Be Kind – Every Journey Is Different!!!

  “Oh that poor girl, she ended her life because her boyfriend cheated on her”

OR

“Oh the Chopra kid, he committed suicide because he was sure he was failing his boards.”

These are a couple of reasons we hear when someone ends their life. We have all heard and some of us even believe that “suicide is the coward’s way out” and that might very well be true, however not everyone is born with the strength of warriors.

A lot of times, a kind word, a little extra attention or even a few minutes of your time might be all that is required to shift a person from wanting to die to finding a reason to live.

September 10th has been earmarked for World Suicide Prevention Day 2017. On the occasion let us try to be more vigilant, and keep our eyes and ears peeled, may you be able to save a friend from the brink of doing something stupid.

Some warning signs that would indicate that a person is suicidal

• Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves
• Looking for a way to kill themselves, like searching online or buying a gun
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
• Talking about being a burden to others
• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
• Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Withdrawing or isolating themselves
• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
• Extreme mood swings

Everyone has a different story, every story has a different ending, but life is too valuable for a story to end in suicide.

So what can we do to help a person who we think might be suicidal

• Give the person your time. Listen to them. Talking often helps bring things into perspective, you may not have a solution to their problem but you might be able to help them find their own solution simply by listening to what they have to say.
• Where talking isn’t helping, guide the person to the various suicide prevention help groups.

The difference between life and death for someone might be your attention to detail and the kindness of your heart.

If you yourself are suicidal, please reach out to a friend or family member. Talk about what worries you and if no one else is available get in touch with the Suicide Prevention Help line and talk. Life is not as horrible as it feels in that moment, once the moment passes you WILL find your reason to live.

Do not let a stumble on the road be the reason for the end of the journey.