ShareThisIt is a myth that most suicides occur during the winter holidays. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more suicides occur in late July and August.
This is important information, even if we don't know why depressed people are more prone to taking their own lives at this time of year. The fact is, we may be less observant and miss the warning signs during the summer months. It is also alarming to note that calls to suicide hot lines have increased by 70 percent since the recession began, according to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
If you or a loved one suffers from depression and/or substance abuse or are having suicidal thoughts that have persisted for two weeks or more, and are not under the care of a medical doctor and therapist, it's time for a checkup.
I have worked with many people who have attempted to take their own lives, survived it and feel blessed that they have a second chance. Most never thought they would try such a thing, even though they were feeling significant sadness, so it is best to be vigilant, especially this time of year.
It is quite common for many people when upset to occasionally have a thought like "It would be better if I weren't here," and this is not necessarily suicidal ideation. But if such thoughts are consistent, and you begin to look for a means and create a plan, an immediate intervention needs to take place.
I am always in favor of natural therapies, but when the disease of depression gets to this point, I think it's necessary to take your healing methods to the next level.
Some very insecure and unstable individuals threaten to commit suicide as a means of getting attention or controlling the behaviors of another person, and this tactic never works for long. Sometimes they will even hurt themselves or the person they want to control in the process. If you have to go to these lengths to get noticed, your thinking is definitely distorted (which is part of depression), and you need to take the appropriate steps to get stabilized.
If you are considering killing yourself, think about this. The world will not be better off without you, and you will also be hurting the people you love. Even if you think you won't be missed, or that they deserve to live with the guilt, you are actually denying yourself the opportunity to have a life. As bad as it may feel right now, I guarantee you that things will change for the better. Know this for a fact: Nothing, not even pain, remains constant.
Once you come out of your depression, you will see that your thoughts of taking your own life were ill-considered, and that it's better to be alive, even if things around you aren't as you would have them.
For more information, visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org or call 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-SUICIDE.
(Dr. Barton Goldsmith, a marriage and family therapist in Westlake Village, Calif., is the author, most recently, of "Emotional Fitness for Intimacy." He also hosts "Emotional Fitness" on NPR. E-mail him at Barton(at)BartonGoldsmith.com.)
(Dr. Barton Goldsmith, a marriage and family therapist in Westlake Village, Calif., is the author of "Emotional Fitness for Couples."E-mail him at Barton(at)BartonGoldsmith.com)
EMOTIONAL FITNESS
