Every year on 10 September, the world joins hands together to raise awareness around the issue of suicide with World Suicide Prevention Day. The initiative was first started by the International Association of Suicide Prevention in association with the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to the official statistics by WHO, more than 7,00,000 people die globally every year due to suicide. This means that one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. The number of people affected by suicide is even higher, as for each successful suicide attempt, there are 25 unsuccessful ones.
Suicide affects all of us as a society. By reducing the stigma around the issue, encouraging informed actions, and raising awareness, we can do our part in fighting against the issue.
World Suicide Prevention Day is an opportunity to raise awareness against suicide and spread information regarding resources and actions that might help reduce the instances of suicide globally. Here are a few ways how you can participate in the cause:
What to do this Suicide Prevention Day?
1. Educate yourself and others.
Learning and developing understanding form an essential part of suicide awareness initiatives. Suicide Prevention Week is a great opportunity to educate yourself and other people around you about suicide and other mental health issues.
Helping people learn about what suicide is, its warning signs, and appropriate channels of relief can help reduce the globally high suicide rates. This can empower people to help others and themselves in extreme situations.
2. Reach out to someone you think is at risk.
If you think someone you know is struggling, reach out to them and show that you care. While dealing with difficult circumstances, people often choose to stay secluded because they feel like a burden on others. However, reaching out to them and showing support might help them feel less alone. They might even find the strength to ask for the help they need with your support.
Read more: How To Ask Someone If They Are Ok
3. Change your attitude regarding mental health issues.
The way with which a big chunk of society deals with mental health issues is definitely not helping the cause of suicide prevention. This Suicide Prevention Day choose to shun the stigma regarding mental health issues and rethink how you see people who are dealing with them.
We need to develop empathy and understanding around mental health issues and provide a safe space for people around us. This will allow them to accept whatever they are going through and ask for help.
Read more: Here’s How You Could Be Adding To The Discrimination Around Mental Health!
4. Donate to an organization.
Be it $5-$5000 — every penny matters when it might potentially save lives. Countless organizations are working toward providing free healthcare services to people at risk of committing suicide. If you are in a position of privilege to extend monetary, donate to one of these organizations. This will help someone in need get the treatment they need. Moreover, it will empower the organization to increase the scope of its interventions.
Conclusion:
Suicide is a global issue, and a dedicated effort from all the pillars of society is needed to address it. With these steps, we hope you will be able to participate and raise awareness this Suicide Prevention Day.
Now that you know about the importance of World Suicide Prevention Day, let’s take you to another important day that holds a lot of significance. To learn more about Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Day, click here.
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