Preventing suicides in Australia

Iv walked to many miles in those shoes!!!
I looked at the lock on the door of my fathers bedroom where he kept his gun, I was 15 and had an unsupported and bullied life to then! Funny though I faced court for the first time soon after that and had to fight for everyday to survive in jail, do we have it to easy here in Australia? That it's not worth living anymore in the land of plenty, as I read friends don't stop someone from doing it, nor do wife, kids and money.
I was back in the planning stage again a few weeks ago! 47 and never really escaped it, just know I will, must and can't avoid it one day. It scares the s-it out of me to be right at the point of ending it is truly facing one's demons.
Yeah, say Gidday. How ya going mate for it won't do any harm.
It's the biggest killer of the young by along way. And the old too for many end it when life is unbareable.
It's a form of control I was told once!
I could tell you that iv not seen my kids in many years, that I can't hold now not even look for a relationship with a woman.
But what rubbish to say I'm hard done by when there are so many others out there in the world fighting for another day.
Suicide is an END to the suffering for the one that had to answer the question 'to be or not to be' the most famous line written after 'I think there for I am'...
I might go read a bit of Shakespeare now :)))....

Dezman, Rod Bunny,

Sending you guys a man hug

We don't talk about stuff much. Which is somewhat a shame. People in general are not comfortable with talking about vulnerable topics with other people. We're more on the hunt for the good vibes and cool things or acceptable things to chat about.

If we express something that we don't like or makes us feel bad around the right company, our feelings and thoughts may be validated by the people we're talking too, and we become ok with expressing ourselves. If we express ourselves around people who feel uncomfortable with their own feelings towards what we want to say, then there's a good chance the topic will be shunned, diverted, ignored or dropped in one way or another.

Beneath our exteriors, we're all quite vulnerable, yet this part of us is not prized very often. It's the 'steadfast knights on horseback' kind of people are the one's looked upon as who we should aspire too and be like. To say we feel down or would like to chat may suggest we're weak. For men this can be hard to even consider.

Listening to someone talk when they need it, will change someone's life in some way. If you can, sit with their uncomfortable emotions and your own and you can make a world of difference to them and unknowingly to many other friends and family of that person.

People who are seriously thinking of suicide may be past the point of believing someone would even care to listen. If you suspect someone is in this place, just try to hug them or hold their hand. Try not to let your own uncomfortable feelings stop you from reaching out to help someone.

For the people still following this thread who believe suicide is selfish or cowardly' I gotta say I think you don't understand how many levels passed "just having a bad day" these people feel that they are. Take on someone else's problems for a day and you might be begging for your own problems back.

Interesting Press release I found this morning.

Suicide Prevention Australia announce the launch of the Work and Suicide Prevention Position Statement

The dark shadow of work: Suicide among working age adults
Most deaths by suicide are among people of working age. Suicide is the leading cause of death for males aged 25?44 years and females aged 25?34 years[i]. Adults spend about a third of their waking hours at work[ii]. Suicide is mostly preventable yet significant gaps exist in our understanding of the relationship between work and suicide, limiting prevention efforts. One Australian study found that 17% of suicides in Victoria from 2000?2007 were work-related[iii].

In a position statement released today at the Construction Industry inaugural Mental Health Conference in Brisbane, Suicide Prevention Australia (SPA) identifies the workplace as playing a vital role in the creation of a suicide safe community.

SPA calls on organisations of all sizes to implement workplace policies and programs that promote a mentally healthy workforce and prevent suicide behaviours. The position statement provides recommendations for employers to take action to prevent suicide. It also offers an in-depth analysis of the case for change including risk factors, evidence-based activities and programs that can be implemented in the workplace and policy analysis. This is rounded off with practical information for responding to suicide including case studies and links to resources to assist organisations implement the recommendations.

Click here to learn more.


________________________________________
[i] Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2013a). Causes of death, Australia, 2011. Canberra: ABS. (ABS cat. no. 3303.0).
[ii] World Health Organisation (WHO). (2006). Preventing suicide: a resource at work. Geneva.
[iii] Routley, V. H., & Ozanne-Smith, J. E. (2012). Work-related suicide in Victoria, Australia: a broad perspective. International Journal of Injury Control & Safety Promotion, 19(2), 131-134.


