SOS !
STOP OUR SUICIDES !
HELP PREVENT SUICIDES IN AMERICA
& AROUND the WORLD
...SO I just read in the news (see below*) that death by SUICIDES in America now outnumbers death by car accidents...and thought to myself this is EXTREMELY TELLING & TRAGIC of a problem in our country and world. Of course the REASONS are arguable ...some will blame the economy and/or politics...others will point at other possible causes...mental issues, chemical depression, etc. ...whatever the actual cause...ONE THING is FOR SURE..it's an intolerable problem that needs to somehow be addressed & resolved if possible.
I say "if possible" because some things are out of our control to a certain extent. People have "free will" and can use it how they choose no matter what laws or legislation or no matter how much we try to create a better community. Do I have an answer ? Well, there are things we can do to TRY to minimize the problem. We can do Simple (or Secret) Acts of Care & Kindness (see http://secret-acts-of-care-and-kindness.blogspot.com/ ).
We can set up suicide prevention hotlines. We can try to recognize symptoms of severe depression or clues that are being sent that signal the necessity for intervention. We can try to create a society and economy that is FAIR for all, and we can try to eliminate or minimize injustices that create feelings of anger or despair so much that taking one's life (or the life of others) seems to be the only answer.
We can set up suicide prevention hotlines. We can try to recognize symptoms of severe depression or clues that are being sent that signal the necessity for intervention. We can try to create a society and economy that is FAIR for all, and we can try to eliminate or minimize injustices that create feelings of anger or despair so much that taking one's life (or the life of others) seems to be the only answer.
We CAN also continue to TELL the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ..and God's love for us...so that people come to BELIEVE so much in their inherent self-worth in the eyes of God that they will never capitulate to any societal message that tries to tell them anything otherwise. I speak as an evangelical Christian who is dedicated to telling the Good News in actual, concrete ways, every day in various ways.
I might add that I have directly experienced suicide in my own community, as well as indirectly ...of a family member (before I was born).
In the first case a friend of mine from growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan...same age as me..whom I knew from church nursery all the way thru college...ultimately took his own life. I was in southern California at the time it happened and found out by a phone call from a friend. I had last seen this friend (Doug) a few months prior just before I left Grand Rapids to head west.
In retrospect, there were signals that he was very depressed. He even went to a psychologist at a Christian psychiatric hospital, albeit the psychologist himself apparently didn't think he was suicidal. He (Doug) had mentioned to me his battle with severe headaches as well as some other mental health conflicts and a recent argument he had with somebody. He also had mentioned that he had recently bought a shotgun...which in west Michigan...was NOT so out-of-the-ordinary because a lot of people go deer hunting with shotguns (as I myself did when I was young) so it was not a danger signal in and of itself but maybe should have been combined with the other issues. Whatever the case may be I did NOT immediately suspect suicide potential, nor even think of it at any time, even if in retrospect I possibly should have. But then everything is easier in retrospect.
Had I indeed suspected a suicide danger, what would I have done? First, I would have tried to ask Doug directly if he was suicidal, and/or gone to his parents, and maybe our pastor (albeit I no longer attended the same church). I may have postponed my trip out west and stick around for a little while longer to see if I could do anything myself or at least make sure others more capable than myself were aware and could possibly intercede.
I speak not just as a concerned citizen who wants to do well but as a psychology major with some experience in mental health. You can't just hope & pray the bad situation will go away...YES, prayer is good...but also prayer with action. You can't be laissez faire (ie hands off) about everything. Of course, if you suspect a "stranger" to be suicidal there is less you can do than you might do with a family member or friend but at minimum you can notify others.
In the other case of suicide before I was born...my grandmother on my mom's side took her own life late at night by carbon monoxide in a car (at least that was the ultimate ruling by the authorities). My grandma Helen apparently struggled with depression for much of her adult life. Whether this was "chemical" or due to other social factors I do not know. Some think my late grandfather was not a very nice person and may have contributed to her depression or despair but I don't know enough to say anything confidently about it . If he was, God will be the judge. IF not, you don't want to add insult to injury.
Whatever the case may be, surely small acts of Kindness cannot hurt. We can always be sure that various Acts of Kindness at worst do NO harm, and at best maybe do some actual good, possibly even preventing the deep despair that leads to suicide. Every day consider the possibility that somebody around you (family member, neighbor, associate, at the store, etc) may be feeling down, low, dejected, even getting to the "point-of-no-return" and that you may be able to so something small but meaningful to lift their spirits, even if its just a matter of a smile or kind word or whatever the case may be. For those of you who are evangelically inclined, I suggest you focus on words of "hope" & our self-worth in terms of Imago Deo (being born in the image of God) when dealing with suicide rather than talk about suicide simply being sinful. In some rare cases, knowledge of a "rule" or "law" against suicide may prevent somebody from the act, but probably not in the majority of cases...where words of encouragement re self-worth and future hope are more helpful.
I hope to add to this website on a periodic basis, but also there are numerous websites and Christian ministries and other organizations that are devoted to helping prevent suicides, to promoting care & kindness, to dealing directly with mental health issues, etc. I will also try to post some links to that material here as well. The important thing is to BE AWARE of the environment and people around you. May God be with you and bless you...if you took the time to read this then you are a conscientious person who cares about the people around you...and hopefully will "pass it on" and play your part in making our communities around us better for everybody. -vk-
"You are God my Savior, and my hope
is in You all day long."
While suicide in the U.S. has been heavily focused on teenagers in recent years, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that suicide has become the leading cause of death among middle-age Americans, surpassing the
amount of deaths caused by car
accidents..."
OTHER RECENT ARTICLES:
"Sustain me according to Your
promise,
and I will live…."
