a Christian doesn’t mean you’re not at risk. Working, I had the
mask on all day long, but at night it was really dark. And it got
to the point where I was hopeless and wanted to stop the pain.
I believe I felt what my brother felt when he couldn’t go on any
longer, that exact point —feeling I was trapped, there was no
way out. I did ask for help and I came back from that place. But
I’m concerned about the people in my family that are holding
onto the anger.
DR. BENNETT: It’s easier to get through the day with denial. Not
through the week, or the month or the year, but through the
day. Denial can be deadly.
MS. BRADFORD: The family member that’s grieving over the loss
of a family member, they’re in denial of what?
DR. BENNETT: Denying the grief.
MR. COOPER: Or they won’t talk about it. They won’t engage or
even mention it.
MS. ELMENDORF: Sometimes they don’t want to talk about
suicide in that immediate family group because they are deal-ing
with their own concerns of could have, would have, should
have. Then sometimes they are blaming someone else in the
family and it’s easier just to keep it quiet than to deal with it.
MR. SHEPARD: I lost a son in 1985, 16 years old, and one of the
things that became really obvious to us, this whole idea of how
men have that exterior of strength and resourcefulness. He and his
best friend were both in love with the same girl and he saw him-self
losing, so he took his life. Here was a kid who looked strong,
seemed strong, exterior was intact in most ways, but deep down
he was hurting.
Preventing Suicide:
A Global Imperative
Everyone plays a positive role in
suicide prevention. Communities,
peers, close individuals, and the
media are critical in preventing death
by suicide. If you are concerned
about a friend or loved one:
Be direct. Talk openly and matter-of-factly
about suicide.
Be willing to listen. Allow expressions
of feelings. Accept the feelings.
Be non-judgmental. Don’t debate
whether suicide is right or wrong, or
whether feelings are good or bad.
Don’t lecture about the value of life.
Get involved. Become available. Show
interest and support.
Don’t dare him/her to do it.
Don’t act shocked. This will put dis-tance
between you.
Don’t be sworn to secrecy. Seek help.
Offer hope that alternatives are avail-able,
but do not offer general reassur-ances
such as, “it will get better” or
“it could be worse.”
Get help from persons or agencies
specializing in crisis intervention and
suicide prevention, such as Military
Crisis Line.
—
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
“Communities play a critical
role in suicide prevention.
They can provide social sup-port
to vulnerable individuals
and engage in follow-up care,
fight stigma and support those
bereaved by suicide.”
— World Health Organization, 2014
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