Until a few years ago, talking about suicide was a taboo subject, since there was a false belief that if a potential suicidal person was talked about it, he/she could be incited to commit suicide. Nowadays it is more than proven that giving this person access to the word, to be able to explain his pain and to verbalize his recurrent ideas about death, helps him and can prevent a fatal outcome.
What usually happens is that we are not used to talk about our emotions, so, when we are drowned by anguish, we are afraid to face our ghosts and much less can we think that someone close to us, whom we love also has them. For this reason, we get involved in the day-to-day routine, we keep silent, we turn a deaf ear and deny the reality of those friends, relatives or acquaintances who ask for help from their anxious silence or their empty stare, needing us to ask a question: are you okay? Do you want us to talk?
Depression and suicide
Depression basically consists of losing the illusion and the ability to enjoy things, to stop looking good and to stop valuing life. Depression is evidenced not only in behavior, but mainly in a chemical imbalance, since our neurotransmitters stop producing the substances that guaranteed the chemistry of happiness and well-being. That is why anxiolytic and antidepressant medication can be an important part of the treatment of depression.
Taking care of one’s mental health and taking care of the strength of the self, prepares you to have the ability to face crises, to manage your life with courage, efficiency, flexibility and to be able to face any hostility or danger without collapsing.
Happy and integrated people (mind-body-emotions) are psychically strong, which means that they can develop a better tolerance to failure. That is why at the first signs of insecurity, low self-esteem, stagnation and when the first ideas about wanting to end one’s life appear, it is very important to ask for help.
What is the help of a psychologist?
Clinical psychologists are trained to be able to help people during their life crises and, if necessary, to understand and overcome suicidal thoughts; they know how stress mechanisms work and also how to understand and help with the anguish caused by death anxieties. They are willing and prepared to listen, understand and help to rebuild the fragmented and unbalanced instances of the human being.
After treating psychologically people of various ages and in different circumstances such as depression, loneliness, failure, abuse, losses… hitting rock bottom or running out of strength to see a clear future, I am convinced that having suicidal ideation is not irrational, but you have to know how to ask for help in time. First of all, overcoming silence and loneliness, talking to family and friends, and of course going to specialists Clinical Psychologists and Psychiatrists, who will make a proper diagnosis and accompany the recovery process.