Octaviano: Be the voice

(World Health Organization)
(World Health Organization)

SUICIDE prevention is everyone’s responsibility.

September is the Suicide Prevention Month and this upcoming Monday, September 10 is the World Suicide Prevention Day.

Suicide facts and figures are alarming. The World Health Organization (WHO) shared that over 800,000 people die by suicide globally every year. This corresponds to about one death every 40 seconds. This number is more than the combined death due to homicide and war.

Suicide is the 15th leading cause of death globally. For every one death, there are 25 others who attempted to end their lives.

We can prevent this if we work together. All of us can do something to help a person who is experiencing mental health issues. Most of them might be experiencing depression, a medical condition that negatively affects how one feels, acts and thinks.

It can cause feelings of being unworthy and unloved. However, most of the time, depression can be treated.

We can show our support to a family member or friend who has been diagnosed by a psychiatrist with depression and is contemplating over suicide. Here are ways to help them:

* Listen. Listening and be there for a person with suicide tendencies mean a lot. Let the person express his/her feelings or experiences

* Be non-judgmental. Don’t criticize the person, or at least, minimize your judgments.

* Take them to professionals. Encourage the person to seek professional help from a guidance counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist.

* Don’t ask why questions, focus on the what.

We can also learn more about mental health, understand it and share about it to others. Be a mental health advocate. Help stomp out the stigma. Be the voice.

We can also support suicide prevention activities on Monday, September 10 by lightning a candle near a window at 8 p.m. to honor someone who died and support others who survived from an attempt.

Again, be the voice to raise awareness.

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