Suicide Thoughts

 

        If you’re struggling,
it’s okay to share your feelings!

    This article may help you if you are dealing with suicidal thoughts, feelings, or intentions.
    It has ideas you can try to help you and explains how you can stay safe.

   How you can get support and information is for everyone who are experiencing suicidal thoughts.

    It’s also for your loved ones, carers and anyone interested in the subject.

    To start, copy one of these pre-written messages and Call or Send to a trusted Family Member, Friend, Pastor, or Suicide Hotline (988).

Reach out

   When you get a chance can you contact me? I feel really alone and suicidal, and could use some support.

Contact Family, Friend, Pastor

    I don’t want to die, but I don't know how to live. Talking with you may help me feel safe. Are you free to talk?

Express your feelings

    This is really hard for me to say but I’m having painful thoughts and it might help to talk. Are you free?

 

Check in

    I’m struggling right now and just need to talk to someone — can we chat?

 

 

     Pastoral Services are, in most cases, is Confidential when talking about ones feels and actions. The only limit to this, is that of harming of someone else.

    Stress can be defined as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation and is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives.

    Many factors can increase the risk for suicide or protect against it and is also connected to other forms of injury and violence. For example, people who have experienced;

 

 

       1. Violence,
       2. Child abuse,
       3. Bullying,
       4. Sexual Violence

which have a higher suicide risk attached.

    Being connected to family and community support and having easy access to, Pastors, Family, Friends, or  Healthcare can help decrease suicidal thoughts and behaviors you are feeling. 

    

1 in 10 suffer Clinical depression is the more-severe form of depression,
also known as Major Depression and isn't the same as depression.

    A mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life. Possible causes include a combination of biological;
         1. Psychological, and
         2. Social sources of distress. 

 

    Increasingly, research suggests these factors may cause;  Changes in brain function, including altered activity of certain neural circuits in the brain.

    The persistent feeling of sadness or loss of interest that characterizes major depression can lead to a range of behavioral and physical symptoms that may include;

            1. Changes in sleep,
            2. Appetite,
            3. Energy level,
            4. Concentration,
            5. Daily Behavior, or self-esteem. 

 

    Depression can also be associated with thoughts of suicide.The mainstay of treatment is usually;
        1. Medication,
        2. Talking to therapist,
        3. Combination of the two.

   What constitutes as suicidal thoughts?

    Suicidal Ideations (SI), often called suicidal thoughts or ideas, is a broad term used to describe a range of contemplations, wishes, and preoccupations with death and suicide.

    There is no universally accepted consistent definition of SI, which leads to ongoing challenges for clinicians, researchers, and educators.

How we can stop suicide?

    Evidence shows that, providing support services, talking about suicide, reducing access to means of self-harm, and following up with loved ones are just some of the actions we can all take to help others.

 

    What is the issue with suicide?

    Suicide and suicide attempts cause serious emotional, physical, and economic impacts. People who attempt suicide and survive may experience serious injuries that can have long-term effects on their health. They may also experience depression and other mental health concerns.

    What is a protective factor against suicide?

Individual Protective Factors protect against suicide risk:
       1. Effective coping and problem-solving skills.
       2. Reasons for living example, family, friends, pets, etc.
       3. Strong sense of cultural identity.

    Will suicide hotline call the police on me?

    Some people may be afraid to call the Lifeline and talk about thoughts of suicide because they are concerned about losing autonomy.

    But it is rare for a crisis worker to contact police about a caller, and in most cases, they are able to de-escalate the situation or come up with a safety plan with the caller.

 

    Suicide rates increased approximately 36% between 2000 to 2021.

    Suicide was responsible for 48,183 deaths in 2021, which is about one death every 11 minutes.

    The number of people who think about or attempt suicide is even higher. In 2021, an estimated 12.3 million American adults seriously thought about suicide and 3.5 million planned a suicide attempts, with 1.7 million attempted suicide.

Strengthen economic supports

• Improve household financial security
• Stabilize housing
  
  

Create protective environments

• Reduce access to lethal means among persons at risk of suicide
• Create healthy organizational policies and culture
• Reduce substance use through community-based policies and practices
  
  

Improve access and delivery of suicide care

• Cover mental health conditions in health insurance policies
• Increase provider availability in underserved areas
• Provide rapid and remote access to help
• Create safer suicide care through systems change
  
  

Promote healthy connections

• Promote healthy peer norms
• Engage community members in shared activities
  
  

Teach coping and problem-solving skills

• Support social-emotional learning programs
• Teach parenting skills to improve family relationships
• Support resilience through education programs
  
  

Identify and support people at risk

• Train gatekeepers
• Respond to crises
• Plan for safety and follow-up after an attempt
  
• Provide therapeutic approaches
  
  

Lessen harms and prevent future risk

• Intervene after a suicide (postvention)
• Report and message about suicide safely
  
  

    Some groups have higher suicide rates than others which vary by;

       1. Race/Ethnicity,
       2. Age, 

       3. Other Factors,

such as where someone lives. By race/ethnicity, the groups with the highest rates are:

         1. Non-Hispanic American Native
         2. Alaska Native

followed by Non-Hispanic White people.

Other Americans with higher-than-average rates of suicide are:
          1. Veterans,
          2. People who live in rural areas,
          3. Workers in certain industries and occupations like mining and construction.

Young people who identify as;
           1. Lesbian,
           2. Gay,
           3. Bisexual
 

have higher prevalence of suicidal thoughts and behavior compared to their peers who identify as heterosexual.
  

 The fact is, is that Suicide affects people of all ages. In 2021, suicide was among the top 9 leading causes of death for people ages and was the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-14 and 20-34.

     Adults aged 35 to 64 years account for 46.8% of all suicides in the United States. Making it the 8th leading cause of death for this age group. 

    1. Among men in this age group, suicide rates were highest for non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) men (41.3 suicides per 100,000), followed by non-Hispanic White men (35.7 per 100,000).

    2. Among women in this age group, suicide rates were highest among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native women (12.8 per 100,000) and non-Hispanic White women (10.7 per 100,000).

  Older Adults aged 75 and older have one of the highest suicide rates (20.3 per 100,000). 

Men aged 75 and older have the highest rate (42.2 per 100,000) compared to other age groups.
    Non-Hispanic White men have the highest suicide rate compared to other racial/ethnic men in this age group (50.1 per 100,000).


For Help

Contact 

Chaplain/Pastor Douglas

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Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Additional Resources
Suicide prevention resources