According to the Mental Health Foundation nearly 6,000 suicides occurred in the UK in 2017 which means there was one suicide every two hours. Talking about suicide can be difficult and the stigma around it and mental health issues that can cause someone to take their own life, still exist today.
Who Does Suicide Affect?
Suicide is the leading cause of death among young people ages 20-34 years in the UK and it is considerably higher in men with around three times as many men dying as a result of suicide compared to women.
Many people who suffer with mental health issues receive the help they need to live with their illness. For others this may be not be the case and some may start having suicidal thoughts and then act upon those thoughts.
Speak to Someone if you have Suicidal thoughts
It is important if you are feeling this way that you tell someone straight away so you don’t have to struggle with your feelings alone. Helplines are available and they include:
- Samaritans – call 116 123
- CALM (for men) – call 0800 58 58 58
- Papyrus (for people under 35) – call 0800 068 41 41
- Childline (for children and young people under 19) – call 0800 1111
- You can of course speak to us at Salford Counselling in complete confidence. Please Contact Us should you need help.
Talking to someone you trust can also help. Letting friends and family know about what is going on and they may be able to help you and offer you a safe and calm place to talk about it. There is no right or wrong way to talk about suicidal feelings. Starting a conversation about suicide is a great first step to talking about mental health.
If you are worried about someone else, try and talk to them and ask open ended questions so they cannot give you one-word answers. As long as you keep listening to those answers it will help those who need it.
Go and see your GP if you are struggling with mental health and suicide so you can receive the help you need.
We can also offer a listening ear here at Salford Counselling. If you need help you can speak to use in complete confidence. Contact Us for a consultation as soon as possible.