800,000 people kill themselves every year. What can we do?

This is a article Lady Gaga helped write about suicide. It gives perspective to how bad we are at helping people who are suicidal.


By the time you finish reading this, at least six people will have killed themselves around the world.

Those six are a tiny fraction of the 800,000 people who will kill themselves this year – more than the population of Washington DC, Oslo or Cape Town. Sometimes they are famous names such as Anthony Bourdain or Kate Spade that make headlines, but they are all sons or daughters, friends or colleagues, valued members of families and communities.

Suicide is the most extreme and visible symptom of the larger mental health emergency we are so far failing to adequately address. Stigma, fear and lack of understanding compound the suffering of those affected and prevent the bold action that is so desperately needed and so long overdue.
One in four of us will have to deal with a mental health condition at some point in our lives, and if we’re not directly affected, someone we care for is likely to be. Our young people are particularly vulnerable, with suicide being the second leading cause of death globally among 15-29 year olds and half of all mental illness beginning by the age of 14.

Yet despite the universality of the issue, we struggle to talk about it openly or to offer adequate care or resources. Within families and communities, we often remain silenced by a shame that tells us that those with mental illness are somehow less worthy or at fault for their own suffering.

Instead of treating those facing mental health conditions with the compassion we would offer to someone with a physical injury or illness, we ostracize, blame and condemn. In too many places support services are non-existent and those with treatable conditions are criminalized – literally chained up in inhumane conditions, cut off from the rest of society without hope.
Mental health currently receives less than 1% of global aid. Domestic financing on prevention, promotion and treatment is similarly low. At present, every nation in the world is a “developing” country when it comes to mental health.

Such paltry investment is not just bad for individuals, it is destructive for communities and undermines economies. Mental health conditions cost the world $2.5tn a year, a figure that is expected to balloon to $6tn by 2030 unless we take action.
We can no longer afford to be silenced by stigma or stymied by misguided ideas that portray these conditions as a matter of weakness or moral failing. Research shows there is a fourfold return on investment for every dollar spent on treating depression and anxiety, the most common mental health conditions, making spending on the issue a great investment for both political leaders and employers, in addition to generating savings in the health sector.

The time has come for us all, collectively, to tackle the causes and symptoms of mental illness, and provide care for those who suffer from it. You don’t have to be an international artist or the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) to make an impact.

We can all help to build communities that understand, respect and prioritize mental wellness. We can all learn how to offer support to loved ones going through a difficult time. And we can all be a part of a new movement – including people who have faced mental illness themselves – to call on governments and industry to put mental health at the top of their agendas.

In Zimbabwe, grandmothers are leading the way by offering evidence-based counseling sessions on benches, which is helping break down stigma. In the United Kingdom and Australia, peer-to-peer education programs encourage young people to support one another. And mobile technology is providing exciting new platforms for delivering services and opening up healthy dialogue.
Since 2013, the WHO has been working with countries to implement a global action plan on mental health. Earlier this year the WHO published the Global Mental Health Atlas, which provides information from 177 countries on progress towards achieving the plan’s targets. The key takeaway is that although there has been some progress, we need significant investments to expand services.

Meaningful and sustained government leadership is essential, and some governments are beginning to step up, from Sri Lanka, where the government has established a dedicated mental healthcare framework and funded positions to support community-based mental healthcare, to New York City, where ThriveNYC has brought local leaders together to build a comprehensive mental health plan.
This week, on the day of the UK Summit on Mental Health and world mental health day, a panel of international experts will publish in the Lancet the most comprehensive collection of research ever produced on how to promote and protect mental health and treat mental illness. This will provide the scientific foundation for scaling up global action on mental health, similar to the movement for HIV/Aids, which the UN adopted in 2001. That movement helped save millions of lives and is an illustration of the potential for collective human action to tackle seemingly insurmountable problems.

