September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day - a worldwide effort led by the International Association for Suicide Prevention and World Health Organization to improve education about suicide, decrease stigma and raise awareness of the warning signs of suicide.
World-wide, there is a death every 40 seconds attributed to suicide, and there are many more attempts that are unsuccessful - millions of people are affected by suicide every year.
There are some common misconceptions around suicide - here are some of the most common:
- People who talk about it, won't actually do it: One of our clients shared her brave storywith us last year, and completely dispels this myth. People who attempt suicide tend to speak about the idea beforehand.
- Once people make the decision, nothing will stop them: People with suicidal behaviours can always be helped by friends, family and professionals. Many people who have these thoughts just see death as the only way to end their pain, so given other options, may change their thought process.
- There is little correlation between alcohol or drug abuse and suicide: According to suicide.org, people who attempt suicide are often under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
There is always help at hand - if you or someone you know needs help please visit Suicide Prevention Information NZ for further details.