safe’ for an agreed period of time. This can be any time that you can agree. If they can’t agree a week, ask them […]
PERSIST: One discussion is not going to permanently wipe out serious suicidal ideas. On the other hand, frequent, regular contact with your friend while they are having such a tough time, will help to protect and keep them safe while the suicidal ideas grow weaker with time. Persevering is very useful, even if it simply […]
OFFER SUPPORT: The most important issue is that your friend can be honest with you about how they feel. Even if you are not used to dealing with such situations, and if you feel frightened or upset, it is important to offer support for the fact that your friend is being honest with you. […]
ASK: It is normal to consider all possible solutions to a stressful situation. It is estimated that about 5% of a population in any year will consider the possibility of not being alive. What really matters is whether such thoughts are passing fantasies, or strong temptations to suicide, depending on how distorted the person’s thinking has become due to […]
YOU ARE NOT ALONE. ! YOUR FEELINGS ARE REAL. Suicidal thoughts can be beaten! They are distorted information taking over your thinking when you are feeling down. Loneliness. Isolation. Fear. Regret. Rejection. You may be experiencing these feelings, especially after coming out. Name calling and bullying in school, at home or in […]