The two of us have taken different paths in life. But both of us have seen how political leadership, funding, innovation and individual acts of bravery and compassion can change the world. It is time to do the same for mental health.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the director-general of the World Health Organization. Lady Gaga is the co-founder of Born This Way Foundation

In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email [email protected]. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international suicide helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org



I have lost some friends and a family member from suicide... I know it doesn't feel like it but there is hope.

Suicide is a long term solution to a short term problem. Just wait if you are depressed and want to take your own life because tomorrow you may feel better. If not then just get help because what do you have to lose?

being suicidal isn't abnormal.

we humans, along with 2 other species, one of which is the tarsier, are known to commit suicide when stressed.

in a perfect world with no war or famine or hate or prejudice, there would still be suicides, albeit less.

originally posted by: watchandwait410

Suicide is a long term solution to a short term problem. Just wait if you are depressed and want to take your own life because tomorrow you may feel better. If not then just get help because what do you have to lose?

But what if you don't feel better? What if you can't get help?

As someone who has battled bi polar depression and suicidal thoughts for years it is not so cut and dry. I myself have zero health insurance and even as a single mom with no child support I am denied government help. I struggle at times with my own mental health and trying to find help or get anyone to listen to me. The problem is they all want to shove pills down my throat and pills do nothing but make me worse. The one thing that works is marijuana however I need a medicinal card where I live and well with no real disposable income I am stuck. I am stuck in so many ways I have found my own ways to cope. It is NOT easy. Most people who know me really have no idea what i deal with on a daily basis in my mind but because I've had to go without help of any kind for most of my life I've developed ways to cope. Are they healthy? No probably not and I'll probably die early than I should from stress and keeping it all in.

It is hard when you work and you have no insurance and a manic state hits. I was working for a company, MAJOR BANK, and when I had to apply for my disability (they considered bi polar a disability) my boss somehow got my medical records and from there mocked me and made my life hell. I was made fun of by him constantly. He would write me up for anything and say it was my mental health which was utter crap and completely untrue. I was even baker acted because of all of this. I spiraled into a huge depression for a good 7 months. It was BAD. All because someone wanted to have their fun with my own inner demons and mental health. I never got any help and to this day I want to beat that manager to a bloody pulp for what he did to me. HE is the reason people with mental health issues commit suicide or snap. He is why people like me don't speak up about what they are going through because EVERYONE ends up blaming anything you say or do on your mental state. I KNOW when I am manic. I KNOW when my bi polar is kicking in high gear. It is really hard because society just labels you crazy and it's become acceptable. It's ok to mock people in society with mental health. I see it all the time. Hell I even made a thread on it myself and had to ignore it because of the pure ignorance I saw.

Anyway.....I wont rant in your thread but yes something needs to be done.

Personally for me I think pills make a lot of people worse but that is a thread for another time.

originally posted by: odzeandennz
being suicidal isn't abnormal.

we humans, along with 2 other species, one of which is the tarsier, are known to commit suicide when stressed.

in a perfect world with no war or famine or hate or prejudice, there would still be suicides, albeit less.

That is prolly true. For now though I am sure it would be less if they just somehow got that hopelessness removed somehow then there definitely be less. I know pills can't fix everything but why not if you have nothing to lose... Oh yeah in the future humanity will understand why people commit suicide more. Then one day maybe it will at least become taboo to do it.

a reply to: watchandwait410


Until the drugs being pushed by Psychiatrists and being manufactured by Big Pharm are addressed, it will continue to rise. Just read the insert to every anti depressant being prescribed and they all say may cause homicidal or suicidal thoughts.. Yet the shrinks and many MD's prescribe these drugs like they are candy.

Our Congresscritters don't care, because Big Pharm and it's lobbyist arm spend way too much money to have these meds put onto market.

Try suing them for what these drugs do to you! You can't!

a reply to: mblahnikluver

I am also Bipolar and there are some really tough days. I get through it though after a few days usually.

