Suicide - What isn't being done

There are conversations happening to prevent suicide, but there needs to be more conversations about the comments and wonky ideals that need to stop.

Lets start with what is being done.

Beyond Blue

R U Ok?

Life Line

Numerous apps available

And every other organisation out there doing everything in their power to assist those suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts. They do an amazing job with those who reach out to them for help.

We need to concentrate on the people that fall between the cracks. The people who don’t know how to ask for help. The people surrounded by a truly harmful yet unchallenged “suck it up” mentality. The people who think that R U Ok? Day is a joke.  The people who judge harshly those who did not see a light at the end of the tunnel of darkness. The people that depressions claims.

We need to break down the “suck it up” mentality and the jokers who waste opportunities for others to talk. We need to get people to talk more openly about depression and not feel condemned or judged. There are far more people willing to understand and support than there are those that judge. We need to get that message out there. We need to be the light for those lost in darkness.

Every person that dies because of depression is just one more statistic to the government, but affects so many lives. Conversations start about depression, but they never gain the momentum needed to reach others suffering.

We never say a cancer patient died of anything but cancer. No matter what the final cause of death was. We need to stop saying that a person committed suicide. The person died because they were chronically depressed. Taking their life was an outcome of the depression, not the cause of death.

This is a very emotional subject, and people may wonder why I am writing about it. For a start I suffer from depression. I am one of the lucky ones who has reached out and asked for help. My depression is not cured, but being managed as best as possible. I have lost friends, acquaintances and those only known to me via the web who suffered with chronic illnesses.

Please talk to your loved ones.