Suicide prevention offers hope
Steve Goa
Issue date: 12/5/07 Section: Features
- Page 1 of 1
Suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in the United States. Each year, 30,000 Americans take their owu life. There are 85 deaths by suicide every day, one attempt every 43 seconds and one death every 18 minutes. Since 1984, more than 50,000 Floridians have committed by suicide, which makes Florida the 3rd highest number of suicides in the nation. This series of facts is a report from the Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition, created in 2002.
FSPC also brings up that suicide is leading cause of death among youth. In its 2005 statistics report, it mentions suicide as the second leading cause for 25-34 year olds and third leading cause for 15-24 year olds.
Identify a person at risk
Last month, the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Volusia and Flagler County opened a gatekeeper training program to raise awareness of people at risk. The workshop took place in the Volusia County Health Department.
"Education is the key. Unfortunately, Suicide is still taboo. People are very uncomfortable about talking of it," said suicide-prevention specialist Laura Meyer. "I have been a specialist for about 10 years. My best friends' son killed himself. That's what got me there. It's a path I have been led into and it's the right thing to do."
Meyer's first intention is to teach how to identify a person at risk. The risk factors include a loss, a family history of suicide, mental disorders like depression, alcohol and other substance abuse, childhood abuse or recent trauma and even the easy access to a gun. Similarly, many other factors dealing with life stress, which are not listed here, may cause people to commit suicide. Thus, not a lot of people in the society are immunized against it.
Save a person at risk
Meyer tells the visitors that prevention is often a matter of a caring person with the right knowledge being available and in the right place at the right time. She adds that family and friends are the most useful source of help for a suicidal person.
Meyer gives a lot of tips about how to help a person at risk. She says that there is no script for these situations, but someone's true concern is what is most important. To show "what is helpful role play," Meyer makes her guests take part in scenarios involving three roles, the person at risk, the helper and the observer. She presents the basic steps for an intervention as following: Remain calm, non-judgmental and understanding; emphasize the temporary time-frame of suicidal crisis; emphasize the normality of suicidal thoughts; help identify and suggest alternatives; encourage positive action; notify family and obtain outside help when needed.
"It's about pain, about people trying to get out of pain. They think that there is no alternative," said Meyer pointing out that most suicides can be prevented.
Suicide prevention's impact on deaths
Also, she believes that although society sees suicide as a stigma, there is progress that has been made to educate and inform the community. Meyer said, "They are showing commercials about it on TV," adding "It's still not enough."
Since the state recognized suicide as a critical issue, it passed a number of resolutions focusing on awareness. Its first move was to enact the 1984 Florida Emotional Development Suicide Prevention Act. Its most recent action was to sign the Suicide Prevention Bill into Law-Governor Charlie Crist signed this bill in May, 2007. Statistics from the Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition, however, show that the suicide epidemic has not regressed since then. For instance, in 1995, the number of suicide deaths was 2, 140 and, in 2005, the number reached 2, 300. In order words, the increase rate from 1995 to 2005 is about 7.5 percent. The number of deaths is still high, but critics say improvements were made. They consider the 7.5 percent increase rate for these 10 years as slim.
DBC counseling program can help
At DBC, some people are also seeking way to support persons at risk. There is a counseling program that provides support for students that are copping with depression, stress or anxiety.
"Because suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students nationally, Daytona Beach College, Bethune-Cookman University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the University of Central Florida have established themselves, with the assistance of a Campus Suicide Prevention Grant, as resources for the community in preventing and bringing awareness to suicide," said Project Director and DBC Counselor, Mitch Pietras.
Carole Luby, the dean of this department, said that the most common case they deal with include the loss of a partner who was murdered, failure at school, or the burden of chronic pain. She also pointed out that their goal is to make student emotionally capable to handle difficult situations, so they can become more successful.
"Here, is an example of a very moving case" Luby said, "We made a workshop for people living with chronic pain. There is a fellow who came and talk to us. You could see on him the scratches indicating the recent car accident he was involved in. The next time, his case had worsened and he came in a wheelchair. He said, 'I had the intention to put an end to my life the first time I came here, but after I left the workshop; I realized that I was not alone. There are people there for me."