The complete a holeness of some people still amazes me and the way your boss treats you is prolly illegal and should never have gotten your medical records.

That sucks having no insurance though... I can say for certain that I would be dead w/o meds.

I get stuck in a rut sometimes but I usually make it out by trying not to think.

I am surprise there are not government programs that can help. That is a crack that should be fixed...

Good Luck

originally posted by: odzeandennz
being suicidal isn't abnormal.

we humans, along with 2 other species, one of which is the tarsier, are known to commit suicide when stressed.

in a perfect world with no war or famine or hate or prejudice, there would still be suicides, albeit less.

Many animals will stop eating and thus commit suicide, especially when taken from the wild and put into an aquarium.

As a kid I got a Ball Python. And I got a book on them that day. It seemed half the book was about conditioning you to the reality they'll starve themselves for up to 10 months in such pursuits. I threw the big mouse in there and he was trying to take bites out of the mature snake, with no response. Frustrated, I found the pattern: every single mock "habitat" in the book written by snake starver expert guy, it was all just an aquarium with a water dish and a heat block thing on some sort of table with a nice white wall behind it. So I immediately set about building a big cage contraption in my closet, complete with jungle bhabitat actual plants, water feature and the whole ten yards... and viola dropped a rat in there and WHAMO the snake nailed his arse at first detection.

Then there's certain Angel Fish do the same thing. You're likely to eff your tank up overfeeding it trying to get them to actually sample something.

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: watchandwait410


Until the drugs being pushed by Psychiatrists and being manufactured by Big Pharm are addressed, it will continue to rise. Just read the insert to every anti depressant being prescribed and they all say may cause homicidal or suicidal thoughts.. Yet the shrinks and many MD's prescribe these drugs like they are candy.

Our Congresscritters don't care, because Big Pharm and it's lobbyist arm spend way too much money to have these meds put onto market.

Try suing them for what these drugs do to you! You can't!

Yea we are basically guinni (how ever you spell it) pigs with no rights but sometimes the magic happens. I know the pills are slowly killing me but I would rather take them and live like ten years on them then die within a year.

a reply to: watchandwait410
What can we do? We can thank them for their sacrifice with the act of removing themselves as competitor for resources. Everyone cannot be saved.

a reply to: seeker1963

I must agree with this guy ^^^^^^^

and


Oklahoma is a legal medical state now. This move provides access to mood altering medications that I know can help.

At the same time, we relaxed on alcohol. The move o up alcohol I support for freedom sake but is a stab at the OPs topic.

originally posted by: worldstarcountry
a reply to: watchandwait410
What can we do? We can thank them for their sacrifice with the act of removing themselves as competitor for resources. Everyone cannot be saved.

We should at least try... That bull crap that we don't have enough resources is plan stupid. Science can make everything better, we just have to get pushed to act.

originally posted by: ttropia
a reply to: seeker1963

Oklahoma is a legal medical state now. This move provides access to mood altering medications that I know can help. Personally.

Well, I live in a state where I can't. Although I don't take the Big Pharms poison anymore, I am stuck with alcohol and it's killing me.


At least I don't think of killing others and myself like I did when I was taking Big Pharms poison.

originally posted by: watchandwait410

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: watchandwait410


Until the drugs being pushed by Psychiatrists and being manufactured by Big Pharm are addressed, it will continue to rise. Just read the insert to every anti depressant being prescribed and they all say may cause homicidal or suicidal thoughts.. Yet the shrinks and many MD's prescribe these drugs like they are candy.

Our Congresscritters don't care, because Big Pharm and it's lobbyist arm spend way too much money to have these meds put onto market.

Try suing them for what these drugs do to you! You can't!

Yea we are basically guinni (how ever you spell it) pigs with no rights but sometimes the magic happens. I know the pills are slowly killing me but I would rather take them and live like ten years on them then die within a year.

