Suicide Prevention

Suicide is an epidemic. But why really is this so?  Are people just unhappy with life or is the reason far deeper?

Depression is also more prevailent but does not coincide with the figures for suicide.  Depression left untreated ends in suicide, that much we know.  But how can we determine whether someone has depression or is just sad or ‘depressed’? 

There is not a one symptom answer to this but a combination of different elements that lead to a diagnosis of depression.  Sleep and eating disturbances, loss of enjoyment in activities that normally bring pleasure, lethargy and excessive sleeping are some but again not all of the symptoms.

Bipolar disorder is a more extreme mental illness and is characterised by severe mood swings from being normal to severely down and morose to being extremely high, happy and carefree, also including irresponsibile, careless and frivolous.

The best thing to do is to consult your doctor or a psychiatrist if you think you may have depression or bipolar disorder.  From those suffering these conditions, this is almost impossible as clear and rational thought is disotred by the disease.  So it is up to the people around someone who may have these symptoms to keep an eye out for them and try to get them help.

Both diseases left untreated end in death.  Much like a cancer, a mental illness can erode away our ability to think rationally and suicide appears as the normal option to adopt. 

For more information visit Suicide Surivial Guide