By Ariana Cano |Staff Writer|
Anyone having suicidal thoughts should seek professional help.
Although many are aware of what suicide means, people tend to either avoid the topic due to discomfort, or remain ill-informed.
“More than 800,000 people die by suicide every year (worldwide) – around one person every 40 seconds,” according to WHO’s first global report on suicide prevention posted on Sept. 4, 2014.
It’s important to understand suicide to determine whether or not you, or someone you know displays suicidal signs.
The most common signs of people who are at potential risk for suicide include but are not limited to stress, depression, helplessness, hopelessness, loneliness, and mixed emotions.
These feelings often spur after, or during the death of a loved one, complications in a relationship, low self-esteem, bullying, alcohol or drug abuse, financial issues and other struggles.
All of these symptoms can be treated effectively to help individuals cope with their personal situation.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, you should get help immediately.
Consider asking for help from people you trust, and avoid alcohol or drugs, which can increase the risk of harming yourself.
Here at CSUSB, the Counseling and Psychological Services building, located in the Health Center, offers students free counseling sessions and workshops which provide resources to help cope with feelings.
Suicide should not be a taboo subject in society; it should be talked about openly in order to prevent people from killing themselves.
“I don’t think society is fully aware of how far depression can go, so we are ignorant to the psychological issues behind it,” said CSUSB psychology major Daisy Ramirez.
“In regards to the person, I feel there isn’t as much awareness to let those suffering know that there is help out there,” added Ramirez.
If someone you know tells you they want to die, how would you help them? Are you prepared to deal with the situation?
“The first thing I would say is to know what the warning signs for suicide are,” said CSUSB psychology professor Dr. Michael Lewin.
Lewin mentioned a major warning sign of suicide is when the individual has made detailed plans of how they are going to kill themselves.
“The best thing you can do is make sure that they get help, by bringing them into a counseling center, even maybe calling the police and having the police take them to a hospital where they can get evaluated,” added Lewin.
One can receive skilled help, get involved by volunteering, and learn more about suicide by visiting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website.
The same can be said when calling the suicide hotline number at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), which connects the caller to a skilled and trained counselor at a 24/7 crisis center.
Anyone feeling suicidal should take the necessary steps to receive suitable help.
Leave a Reply