September to Remember
A Month for Suicide Awareness and Prevention
An article recently appeared in one of my favorite online news sources, The Good News Network (GNN). It reports the story of a woman intending to jump from a bridge in Nashvillle, Tennessee. As she stood on the narrow catwalk above the river, a man approached her, started a quiet conversation and gently encouraged her to take his hand and together step back over the railing and onto the bridge roadway.
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That event took place on September 10th, World Suicide Prevention Day.
The Good Samaritan who intervened was mega-rock star Jon Bon Jovi.
While that kind act saved one life, hundreds of thousands of other people around the world were not as fortunate. According to a report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 700,000 people die by suicide annually. That’s the equivalent of one person taking their own life every 40 seconds.
Those numbers are staggering…. and the toll is tragic.
Suicide: A Global Health Issue
During the month of September, 2024, several advocacy groups and government organizations launched campaigns to raise awareness, reduce stigma and promote prevention of suicide. These included:
September 10: World Suicide Prevention Day
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP)
September 8-14: Suicide Prevention Week
September 1-30: National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Each of these initiatives, and a number of similar efforts, were dedicated to raising awareness about suicide ideation, prevention and support resources to help people considering suicide and also to reduce the intense stigma that surrounds suicide.
Suicide is not a solution
What might cause a person to consider taking their own life?
There are a actually a number of contributing factors that can increase one’s vulnerability towards suicide ideation. Genetics is one of them. Studies show that the risk is higher among people who have a family member who committed suicide.
A person prone to significantly higher emotional and behavioral responses to events may, over time, experience high levels of anxiety, depression and poor self image.
A highly sensitive person may also perceive benign social interactions as highly invalidating, leading them to become more introspective, withdrawn and defensive.
Trauma and personal loss are also potential contributors to dysregulated emotional reactions to life events, particularly anxiety and depression.
Over time, the net effect of ongoing emotional stress can lead to the conclusion by a person that a life burdened by severe and chronic emotional pain simply isn’t a life worth living.
Alan Fruzzetti, PhD, associate professor at Harvard Medical School, professor emeritus at the University of Nevada-Reno and co-founder of the Center for DBT and Families at McLean Hospital, describes what people with BPD typically experience .
Signs and Symptoms of Suicide Ideation
Warning signs aren't always obvious and vary from person to person. Some people make their intentions clear, while others keep suicidal thoughts to themselves.
Nonetheless, there are several warning signs that a person is considering suicide.
These include:
Talking about suicide. including statements such as, "I'm going to kill myself," or "I wish I were dead".
Having the means to take their life, such as a gun or pills.
Withdrawing from social contact and wanting to be left alone.
Having dramatic mood swings; emotionally high one day and deeply discouraged the next.
Being preoccupied with death, dying or violence.
Feeling trapped or hopeless about their life situation.
Increased use of alcohol or drugs.
A change in normal routines, including eating or sleeping patterns
Engaging in risky and self-destructive acts, such as using drugs or driving recklessly.
Giving away belongings or getting affairs in order when there's no logical explanation for doing that.
Saying goodbye to people as if they won't be seen again.
Displaying extreme personality changes or being severely anxious or agitated.
You can find additional information about warning signs on the McLean Hospital and the Mayo Clinic websites.
There are also a number of advocacy organizations devoted to raising awareness about suicide and prevention strategies including:
The American Association of Suicidology (AAS). The oldest membership-based suicide prevention organization in the U.S., AAS supports suicide research and public awareness, as well as suicide education and training for professionals and volunteers.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). To promote the idea that mental health is as important as physical health, AFSP recently launched a public service campaign, Talk Away the Dark, to educate people on how to help someone who is struggling with their mental health.
StatPearls, a continuing education content development organization, recently published a comprehensive Continuing Education activity, Suicidal Ideation, to improve suicide awareness and prevention among mental health providers. The activity is available online via the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) website.
Building A Life Worth Living
That’s the title of the recent memoir written by Marsha Linehan, PhD. It’s a phrase she uses that succinctly sums up the goal of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, also known as DBT,
Dr. Linehan initially developed DBT specifically for the treatment of people prone to self harming and suicidal behaviors. DBT has since expanded to treatment of borderline personality disorder and other mental disorders, particularly those that involve severe emotion dysregulation.
My first exposure to suicide ideation and behaviors took place in 1993, when I began production of a video series based on Marsha’s ground breaking book on DBT and BPD - Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder.
As part of one program, Dr. Linehan obtained consent from one of her patients to include a short bit of audio from a therapy session with Dr. Linehan, who reassured her patient that she would not be seen in the video.
At the beginning of the session, Marsha asked the patient, a young woman, how things had gone since they last met. In that earlier session Marsha and the woman came to an agreement that she would not attempt a suicide in the time frame between the two sessions.
When asked, the woman admitted she had made an attempt. Marsha then asked what led her to do that. The women broke down, saying she was too stupid to live. When Marsha asked what made her believe that, she said it was because she had bounced a check, something, she believed, only a stupid person would do., As a person who couldn’t even balance a checkbook, she felt she didn’t deserve to live.
Dr. Linehan then asked her asked why she assumed that dying would end her pain, noting that no one has ever come back from the dead to affirm or deny that. So how could she be certain that suicide would be a good solution for her problems? It could just as easily make things worse!
When you think about it from that perspective, the allure of suicide as a solution to end chronic emotional pain starts to diminishes.
Here’s how the session ended:
Where To Find Help and Support
There are several BPD advocacy organizations that provide effective support for individuals and family members dealing with self harm and suicide ideation. Many are highly influenced by the principles and practices that are found in Marsha Linehan’s Dialectical Behavior Treatment.
These include:
NowMattersNow
We have had suicidal thoughts and emotions and problems that felt unsolvable. Here are our stories, including research based ways for managing the most painful moments of life
The National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder.
We believe there is hope and are committed to engaging in actions grounded in empathy for the person with lived experience, their families, their providers, and researchers.
Emotions Matter.
Our vision is to create a world in which every person with BPD has access to resources, treatment and support to achieve a meaningful recovery. https://emotionsmatterbpd.org/
The Sashbear Foundation (Canada)
Empowering family members and communities with life transforming skills and hope, through workshops and evidence-based programs at no charge.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (SAMSHA)
We understand that life's challenges can sometimes be difficult. Whether you're facing mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, or just need someone to talk to, our caring counselors are here for you. You are not alone.
Raising awareness about suicide ideation and prevention is an issue of such importance and global need that it should not be relegated to a day, a week or even a month. While those initiatives are of great value and importance, the issue exists on a vast global scale. Suicide awareness and prevention efforts should be addressed every day of the year.
We hope these resources help you find your own path to building a life worth living.
Thank you so much for raising awareness, and sharing so much information, really appreciated!!