Are you thinking of committing suicide or suspect a friend is? Are you afraid of asking them? You’re not planting the idea, they are way ahead of you if they are, so the most effective way of helping is directly asking, “Are you thinking of committing suicide?” Or is the problem, do you fear the responsibility of asking?
“In 2020, suicide was the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10 to 14, and adults ages 25 to 34. Suicide was the third leading cause of death for people ages 15 to 24, the fourth leading cause of death for ages 35 to 44, and the seventh leading cause of death for ages 55 to 64. Although suicide has historically been among the top 10 leading causes of death, it was not in 2020.”
For the majority of suicides, I think the biggest cause is the agonizing conflict between expectations and reality.
The expectations are from the family, social media or society and is often loaded with hypocrisy. The reality is filled with disappointment, rejection and your truth.
Finding your truth can be a very difficult path. Are you gay, do you doubt that parent’s beliefs are true, hate your position in school, work or society? Once you know your true self then the conflict within is gone. Expectations are someone else’s dream, not your reality. “To thine own self be true.”
If you wish to learn more about suicide prevention.
Some of the more hazardous occupations are listed here.
Guess which is the most successful means for committing suicide.
Over thousands of years all religions, philosophies and “common sense” have established standards of good. Do you help others with food, clothing, shelter and opportunities for them to do the same? Do you acknowledge that strangers and you are the same species, deserving of respect? Does this mean I like everyone, hell no, but until they prove me wrong, I will at least respect them.
Some suicides are understandable. If they suffer with great pain and there is no cure, what purpose does suffering serve except to make theological purists feel satisfied that you have not sinned? Maybe that is a discussion best left between the sufferer and God.
There are economically rational suicides when expensive life support is burning through the money saved to benefit others like children and charities. When there is no hope for recovery, why allow the creation of a poor, medical failure.
There are cowardly suicidal people suspected of crimes like embezzlement, multiple rapes or personal hypocrisy like politicians passing laws against gay and trans people then found to be one themselves. My favorite is those who publicly scream for “Family Values” but are getting some on the side, because “I’m not understood at home.”
Sad suicides are addicts who cannot support the habit and are now filled with shame, guilt and hopelessness. For decades the federal government was prevented from spending millions to find reasons and cures, but was mandated to spend billions interdicting drugs. Somebody made a lot of money in our “War on Drugs,” yet somehow, we have more illicit drug use now. Maybe something is not working?
Drug addiction is like a biochemical disease that should be treated as such for the addict. What person would knowingly and willingly become an addict or catch syphilis? The addict should be the patient. The criminal is the person making the big bucks enabled by our drug interdiction policies. Addicts break the law because they can’t afford their drugs.
What if addicts were supplied with low cost drugs or treatment. That would remove most of the money from major drug dealers who aren’t in it to help people. Just a crazy thought, that might prove more effective than our current failed policies.