Although none of my loved ones died by suicide, I have supported suicidal people in my life almost as a constant since teenage. I am not a professional, but as a spiritual teacher I wanted to talk about this topic that from a religious and spiritual point of view is often labelled as a sin. If you have listened to my podcast before, you know I am here to debunk myths. I need to say right off the bat: it is not a sin and you won’t go to hell. Or your loved one won’t.
This is where I am angry at religion and spirituality: there is no need to add insult to injury. People who contemplate suicide are usually in situations that feel unbearable and they see death as the only way out, be it that they experience pain, challenging illnesses or sometimes domestic abuse. Not everyone who contemplates suicide suffers from mental ill health.
It is time we remove the stigma around suicide. One in five person will have contemplated it once in their life. It’s common. There is nothing to be ashamed of.
The risk factors are the following (and the more ticks on this list, the higher the risk so watch out for your loved ones): harassment and bullying, a previous attempt, family history, difficult life events, trauma and abuse, stressful events such as job loss, divorce or debt, feelings of hopelessness, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of isolation, use of drugs or alcohol, chronic pain or disability, domestic violence, and certain mental health conditions. The risk of suicide is incredibly higher for transgender individuals and other LGBTQIA community members.
In this episode I share some tips from my own lived experience and the ten myths listed by the Samaritans, a UK based organisation that offers a hotline: 116 123.
If you know someone who is at risk, you can absolutely make a difference but always ensure that you don’t do more than you can cope with. Professional help is always there to step in. I briefly want to mention Papyrus for Youth Suicide in the UK. Know that there is a trust that supports young people called Winston’s Wish. And the NHS has a service called Help is at hand. If you are not in the UK, hopefully you can find resources on Google, but your doctor should have some information for you.
Last but not least, I want to refer you to a YouTube Video by a near death experiencing who met a family member who had died by suicide on the other side and who tells of how they were in a good place. If you like to read and are open to the idea, I also recommend a book called My son and the afterlife by Elisa Medhus, M.D.
I am a mental health first aider so feel free to message me on my FB profile here.
To listen to the episode, click here.