Suicide Prevention

QUESTION: Suicide Prevention - Who Will Help?

ANSWER:

Thoughts about suicide or suicide ideation are not normal or rational. They are a plea for help or an indication of a need for psychiatric treatment. They generally indicate deep depression and a desire to be released from the pain. Unfortunately, the nature of the depression can be a barrier that interferes with the ability to seek help. So the first step is recognizing the need for help. Three types of help available in suicide prevention are emergent help, psychiatric help for depression, and emotional support.

Immediate or emergent help for suicide prevention can be found in a variety of places:

• An Emergency Crisis Center
• Your county mental health association
• Your own physician
• Directory assistance (411) and
• Immediate emergency assistance (911).

Psychiatric help is the second available resource to consider when dealing with suicide prevention. Either the state or national Psychological Associations can help to locate a psychologist near your home. A psychologist can treat the depression that is most often the causative factor leading to suicide ideation. Your pastor may also be able to assist you. In my case, when I began to have thoughts about suicide, I talked to my pastor's wife. I later saw a psychologist. A psychological examination can help determine the best route of treatment which may include medication and/or qualified counseling. When depression reaches the state of suicide ideation, one will definitely not "snap out of it." Get professional help!

The third type of help to consider in suicide prevention is emotional support. Foolishly, I did not tell my family or friends when I began to have thoughts of hurting myself. Suicide thoughts are not rational thinking. When I had these thoughts, my more rational brain could overcome the irrational reasoning. But it is important to be around loving people who can show support, laughter, positive thoughts, and a more reasonable focus when your brain wants to move toward negative and less reasonable thinking.

I thought God had abandoned me when my mind began having these ideas and the pain had reached a point where suicide seemed a way of escaping it. Even so, I made an appointment with my pastor's wife who encouraged me to get professional help for my depression. Weeks later, when I was greatly improved and did talk to my family about my previous thoughts, they were very supportive and concerned. My husband told me that during his devotional time, he had been impressed not to leave me alone during that time, but he did not know why. God had not deserted me! He involved my family even when I was too foolish to allow them in on my pain. God says, "I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Joshua 1:5). Since He won't leave you, don't leave God out of your painful situation either.