Sometimes the pain is so great that it is easier to finish and start again
Jocelyn Arellano
At the beginning of this century, mental health specialists in various countries predicted that, by 2020, depression would be the second cause of disability in the population. This prediction was fulfilled and exceeded as it was one of the consequences of the recent pandemic. In total, every 40 seconds, a person takes their own life somewhere in the world.
Mental health disorders are a risk that can lead to the loss of the will to live. Other causes that are associated with this are addictions to psychoactive substances, diagnoses of terminal illness, the death of a loved one or the breakup of the couple. The most vulnerable population are children and young people between 10 and 29 years old with traces of mistreatment or abuse at school, elderly people lacking support or a social network, and married women with children whose economy is limited or who have suffered from abuse.
It is important to understand that people who have tried to end their lives, failing to achieve their purpose, may repeat it on one or several more occasions. With this, they can cause severe self-injury, in addition to carrying the feelings of guilt or hopelessness that are characteristic of situations like this.
Considering a global health emergency, the International Association for Suicide Prevention, IASP, and the OMS have proposed September 10 as a date to alert about this serious risk and empower people in danger so that they desist and can continue with their lives. Physical and mental injuries from failed attempts must be healed, medical interventions offered in time and all kinds of positive messages spread as preventive measures.
This year 2022 aims to speak openly about mental health in all spaces of social activity such as home, work, and school, and encourage those who have expressed their fatal intentions to share their stories and seek professional help.
For this to happen, prejudices must be broken, which are an important barrier to avoiding this tragedy. People who express how impossible their lives are to cope with are judged harshly and their families are afraid or ashamed to ask for help. In some societies, according to their culture, suicide is prohibited and those who attempt it are censored or punished by law.
Another resource is the accompaniment of vulnerable people. At home, it is recommended to prevent access to pesticides, medications or firearms, and never leave them alone. Compassion is always needed, so reach out to someone trusted or seek professional help It’s fundamental. Many people express that they are a burden to their families or feel discriminated against in their social groups and that perception should be changed with adequate advice.
Death in these circumstances is a terrible event that severely affects the family and people in the social environment, it is something very complex to understand; however, once it has happened, it is necessary to support the family that has been left with a great void. They may isolate themselves to question whether they had done this or that, filling themselves with feelings of guilt, in addition to the burden of social stigma.
For this reason, we recommend looking for support groups where doctors, therapists and people who have suffered the same experience participate, where emotional support is found to face the recovery process. Many people have expressed that such dramatic events have led them to start the search for spirituality, to know detachment, to respect the decisions of loved ones, to avoid recriminations and to love without condition.
At Del Pueblo Funeral Home we understand that suicide is one of the many ways to die, but we know that, in order to avoid the immense suffering it causes, it is necessary to care for and understand people who find themselves without hope and with no desire to live. That is why prevention is essential. It is necessary to talk about these issues, inform ourselves and always be alert to any changes in our mental health. Thus, we remind you that we make the most difficult moments easy.
