For those who follow me, you will know that I and many others are focussed on wellbeing using practical (applied) techniques to maintain a good state of mind. A few of us also focus on suicide awareness and prevention strategies. Fewer still venture into suicide intervention.
Released earlier today by the Flourish team is a very helpful flow chart on the death rate from Covid-19 (Covid) across the world. The original source is from the Global Burden of Disease study, Worldometers populations, and compiled by Johns Hopkins. Both organisations are reputable sources.
The graph provides a comparison of the many causes of deaths globally to vividly show the rapid rate of deaths from the current Covid pandemic - for just the first six months of 2020.
I was more interested in what is shown as being the highest rate of death (on this chart) before Covid became the highest killer. SUICIDES!
Admittedly, the graph does not cover deaths from all causes. However, when you consider that there are more deaths from suicide than from drugs, alcohol, and influenza combined, it brings stark reality to the situation.
It is for this reason, that we will be introducing a new course into our programmes at WARN International.
We will be offering a comprehensive two and a three-day course on suicide intervention. We currently run a programme titled communication intervention which is designed to identify when someone is struggling with negative thoughts or ideations, and how to hold a safe conversation with that person to encourage them to seek help.
The suicide intervention programme will cover all of that and much more, right down into how to intervene with someone who has expressed a desire to take their own. It will assist those who may come across someone in that terrible situation and help them though connection.
If you are struggling right now with those thoughts, I implore you to reach out to a reputable agency for immediate help (1737 in New Zealand), or to visit your doctor/hospital for guidance.
There is help, there is hope, there is happiness. The more that we talk, the more that we learn, the more that we act, the greater that we understand.
Let's talk!