World Suicide Prevention Day is celebrated on September 10 to create awareness of suicide worldwide. The statistics on global suicide are alarming. According to many treatment experts, hundreds of thousands of people die by their hand every year. That leaves behind millions of bereaved family members, friends, and loved ones.
But suicides can be prevented. It’s critical to learn about the significance of World Suicide Prevention Day and how Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston can support you and those around you. Call 866.516.8356 today for more information.
Why World Suicide Prevention Day?
Suicide is among the leading causes of death in the world. Besides taking one’s own life, suicidal thoughts plague many individuals, and suicidal behavior alienates the victims from their loved ones.
This situation creates a spider-web of sorts. The ripple effect of suicide (attempts, behavior, and thoughts) start to affect more people around the victim. Think about your networks: there’s a good chance you know someone who has attempted or committed suicide in the last five years.
World Suicide Prevention Day is sponsored by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). The IASP seeks to raise awareness towards preventing suicidal behavior and alleviating its effects on communities. They raise awareness on the genetic, mental, social, economic, and cultural factors that can lead persons down the road to suicide.
Each year, the IASP chooses a theme for the day. In 2019, the theme was “Working Together to Prevent Suicide.” These themes tackle specific areas where more awareness is necessary. Anyone is welcome to participate in the events and organize their activities in line with the year’s theme.
Why Do People Commit or Attempt Suicide?
Suicides are often the culmination of short or long-term battles with anxiety, depression, trauma (or PTSD), or acute feelings of hopelessness/helplessness. Suicides and attempts at suicide have far-reaching effects, impacting family, friends, or communities of the victim.
As stated, many factors can lead one to attempt or commit suicide. One major misconception is that suicides must result from long-term battles with mental health issues, including depression treatment or other mental health treatment.
However, suicide can be the result of a sudden event, like the loss of a loved one, job loss, or trauma, such as violence, accidents, disfigurement, becoming disabled. Such suicides are much harder to predict, so it is essential to stay close to people who have faced a life-altering situation.
Economic distress is another common reason for suicide, especially among middle-aged adults with families and other dependents. Someone who is unable to provide a decent livelihood for their family may feel hopeless and choose to end their life.
How Can I Join the Effort for Suicide Prevention?
Every year, IASP and other stakeholders rally around World Suicide Prevention Day and organize fund-raising activities. One such event is the Cycle Around the Globe challenge, which invites participants to cycle over 20,000 miles around the world in one month. Funds from these events go towards suicide prevention activities.
You can participate in such events near you, or join the global events through digital channels if you’re unable to attend physically. You can also raise awareness through whatever channels you communicate on digitally, such as social media, blogging, vlogging.
Seek Mental Health Treatment at Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston
Apart from supporting World Suicide Prevention Day activities, there are other ways for you to get involved. For instance, you can pay attention to your friends, family, or work colleagues. Try to take an interest in their lives. People battling depression, anxiety, PTSD, grief/loss, and addictions may also be having suicidal thoughts. You may need to support yourself if you’re a caregiver for someone going through these things.
At Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston, we offer the following mental health treatment and addiction treatment programs:
- Individual therapy program
- Trauma therapy program
- Family therapy program
- Dual diagnosis treatment programs
Reach out to Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston at 866.516.8356 if you or your loved one needs depression treatment, detox services, or talk therapy to get through a difficult patch. Let us help them and you to get back to fulfilling lives. Help us celebrate World Suicide Prevention Day to create a world without suicide.