I would of thought workplace related homicide would be a greater threat

I have a friend who has Dysthymia, Patskens Black Dog video pretty much epitomises the way he says he feels. He says he has a black dog that is with him always, sometimes it is just a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of the dog running through grass in a distant field at other times it is there nipping at his heels or at worst sitting on his chest pinning him down. Most people would never know, as he is functional, he has the ability to get up each day, he works and plays sports, although he tends to be quiet and a little introverted, shy until he gets to know someone. He says his involvement in sports and caring for his animals keep him going, literally keep him alive.

He avoids serious relationships and being social as he has learnt that he finds it too hard, draining and damaging dealing with stressful situations or emotionally with the ups and downs, he says the best thing a friend can do is just listen when he feels a need to talk and be there to hang out and do simple things like veg in front of the tv or just go for a walk at the beach. He works to maintain a stable, safe, relaxing lifestyle. He says he never feels joy, a good day is when at best he feels alright or ok. A bad day is when he struggles to shower, get out of the house and walk the two blocks to the supermarket, on those days, when he makes it, he congratulates himself for that small win.

He's good at his job, his boss and peers look up to him, he gives a lot, usually before things are asked of him, but says he hates to feel the pressure of when things are expected of or from him, he can only give and do what he is able and capable of. He says the few times he has tried to discuss his condition with people it induces a lot of coughing, foot shuffling and looking about the room, people just don't know what to do or to say so he mostly keeps things to himself, he never talks about things at work as he is too afraid he will lose his job and rarely in his personal life as he thinks people will deem him weak or crazy, mentally inept, when really I think he's one of the strongest people I know, to have his condition and be able to combat it and come out on top each and every day.

Many people are oblivious to other people's plights, that can't help people that are on the edge.

Few years ago someone from work committed suicide. About a quarter were saying they could see it coming, had tried to help, talk to him, that sort of stuff.

But the great majority : "gee, I'm surprised, he was a happy guy, nobody could see it coming."
In fact, that majority was so adamant that they were trying to convince those who could see it that it wasn't so, even after it was done.

On a related topic, I was back visiting me friend in the l.. bin.
The saddest ones in there are the anorexics.
Families around them trying to save them, they seem to have their wits about, just that they're dying..

Just because we reside in a 'First World Country' does not conclude that there are not people who suffer and have to endure hardship, abuse, stress, trauma or grief that can mentally and emotionally push them to and beyond their limits. It is comments such as 'loony bin' and a lack of understanding that forces people who may otherwise seek help to remain silent to avoid the prejudice and stigma of the ignorant.

Don't they say that your basic human needs (food, water, shelter, safety etc) have to be met before your mind/heart can go contemplating a deeper sense of contentment? I think maybe it is inability to find that deeper sense of contentment while all your basic needs are well satisfied that can lead people to dark places, meaning there is every reason why people in first world countries find themselves in this place. The fact that they cannot find joy or hope despite physically living comfortably can just lead to a greater sense of guilt and worthlessness.

Life is not so fantastic to want to cling to it so tightly. Not everyone has friends and family to share it with and love to fill it with sunshine. Not everyone lives in a community big enough to seek out or find that stuff if you don't have it. Not everyone would be missed if they were gone. Some people get trapped in things and responsibility they cannot escape, or cannot find the strength to escape, and despite their best efforts to fight for the light at the end of the tunnel, it goes out. Like so many kind people in this thread have said, not a low day or a low time, but years without any rainbows of joy. Fighting so hard to reach joy but always failing. Powerless. Until any kind of oblivion seems like the much preferred option. Anything other than endlessly being you, and endlessly failing to make it better.

If you are so fulfilled that you cannot understand why others would contemplate these things or you even resent those that do, feel blessed and lucky. Be grateful for the joy you feel and especially for those around you who bring you joy. They are precious precious things and not everyone finds them.