A Banner Publication
July 1, 2010 – Vol. 4 • No. 11

Sponsored by:

Home
|
Sponsors
|
Past Issues
|
Screenings
|
Links

Banner Home

This Issue Quick Links

Suicide: A preventable loss of life

Wrestling with financial hardships. Losing loved ones to divorce or death. Grappling with mental health issues, alcoholism and drug abuse. Tough realities like these can make people question whether life is worth living.

Thankfully, such feelings are fleeting for many people. Yet others seem to sink deeper and deeper down, sometimes reaching a place where suicide appears to be the only escape from their problems.

It’s not always possible to prevent suicide, but sometimes it is. Learning the signs of depression and other factors that make suicide attempts more likely may help you save a life — that of a loved one, or possibly even your own.

“If someone you know talks about suicide, especially if he or she is depressed, take it seriously. Odds are high that this is not just a bid for attention,” says Dr. Jan Cook, medical director at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. “Urge that person to get help, or even take steps to find help by making the first phone call. You can also make a confidential call to a local helpline like Samitaritans, Inc. or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (see back page).”

Who commits suicide?

While suicide cuts across lines of age, ethnicity and gender, it affects some groups more than others. In 2006, suicide claimed 33,300 lives, reaching number 11 in leading causes of death for all Americans. Usually, the highest suicide rate occurs among people ages 80 or older. That may be shifting, however. This spring, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey of violent deaths in 16 states during 2007 found middle-aged people, 45 to 54, had the highest rate of suicide.

When considering ethnic and racial backgrounds, American Indians, Alaska Natives and whites are most likely to commit suicide. Asian and Pacific Islanders, non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics have lower rates, but rates among blacks are increasing. While women attempt suicide three times as often as men do, almost four times as many males as females actually die this way. Guns, suffocation and poisoning through overdoses of medications are the most common means of death. And for every death by suicide, experts estimate there are 12 to 25 attempts that don’t prove fatal.

The impact of depression

Nine out of 10 people who commit suicide have suffered from depression and other mental disorders, or struggled with substance abuse, or both. Brain chemicals called neurotransmitters may also affect risk for suicide, according to some studies. Lower levels of serotonin have been found in people with depression, impulse disorders and a history of suicide attempts, as well as in the brains of people who have killed themselves.

Sad moods occasionally affect us all, but depression can last for weeks or months on end. While you may intuitively know some signs of depression, others, like marked changes in sleep or appetite, irritability or agitation are less obvious.

The National Institute of Mental Health lists the following signs and symptoms for depression:

• Persistent sad, anxious or “empty” mood
  
  
• Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
  
  
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
  
  
• Loss of interest or pleasure in once-enjoyed hobbies and activities
  
  
• Fatigue and decreased energy
  
  
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details and making decisions
  
  
• Insomnia, early–morning wakefulness or excessive sleeping
  
  
• Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment

Clearly, not everyone who is depressed commits suicide. Yet depression plays a major role in suicide and should be taken seriously. Even when suicide is unlikely, depression has a big impact on quality of life and health. Getting treatment for it is important.

Reduce the risk

Medicine, therapy and exercise can do a great deal to relieve depression. If you are depressed, talk to your doctor or visit AHealthyMe.com on the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts website for more information. For helpful quizzes and tools go to the section on depression. Urge loved ones who are depressed to get help, and if necessary, help them reach out to get assistance.

Often a combination of medicine and therapy can turn the tide. A type of psychotherapy known as cognitive therapy shows promise in helping to prevent suicide, at least among people who have made attempts. In such cases, cognitive therapy encourages people to consider other possible actions when suicidal thoughts crop up. Research shows cognitive therapy halved the number of repeated attempts at suicide over the course of a year of follow-up.

People who have certain mental health disorders may benefit from other types of therapy. For example, dialectical behavior therapy, which teaches behavior skills, cut suicide attempts by half in people with borderline personality disorder, when compared to other types of therapy.

Additionally, addressing underlying problems like substance abuse and mental health disorders may well lessen risks for suicide. Alcohol, for example, was a factor in roughly a third of suicides reported in the CDC survey (and almost two-thirds of those people tested above the legal limit for blood alcohol concentration).

Depression can be successfully treated, and suicide can often be prevented or avoided with the right treatment. Don’t be afraid to seek help or reach out to someone else in need — you may possibly save a life, maybe even your own.

Comments on Be Healthy? Contact Karen Miller at kmiller@bannerpub.com