When Sylvia Plath wrote, ‘I was supposed to be having the time of my life.’ and when Sylvia Plath wrote, ’… but here I was, sitting back and letting it run through my fingers like so much water.’ and when she wrote, ’… I wondered why I couldn’t go the whole way doing what I should any more. This made me sad and tired. Then I wondered why I couldn’t go the whole way doing what I shouldn’t,… and this made me even sadder and more tired.’ and when she wrote, 'what did I do but balk and balk like a dull cart horse?’
And when Sylvia Plath described the essence of society by saying, ’… because he thought all sickness was the sickness of the will.’ and when she said 'she wants…to be everything’ and when she wrote, 'What did I think was wrong? That made it sound as if nothing was really wrong, I only thought it was wrong.’ and 'You’ll never get anywhere like that…’
When Sylvia Plath wrote, ‘I was supposed to be having the time of my life.’ and when Sylvia Plath wrote, ’… but here I was, sitting back and letting it run through my fingers like so much water.’ and when she wrote, ’… I wondered why I couldn’t go the whole way doing what I should any more. This made me sad and tired. Then I wondered why I couldn’t go the whole way doing what I shouldn’t,… and this made me even sadder and more tired.’ and when she wrote, 'what did I do but balk and balk like a dull cart horse?’
Having open conversations about suicide can save lives. If you are looking for hope. Feel free to read a letter I wrote about suicide: https://psych2go.net/dear-suicidal-person/
Statistics from Save Organization :
-Suicide it the 10th leading cause of death is the United States for all ages.
-Approximately 123 Americans die per day from suicide.
-Every 12 minutes someone dies from suicide in the US.
-Nearly 800,000 people die by suicide globally in a year, which is roughly one death every 40 seconds.
What are the warning ⚠️ signs?
- feeling empty & hopeless
- feeling like a burden to others
- feeling that there is no solution to their problem
- feeling unbearable pain, both physically and emotionally
- feeling like a burden to others
- feeling guilt or shame
- sleeping too little or too much
- not wanting to exist
- searching online for ways to end their life
- increased use of alcohol or drugs
- withdrawing from activities
- isolating from family and friends
- taking risks that could lead to death
- giving away important possessions
- putting affairs in order, making a will
- saying goodbye
- self-destructive behavior
What are the risk factors?
- substance abuse
- trauma
- difficult life events
- mental illness
- abuse
- past suicide attempts
- knowing someone who died by suicide
- family history of suicide
-having an illness
- not having accesses to mental health services
- relationship problems
- bullying
- stigma associated with asking for help
How to tell if there is an immediate crisis:
- Does the person have a plan?
- Do they have what they need to carry it out?
- Do they know when they would do it?
- Do they intend to take their own life?
How to help:
(Immediate help call 911)
- speak up if you’re worried
- help them to make a support plan
- reassure the person that help is available
- listen without judgement
- be compassionate
- be respectful
- acknowledge the person’s feelings
- encourage the person to call a suicide hotline number
- offer support
- help them think of ideas for self-help
- offer to accompany them to therapy
- help them find a therapist
- remove potentially dangerous items from the person’s home, if possible
this month is suicide prevention month. Suicide is a taboo topic and has a lot of stigma. It’s only talked about behind locked doors and in hushed voices. But it should not be that way, it is too important. Every day 123 people die by suicide in the USA alone and for each suicide there are 25 suicide attempts. And people barely talk about that.
I believe that we should talk about it and that we should help people with suicidal thoughts and feelings. I know it is a difficult topic to talk about but it is also an important one. So let us end the stigma, talk about it openly and with compassion and help people.
How do we start conversations about suicide? Watch our interview with Dr. Christine Moutier from American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as we learn more about suicide prevention, seeking help, and taking care of ourselves throughout the process.
How do we start conversations about suicide? Watch our interview with Dr. Christine Moutier from The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as we learn more about suicide prevention, seeking help, and taking care of ourselves throughout the process.
