Did you know that 1 person dies every 40 seconds from suicide?
That's 15 people every 10 minutes.
Think about your group at work. Or a group of friends you hang out with. Maybe a social club you're part of. Or your family.
15 people every 10 minutes. 15. Remember that number.
The thing is, although there is lots of messages and media out there telling us to share our problems, express how we feel and to reach out when we need help and support, the fact is, despite the increase in awareness of mental health, we're still not very good at asking for support or telling others how we feel, especially when we are struggling, need help or want to share what's going on for us.
We are talking about mental health more, but there's still a lot of stigma around that. It shouldn't be like that, but it is. And while I write this post and you read it, there are lots of people around you struggling in life. Struggling to cope. Struggling to make sense of what's going in for them. Struggling with their thoughts and feelings.
Look around you, wherever you are. See those people over there? See that family walking along the street? See that work colleague sitting at his desk? See that cousin you have who always withdraws at family occasions? Or that friend you have who always say's their 'fine' but aren't really? Look around you just now. Many around you are struggling. And what are you going to do about it? Nothing? Or are you going to show compassion, encouragement, kindness and patience for those who are having a hard time, for whatever reason that might be?
We are all human after all. We all share that (although we seem to forget that sometimes!). We all have mental health too and sometimes we struggle with it, through no fault of our own. It's part of being human unfortunately. So what are you going to do? Are you going to show support, compassion, encouragement and patience for that person who is finding life difficult right now? Or are you going to ignore they even exist because their presence makes you a bit uncomfortable? Yes, you might feel a bit uncomfortable, but it's no-where near how awful they are feeling right now.
It's your choice. You have a choice here. You can choose to ignore the person needing some support right now. Or you can choose to talk to them and show show support and human kindness. The things is, the person feeling suicidal doesn't have a choice. They feel so distressed that they feel the only option they have available to them is death. Your support can help them see that other options can be available to them and that support from others, whether that's informal or professional, does exist.
And in the time it has taken you to read this, someone else has just died from suicide.
Let's all together share the message that we can talk to each other about our lives and whats going on for us without shame, humiliation, rejections and stigma. We are all human beings after all and a little bit of compassion and patience towards each other can go along way.
And if you didn't already know, today is World Suicide Prevention Day. Thanks for reading my message today.
Best wishes,
Alexandra
Talking EDs (Glasgow and West Eating Disorders Support Service)/Citizen17 Therapy, CBT and Counselling Service/Glasgow Anxiety and Depression Counselling Service/The CBT'ers Club
www.eatingdisorderscotland.co.uk
www.glasgowanxietydepression.co.uk
www.citizen17therapy.co.uk
www.cbtersclub.co.uk
#worldsuicidepreventionday #worldsuicidepreventionmonth #suicide #suicideprevention #every40seconds #support #stampingoutstigma #mentalhealth
That's 15 people every 10 minutes.
Think about your group at work. Or a group of friends you hang out with. Maybe a social club you're part of. Or your family.
15 people every 10 minutes. 15. Remember that number.
The thing is, although there is lots of messages and media out there telling us to share our problems, express how we feel and to reach out when we need help and support, the fact is, despite the increase in awareness of mental health, we're still not very good at asking for support or telling others how we feel, especially when we are struggling, need help or want to share what's going on for us.
We are talking about mental health more, but there's still a lot of stigma around that. It shouldn't be like that, but it is. And while I write this post and you read it, there are lots of people around you struggling in life. Struggling to cope. Struggling to make sense of what's going in for them. Struggling with their thoughts and feelings.
Look around you, wherever you are. See those people over there? See that family walking along the street? See that work colleague sitting at his desk? See that cousin you have who always withdraws at family occasions? Or that friend you have who always say's their 'fine' but aren't really? Look around you just now. Many around you are struggling. And what are you going to do about it? Nothing? Or are you going to show compassion, encouragement, kindness and patience for those who are having a hard time, for whatever reason that might be?
We are all human after all. We all share that (although we seem to forget that sometimes!). We all have mental health too and sometimes we struggle with it, through no fault of our own. It's part of being human unfortunately. So what are you going to do? Are you going to show support, compassion, encouragement and patience for that person who is finding life difficult right now? Or are you going to ignore they even exist because their presence makes you a bit uncomfortable? Yes, you might feel a bit uncomfortable, but it's no-where near how awful they are feeling right now.
It's your choice. You have a choice here. You can choose to ignore the person needing some support right now. Or you can choose to talk to them and show show support and human kindness. The things is, the person feeling suicidal doesn't have a choice. They feel so distressed that they feel the only option they have available to them is death. Your support can help them see that other options can be available to them and that support from others, whether that's informal or professional, does exist.
And in the time it has taken you to read this, someone else has just died from suicide.
Let's all together share the message that we can talk to each other about our lives and whats going on for us without shame, humiliation, rejections and stigma. We are all human beings after all and a little bit of compassion and patience towards each other can go along way.
And if you didn't already know, today is World Suicide Prevention Day. Thanks for reading my message today.
Best wishes,
Alexandra
Talking EDs (Glasgow and West Eating Disorders Support Service)/Citizen17 Therapy, CBT and Counselling Service/Glasgow Anxiety and Depression Counselling Service/The CBT'ers Club
www.eatingdisorderscotland.co.uk
www.glasgowanxietydepression.co.uk
www.citizen17therapy.co.uk
www.cbtersclub.co.uk
#worldsuicidepreventionday #worldsuicidepreventionmonth #suicide #suicideprevention #every40seconds #support #stampingoutstigma #mentalhealth
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