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-8255 or visit www.hopeline.com.
FSPC also brings up that suicide is leading cause of death among youth. In its 2005 statistics report, it mentions suicide as the second leading cause for 25-34 year olds and third leading cause for 15-24 year olds.
Identify a person at risk
Last month, the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Volusia and Flagler County opened a gatekeeper training program to raise awareness of people at risk. The workshop took place in the Volusia County Health Department.
"Education is the key. Unfortunately, Suicide is still taboo. People are very uncomfortable about talking of it," said suicide-prevention specialist Laura Meyer. "I have been a specialist for about 10 years. My best friends' son killed himself. That's what got me there. It's a path I have been led into and it's the right thing to do."
Meyer's first intention is to teach how to identify a person at risk. The risk factors include a loss, a family history of suicide, mental disorders like depression, alcohol and other substance abuse, childhood abuse or recent trauma and even the easy access to a gun. Similarly, many other factors dealing with life stress, which are not listed here, may cause people to commit suicide. Thus, not a lot of people in the society are immunized against it.
Save a person at risk
Meyer tells the visitors that prevention is often a matter of a caring person with the right knowledge being available and in the right place at the right time. She adds that family and friends are the most useful source of help for a suicidal person.
Meyer gives a lot of tips about how to help a person at risk. She says that there is no script for these situations, but someone's true concern is what is most important. To show "what is helpful role play," Meyer makes her guests take part in scenarios involving three roles, the person at risk, the helper and the observer. She presents the basic steps for an intervention as following: Remain calm, non-judgmental and understanding; emphasize the temporary time-frame of suicidal crisis; emphasize the normality of suicidal thoughts; help identify and suggest alternatives; encourage positive action; notify family and obtain outside help when needed.
"It's about pain, about people trying to get out of pain. They think that there is no alternative," said Meyer pointing out that most suicides can be prevented.
Suicide prevention's impact on deaths
Also, she believes that although society sees suicide as a stigma, there is progress that has been made to educate and inform the community. Meyer said, "They are showing commercials about it on TV," adding "It's still not enough."
Since the state recognized suicide as a critical issue, it passed a number of resolutions focusing on awareness. Its first move was to enact the 1984 Florida Emotional Development Suicide Prevention Act. Its most recent action was to sign the Suicide Prevention Bill into Law-Governor Charlie Crist signed this bill in May, 2007. Statistics from the Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition, however, show that the suicide epidemic has not regressed since then. For instance, in 1995, the number of suicide deaths was 2, 140 and, in 2005, the number reached 2, 300. In order words, the increase rate from 1995 to 2005 is about 7.5 percent. The number of deaths is still high, but critics say improvements were made. They consider the 7.5 percent increase rate for these 10 years as slim.
DBC counseling program can help
At DBC, some people are also seeking way to support persons at risk. There is a counseling program that provides support for students that are copping with depression, stress or anxiety.
"Because suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students nationally, Daytona Beach College, Bethune-Cookman University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the University of Central Florida have established themselves, with the assistance of a Campus Suicide Prevention Grant, as resources for the community in preventing and bringing awareness to suicide," said Project Director and DBC Counselor, Mitch Pietras.
Carole Luby, the dean of this department, said that the most common case they deal with include the loss of a partner who was murdered, failure at school, or the burden of chronic pain. She also pointed out that their goal is to make student emotionally capable to handle difficult situations, so they can become more successful.
"Here, is an example of a very moving case" Luby said, "We made a workshop for people living with chronic pain. There is a fellow who came and talk to us. You could see on him the scratches indicating the recent car accident he was involved in. The next time, his case had worsened and he came in a wheelchair. He said, 'I had the intention to put an end to my life the first time I came here, but after I left the workshop; I realized that I was not alone. There are people there for me."
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-8255 or visit www.hopeline.com.
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