National Suicide Prevention Week

"The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering.' -Ben Okri

Hey there.  It's Megan.  I hope your Monday is pleasant.  I'm going to put a trigger warning on this post because of the sensitive nature of the subject.

So last week was National Suicide Prevention week and last Monday was World Suicide Prevention day.  A lot of people showed their support by wearing yellow or supporting the organization To Write Love On Her Arms by well, writing "love" on their arms. next to support of the LGBTQ community, suicide prevention is the biggest cause I fight for, and it's a pretty significant reason why I chose to be a psychology major and contemplate working as a school psychologist. On the blog this year, I'm fighting against the urge to sugarcoat my posts or only talk about more positive topics, but just because we're college students doesn't mean we don't have experiences with things like this.  Through friends and family, I have more knowledge and awareness than I ever wanted to have.

The last time I'd checked, 1 in 5 teens will seriously contemplate suicide, and roughly 1% of all teenagers make an attempt. Suicide is complex, and I don't have the answers. So I'm going to focus more on the stigma and the aftermath of contemplating or attempting.

In psychology, we discuss Nature vs. Nurture and what contributes more to who we are as people.  In this case, nurture would be a genetic predisposition, a family history, a chemical imbalance, what have you. It's anything built into the genetic makeup that would predispose someone to depression and/or suicide.  The nurture aspect would be the environment or events such as bullying, abuse, death of a loved one, rejection due to LGBTQ status, etc. It's anything exterior to the person. In my opinion, a genetic predisposition is certainly not helpful in situations like these, but such things are often triggered or exacerbated by the environment.  There are exceptions I'm sure, but actual events often serve as catalysts capable of sending someone into a tailspin. However; in the same way that the environment has a huge impact on whether or not a genetic predisposition may lead to contemplation of suicide or a suicide attempt, so too can the environment help to heal and improve the situation.

So I'm going to make a small call to action. Too often we focus on the negatives here.  Maybe we offer pity and blame, focus on the events or situation that led someone to contemplate such a drastic action, or try to cover up the problem and pretend like everything's "normal."  I'm going to tell you right now that that isn't very helpful. Many times we jump to medication and medical intervention which I want to stress is VERY important, but I think there should be more emphasis on how we can structure environments beneficial to those who have struggled with suicide.  

1. Start by ending the stigma. People who have gone through this or who are survivors of it all have their own personal stories. They're people, and what happened in their past does not, and should not, define their future. 

2. Love.  A loving and supportive environment helps to heal a lot of wounds.  Help to make it understanding.  At the same time, try to understand that this experience does not mean someone is broken or damaged.  It's a life altering experience to be sure, but as the quotation says, we are capable of being greater than our suffering.  Just because someone has endured this does not mean they are incapable of standing on their own two feet.

3. Get people the help they need.  Sometimes we just can't provide the kind of support or answers someone requires.  I know I've had to step back from a few situations and put it in the hands of someone more capable and trained to handle the situation.  Even if you know someone will fight you on it, it's better to have someone upset with you and there, then be in their good graces but have them gone.

The environment someone is immersed in can push them to the brink, but it can also pull them back. The good thing about environments is that they can change, either through time or through our own doing.  A horrible environment can give way to a wonderful one. Family, friends, a school, an organization, even a cause can all be a part of a system that gives meaning to someone's life.  Never underestimate how important the environment can be in someone's recovery. 

If it weren't for my environment over the last five years, I wouldn't be here typing this. 

Be safe, be kind, be well.

-Megan