I am not talking about drugs you take to keep you alive. Such as blood pressure pills etc etc... I am talking about ssri's

Exactly. I had my try at pharma. It almost took me out and others I encountered for a few months until I trashed them for ever.

I wonder if the majority of suicides in the US could be prevented if the patient never sought help in the first place. (Pill wise)

originally posted by: seeker1963

originally posted by: watchandwait410

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: watchandwait410


Until the drugs being pushed by Psychiatrists and being manufactured by Big Pharm are addressed, it will continue to rise. Just read the insert to every anti depressant being prescribed and they all say may cause homicidal or suicidal thoughts.. Yet the shrinks and many MD's prescribe these drugs like they are candy.

Our Congresscritters don't care, because Big Pharm and it's lobbyist arm spend way too much money to have these meds put onto market.

Try suing them for what these drugs do to you! You can't!

Yea we are basically guinni (how ever you spell it) pigs with no rights but sometimes the magic happens. I know the pills are slowly killing me but I would rather take them and live like ten years on them then die within a year.

I am not talking about drugs you take to keep you alive. Such as blood pressure pills etc etc... I am talking about ssri's

oh SSRI's do suck my bad.

What can we do? Don't kill ourselves.
Other than that, not much, other than live your own life as best you can and try to not hurt other people.
What must NOT happen is getting the Govt. involved.

a reply to: watchandwait410

Their body, their choice, yes?

I have a friend that just retired from Army. He has seen things and is also disabled from his service.

I can save one person for sure (me), and I think I have played a big roll in his continued existence.

What we can do is be there for the ones we love.

originally posted by: mblahnikluver

originally posted by: watchandwait410

Suicide is a long term solution to a short term problem. Just wait if you are depressed and want to take your own life because tomorrow you may feel better. If not then just get help because what do you have to lose?

But what if you don't feel better? What if you can't get help?

As someone who has battled bi polar depression and suicidal thoughts for years it is not so cut and dry. I myself have zero health insurance and even as a single mom with no child support I am denied government help. I struggle at times with my own mental health and trying to find help or get anyone to listen to me. The problem is they all want to shove pills down my throat and pills do nothing but make me worse. The one thing that works is marijuana however I need a medicinal card where I live and well with no real disposable income I am stuck. I am stuck in so many ways I have found my own ways to cope. It is NOT easy. Most people who know me really have no idea what i deal with on a daily basis in my mind but because I've had to go without help of any kind for most of my life I've developed ways to cope. Are they healthy? No probably not and I'll probably die early than I should from stress and keeping it all in.

It is hard when you work and you have no insurance and a manic state hits. I was working for a company, MAJOR BANK, and when I had to apply for my disability (they considered bi polar a disability) my boss somehow got my medical records and from there mocked me and made my life hell. I was made fun of by him constantly. He would write me up for anything and say it was my mental health which was utter crap and completely untrue. I was even baker acted because of all of this. I spiraled into a huge depression for a good 7 months. It was BAD. All because someone wanted to have their fun with my own inner demons and mental health. I never got any help and to this day I want to beat that manager to a bloody pulp for what he did to me. HE is the reason people with mental health issues commit suicide or snap. He is why people like me don't speak up about what they are going through because EVERYONE ends up blaming anything you say or do on your mental state. I KNOW when I am manic. I KNOW when my bi polar is kicking in high gear. It is really hard because society just labels you crazy and it's become acceptable. It's ok to mock people in society with mental health. I see it all the time. Hell I even made a thread on it myself and had to ignore it because of the pure ignorance I saw.

Anyway.....I wont rant in your thread but yes something needs to be done.

Personally for me I think pills make a lot of people worse but that is a thread for another time.

My wife is Bi polar they used to push pills on her that only made her worse. She saw shrinks and went to therapy and none of it helped.

The she became a pot head and has been basically cured for the last ten years ..all from weed.

True story..

a reply to: notsure1

Thank you for that. It really does work with little adverse affects.