We kill ourselves while under the delusion that the world will be better off without us. That is completely false!
According to a landmark United Nations report, every 40 seconds, someone in the world takes their own life, accounting for a global total of over 800,000 suicides each year. The research found that suicide kills more people each year than conflicts and natural catastrophes and accounts for more than half of the world’s 1.5 million violent deaths annually, World Health Organization staff told reporters at its presentation in Geneva (CNNWorld/Tim Hume )
This is the first U.N report on this subject, took a decade to complete and involved analyzing data on suicides from 172 countries.
Why do so many of us take our own lives? Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Said “This report is a call for action to address a large public health problem which has been shrouded in taboo for far too long.”
The report outlines, among other findings, the following:
1. Most common suicide methods globally are pesticides, poisoning, hanging and firearms.
2. Although suicide can take place at any age and highest rate is with people age 70 years and over, globally suicide is second leading cause of death in people between ages 15 and 29.
3. More men die by suicide than women (richer countries 3 times more men than women) with men aged 50 and over particularly vulnerable.
4. Early identification and management of mental and substance use disorders by health workers are recommended.
5. Evidence from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United States and several European countries indicates that limiting access to these methods can help prevent people dying by suicide.
6. In addition to limiting access to suicide methods, another effective measure to reduce deaths by suicide include responsible reporting of suicide in the media, such as avoiding language that sensationalize suicide and avoiding explicit description of methods used.Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad free
The recent suicide of Robin Williams generated media and public attention and discussion. In his article Why Robin Williams lost to depression, Michael Friedman, a clinical psychologist and member of EHE International’s Medical Advisory Board,explained that:“Depression does not discriminate, cannot be bargained with and shows no mercy. Depression does not care how wonderful your life is or how may people you’ve touched. Williams seemed to have it all: He was adored by fans, loved by family and friends and had fame and fortune…As a society, we need to hear these collective cries for help, take depression seriously as a public health issue and eradicate the stigma of mental illness must be a public health priority.”
The tragedy of suicides must be used to inform and educate people that help is available and (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK; Crisis Text Line: www.crisistextline.org)
that mental health treatments are effective, and that suicidal thoughts, by their very nature, tend to be time-limited–thought they may regularly recur.
Killing ourselves solves nothing and I am not talking about concept and human rigtht of dying with dignity and assisted suicide, which under specific circumstances and controls should be an option for some (an in depth analysis of that issue at A Peaceful Dignified Exit, and to All a Good Death).
What we are exploring here is the tragedy of hundreds of thousand of people killing themselves every year, while suffering from treatable clinical depression/metal illness which convinces them that they, their loves ones and the world would be better off without them. It is time to bring this issue into the light, remove any social stigma attached to it and provide everyone that needs it the proper help and treatment they need to prevent these senseless deaths.
What do you think?
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Wes, this was explained by a psychiatrist after the suicide of Robin Williams. Apparently to overcome our strong survival instinct (our strongest instinct), depression and intense emotional/physical pain is not enough for depressed people to manage to kills themselves. They cross the line when they start believing that not only they will be better off dead but their loved ones and the world will be better off without them. Not sure how substantiated this is (you cannot poll after death) but the theory does make sense.
“world will be better off without them.” is a thought process that comes into play so as to further justify the act. I believe that a guy, at some point, sees suicide as being selfish, no matter how he feels that it will rid him of the pain, he goes into rationalizing by convincing himself that others (mostly loved ones) will be better off. The loved ones will no longer have to deal with the pain as well.
Many who struggle with depression know that their struggles affect their loved ones, so the act would also help them.
It’s not that people think the world will be better off without them, but that they will be better off without the world they are in. Robin Williams was a prime example of this.
It’s definitely a tough one. We all need to be vigilant and watch for warning signs and be sensitive to changes in our friends and loved ones. I believe that most suicides can be avoided by identifying the distress and getting help. Unfortunately there will always be those that are very good at hiding their pain and emotional crisis and we end up loosing them.
My former classmates and I still shake our heads about the suicide of someone from grad school….the student was kind and well-liked and smart…he was someone who was great with people…what a terrible thing to happen…we all still remember vividly when we heard the news…the world is that much less without his presence in it…. Many people do not like to talk about this…sometimes I think people would rather that men be stoic and act like supermen all the time…and it can be so fatally wrong to not acknowledge that we are all just human…and just young, confused people at… Read more »
Some people with suicidal tenancies hide their feelings/emotions very well. Two of the three friends of mine who succeeded, you wouldn’t have had a clue. The one that we did have justifiable concerns sadly managed make his appearance be that he was pulling himself together. In fact the week prior, you could say that he was euphoric. Only to find out later that some victims will appear happy and calm in that they are committed and are actually looking forward to the end. I’ve also learned that any time throws out even an off handed comment about not wanting to… Read more »
Take a look at #1. Most common suicide methods globally are pesticides, poisoning, hanging and firearms. And #5 ” …….indicates that limiting access to these methods can help prevent people dying by suicide. How does one limit some of these items? And even if these resources were removed, someone who has committed himself to going through with suicide, will find a way. Unless the person has shown suicide tendencies, identifying the potential method means very little.
With all the resources available, the list appears to be remedial and not very helpful. Nonetheless, I appreciate the effort to educate.
This article is wrong, people don’t commit suicide or attempt suicide to rid the world of themselves, they do it to rid themselves of the pain they are in and to them this is the only way to do it. The article mentions depression, but not the true feelings behind a suicide attempt or a completed suicide. I know what I’m talking about as I’ve been living with depression 50+ years and have thought about suicide more times than I can count. I’ve also have a few attempts starting at the age of 8. Suicide is the only way to… Read more »
My heart goes out to you Kathryn. Many people don’t understand what “pain” is for those who struggle with depression. They think of physical pain …. many wish it was that simple.
It’s a terrible ironic truth that many of those who kill themselves are often better people than those of us who survive them.
Suicide is a terrible tragedy, and we should reach out to people more often in real life instead of only on Facebook, etc. However, “limiting access to suicide methods” really is a bizarre statement. Are we going to raze all tall buildings so people can’t jump from them? Stop selling rope so people can’t hang themselves? Apart from that, I thought it was revealing that the people in the richer countries are more susceptible to suicide than the poorer ones. It seems that struggling for an existence gives some sort of a feeling of accomplishment that is satisfying, whereas having… Read more »
I think it’s easier for people in wealthier communities to kill themselves because so many of us are so isolated, and there are social structured in place to compensate for loss of income, so we perceive that no one is truly counting on us. If you have little to no real friends or family, one might “reason,” what’s the loss? This is still terrible logic, of course–you never know how much good the future very well may bring. You may find new connections, new love, especially if you live with intention toward that end. You may not. But it’s no… Read more »
When I read what was written about limiting access I took it to mean removing the person from access, such as a 72 hour hold. It would be impossible to keep them from having a resource in the long term, but many times just taking them out of the situation until the crisis is over (and there may be more), will at least keep them alive while they receive some crisis intervention therapy and, if needed, get the medications that they may need.