Suicide Prevention Week!
Hi there community! Last Sunday it was Suicide Prevention Day and through the week it got me thinking about it a lot. Some of us have struggled with suicidal thoughs at some point of our lives, many of us have been impacted by suidice in one way or another. I know it can . be in incredibly sensitive topic and I would not push any of you to talk about it if you cannot feel emotionally ready to handle it, but I must urge you to think and talk about it if possible for you because it matters.
Talking about suicide prevention can be awkward, hard and uncomfortable but we have to do it. If we don't confront this issue we will keep loosing valuable and loved people to it. If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts please consider reaching out finding the right resource for you here (if you are a teen here). If you are not personally struggle with this, I urge you to be kind to those around you and be willing to support anyone that might need a compassionate pair of ears.
Why talking about suicide prevention matters?
"Suicide is not chosen; it happens when pain exceeds resources for coping with pain." -taken from here.
The best way to treat an issue is to adress the "real problem" or the cause of said issue. The reason we can't cause any real change to the suicide rates without setting up a preventive mechanism, is because suicide is not the problem; its the solution. A very hurtful and permanent one. Preventing people from getting to their breaking point will be more efective.
How does 7 cups impact suicide prevention?
7 Cups focuses on offering emotional support to anyone that might need a listening ear. 7 Cups is meant to be a place that provides coping skills and resources for people on how to manage their pain. In doing that, we are helping people be better prepared to deal with the on going struggles of life and avoid "tipping" their pain scale onto an unbareable position.
Why our work here matters?
What we are doing here is amazing. Every day we are giving tons of users the ability to face their pain. We are giving them support and compassion to keep going forward. We are giving them the tools they need to fight agaisnt their suicidal thoughts, if or when necesary.
The work each and every one of you is doing here takes us one step closer to preventing suicide. Every compliment you give in the forums or in group support, every nice message you send in PM, every heart you give someone, every minute you offer to listen, support or even share here should be and is meant to be about building a culture of healing. The time you invest here isnt just about giving support and getting support; its about building a kinder, more compassionate and supportive world for everyone.
Lastly I want to invite you to think about why suicide prevention matters and share your reason below!
@Iara i think suicide prevention matters because it focusses on harm minimisation and raises awareness. i also think we as listeners, although not professionally trained to deal with crisis situations such as suicide, present an alternative as being people to confide in when those dark thoughts arise for some people :)
Suicide prevention matters because every person deserves to experience new opportunities that come with life. Every time that our 'pain scale' is unbearable is able to be overcome, and that's why it's so important to help people to overcome that! Even when it feels like we are alone, there is someone who is willing to lend a hand, which is something that's really important both to suicide prevention and 7 cups (and both together!)
When I went through a time that I was feeling really suicidal, I did not have a strong support system around me, and I'm truly glad that we're able to offer that to people at 7 cups, to help them through those toughest points in their life.
I feel suicide prevention matters because in some places, it's still a bad word and one that no one wants to hear, much less talk about. It can be hard to reach out to people around about those thoughts, because of how they'll react - be it we'll worry the ones we love, or we'll get judged. Everyone deserves a safe place to talk, everyone has a voice that deserves to be heard and valued. If we can support people and show them they are valued and have a safe place to let how they'e feeling out - we can minimize the outcomes.
Many people still understimate how much pain comes behind suicidal thoughts or actions, and I'm glad that in 7 Cups I see it's opposite - that many people here understand how much pain is behind. That itself, can make a big difference!
Suicide prevention matters because those that give up on life affect others around them more than they could ever fully realize. It matters because nobody will know how much better their lives could get if they give up on life before they reached for the help that's there. Prevention also matters because those that have been through feeling suicidal and recovered enough energy to help others can become the most equipped out of anyone to help others. If you haven't seen the void close enough to know what it does inside your own head you'll have a hard time convincing someone in the middle of it that there's a way out or that you can comprehend it. Some people aren't that equipped to be able to after but they still have value regardless of their capabilities. Everyone has potential even if they can't see it in the dark.
When I was volunteering before I moved I did a lot of suicide prevention seminars. 12 months, 5 days in a single week. 60ish in a year?
It helps spread awareness and resources, and how to calm passive people. And what to do if a person is actively suicidal.
If a condition is treatable, suicide is preventable.
@lara I think suicide prevention is definitely important. Many people think of mental health and its aspects as taboo which is so wrong. We need to be more accepting and need to be there for people who are struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. The last thing they need is hate. They need love and care and a shoulder to cry on and a ear listening to them. We need to help people and be there for them when they need us. Its time we start conversations about these kind of things because thats the only way we can spread awareness and ley peoplw know that THEY ARE NOT ALONE. Recently in my class, we had to take class on any topic and my group and i did it on depression and suicide. I felt happy that i could atleast spread awareness amongst my classmates. I even went the extra mile and gave out numbers of the suicide prevention hotline numbers of india. I hope that people speak up about mental health and help those struggling with it.
Suicide prevention is super important, and I think that being able to recognize when people are having suicidal thoughts is also super important. A couple of people in this thread have talked about how no one took them/a friend seriously when they said that they were suicidal, and I think that because of this, some people don't tell others when they're suicidal. It sucks that this is the case, but as long as there are people who are insensitive towards/don't care about suicide, we'll probably have to deal with people not feeling comfortable trying to get help.
@Iara
Thanks for sharing Lara!
Its important for many reasons, but the most import in my mind would be learning information and helping to understand what others go through.
Every life it's a treasure
