September is Suicide Prevention Awareness month, so it’s a time to share resources, stories and information to help people struggling with suicidal thoughts as well as those affected by suicide. One of the biggest obstacles we have to overcome, as a society, is changing the conversation about suicide. We need to be able to talk about mental health issues without stigma or embarrassment being attached to the discussion. But that is definitely easier said than done.
Suicide rates are the highest they have been in 30 years. In 2014, nearly 43,000 Americans killed themselves. Sadly, the rise in suicide comes despite awareness campaigns and prevention efforts by mental health professionals, teachers, religious leaders and people affected by suicide. We, as a society, have still not figured out how to get the message across that you are not alone, there is help out there and suicidal thoughts are not normal.
About 16 million Americans suffer from depression—it is one of the most common mental health disorders. Yet 50{2997f8544d703ffd995cbf0748d9148f9150b33c2eb54c93a5197645ffc3f066} of those people do not seek treatment. The reasons range from simply thinking they are in a funk and will “snap out of it” to being embarrassed to talk about how they are truly feeling with a physician, friend or family member to not wanting to have to take a pill everyday. But depression is also one of the most treatable mental health disorders—80{2997f8544d703ffd995cbf0748d9148f9150b33c2eb54c93a5197645ffc3f066} of people being treated for depression show an improvement in their symptoms within four to six weeks.
They just need to ask for help or be offered help.
Sadly, time is a luxury that we don’t have in many of these cases. One study found that 50{2997f8544d703ffd995cbf0748d9148f9150b33c2eb54c93a5197645ffc3f066} of people only waited 10 minutes from the time they decided to kill themselves before acting on that decision.
We have to do better at getting people who are suffering from mental health illnesses into therapy, which means catching the signs and starting the conversation—regardless of how difficult that conversation may be. It also means being more observant and compassionate in our everyday lives. Look at the people around you and be nice. It may be the turning point that someone needs.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.
TMS Neuro Institute is one of the earliest adopters in using TMS therapy for treating major depression in Los Angeles. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts or suffering from severe depression and anxiety, please call us at 888.823.4867 or book an appointment online here.