It was recently brought to my attention that someone I don’t know found solace in my blog after a loved one committed suicide. This issue has been on my mind recently. There have been times I know I’ve helped prevent a suicide. But there have also been times when everyone missed it (I still cry, even now). This statistic is on my blog “as many as one in five patients with bipolar disorder completes suicide" (National Institute of Mental Health). My local chapter of DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance) recently discussed suicidal thoughts. The following summary was made by the local chapter leader: “It is very easy when this disorder is raging for suicidal thoughts to enter. At the time it can seem very reasonable to come to the conclusion that our family, friends and others would be better off without us. When these thoughts are persistent it is a clear indication that we need to change our treatment strategy. A healthy mind does not think suicidal thoughts. The more managed the disorder is the less often these thoughts will occur.”
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I was blown away by an article in my newspaper yesterday about suicidal thoughts versus actions. The headline read: “1 in 15 Utahns consider suicide.” From a recent study, Utah ranks first in the nation with 6.8% thinking about suicide. Georgia ranked last in the nation at 2.1% or 1 in 50 people considering suicide. The Midwest and West were slightly higher than the Northeast or South. No explanation was given for these differences but it was pointed out that no one is immune from this malady. The study showed 1.5 percent of Utahns planned to commit suicide while only .5 percent attempted it. The report shows that there are opportunities to intervene before someone dies by suicide. In another Utah report, men and women age 85 and older had the highest prevalence of suicidal thoughts, followed by men and women ages 18-24. In both age groups, women had the higher percentage of contemplating taking their lives.
Mental health professionals relate that people who talk about suicide should be taken seriously and should seek help. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255 in the US. I am not immune from these thoughts and I have been hospitalized over this issue. I have had medication changes and now have hope, like a sunrise. I pray if any of you are suffering over this issue, that you will find solace and help. I also pray we will be able to create an open dialogue and be able to prevent more suicides. Those suffering with suicidal thoughts deserve another sunrise.
