Monthly Archives: September 2018

Suicide Awareness…

Every 40 seconds someone dies by suicide! Over 800,000 people die each year by suicide! Suicide is the second leading cause of death for those individuals between the ages 15-29!

Suicide is a lot more than just numbers, statistics, and facts!

Suicide is a complex issue involving numerous factors and should not be attributed to any one single cause. Not all people who die by suicide have been diagnosed with a mental illness and not all people with a mental illness attempt to end their lives by suicide.

People who experience suicidal thoughts and feelings are suffering with tremendous emotional pain. People who have died by suicide typically had overwhelming feelings of hopelessness, despair, and helplessness. Suicide is not about a moral weakness or a character flaw. People considering suicide feel as though their pain will never end and that suicide is the only way to stop the suffering.

Many factors and circumstances can contribute to someone’s decision to end their life. Factors such as loss, addictions, trauma, depression, serious physical illness, and major life changes—can make some people feel overwhelmed and unable to cope. It is important to remember that it isn’t necessarily the nature of the loss or stressor that is as important as the individual’s experience of these things feeling unbearable.

Suicide prevention is all of our responsibility! By reducing the stigma through the language we use, and the support we offer those around us. Our first step towards accomplishing this is through leaving judgement at the door!

Communication…

How effectively do you believe we communicate as a: Generation? Society? or Species? Overall—the evidence shows that we have vast need for improvement.

Some key steps in addressing  this would be to acknowledge the barriers, remove them (as best as possible), and improve our skills. Resulting in an effective two-way dialogue. 
 
Barriers (not an exhaustive list):
  • Judgements (of the situation, person, or self).
  • Distractions (environmental, electronic, or internal).
  • Inability to understand the other (jumping to conclusions, only listening for what you’re wanting to hear, or giving what you would want rather than what the other needs).

 Skill Improvement (not an exhaustive list):
  • Actively being present (body language, non-verbal queues, and acknowledgment).
  • Actively listening (allowing space for words-and-silence both equally).
  • Not coming to the conversation with an answer or a goal to “FIX” their concern (this action also takes the pressure off of you).
Within the fast pace world that we live we are often looking for quick solutions and want to speed up the process while we are in conflict. The challenge is as we rush things with the mentality of a “quick fix”—we prolong the conflict. As each individual is not getting what they are needing.

Let’s make that commitment to slow down—- by giving the space and time—- which will allow us to remain open in our communication!