How common is it to think about suicide? About a plan to stop your life; to die and leave all of this? Do you suddenly find yourself thinking about suicide and wonder how you got there? Well, you’re not alone. Many people report they think about suicide and possible plans. It is estimated that 5% of the Canadian population has thoughts of suicide at one time or another (ASIST BC Crisis Centre). Does that mean we’re all depressed? Or doing such a bad job of managing of our lives that we need to escape?
No. We are certainly not all depressed and most people with depression do not die by suicide or think about it all the time….and no, most of us may have one or two things in our lives we are struggling with, but our life overall is normal and acceptable. Thinking about suicide may start with thinking of a way to escape difficulty, sorrow, shame or guilt. Loss of people we love, relationships, jobs and money are all possible reasons to want to escape the feeling and the problem. We are wired to find solutions to our problems and for most of we naturally reach out, talk to someone, and together we have the ability to find solutions other than death. Some people, however, do not have someone that will listen to them when they mention their thoughts of suicide as a way to end the problem.
September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day. I urge you to become aware of the commonness of thinking about suicide and seriously listen to someone that is hinting or talking about suicide, ending it all, or not having a choice. We absolutely cannot make someone suicide by asking them if they are thinking about killing themselves. Think about yourself. If you have had thoughts of suicide, it started long before someone asked about it. It was your idea – not theirs. Let’s try to prevent a suicide by LISTENING to someone’s story, and trying to find a solution other than death.
Barbara Gilmore is a registered counsellor in Victoria BC region that discusses suicide in your life. Why did someone die? Why do I want to die?
Barbara Gilmore
Clinical Counselling CPCA#3625
