Mental Health: Six Positive Ways That Can Help Prevent Suicidal Deaths
Mental Health: Six Positive Ways That Can Help Prevent Suicidal Deaths
World Health Organization (WHO) 2019 statistics show that one person dies every 40 seconds from committing suicide. This statistic translates to 800,000 deaths in a single year. Worse predictions paint a gloomy picture that the rate will double next year; one life lost every 20 seconds.
Although suicide is not a mental disorder, there’s a correlation between it and mental wellness. The global health body reports that 90% of suicide cases occur from mental health disorders such as depression and substance abuse.
So what is mental health?
WHO defines mental health as a state of well-being where an individual can realize his or her potential, can handle everyday stresses to stay productive to offer a gainful contribution to society or community. It’s all about your emotions and social well-being; how you feel, think, and behave.
Why is it essential to have good mental health?
It is just as important as physical health in that there’s a close link between the two. When you have poor mental health, it will affect your physical well-being. An impoverished body has high risks of developing health conditions such as heart problems, hence increasing chances of gaining mental health issues.
While suicide deaths go beyond age and gender mental illness is most prevalent among young adults at 15–35, explaining why suicide is one of the most leading causes of death amongst this segment of society.
Though tragic, mental illness and suicide are preventable. Consultant psychiatrist Dr Raghu Krishnamurthy advises people to invest more time and attention in taking care of the mind as they do of their physical bodies. This mental care he notes will help prevent or nip mental illness in the bud.
So, how do you keep positive mental health and help prevent suicidal deaths?
Listed below are critical yet straightforward interventions that you should pay attention to in everyday life to make a positive influence on your physical and mental health:
1. The need to talk
Stress depresses many people in their lives. During the depression, suicidal thoughts may creep into your mind. It is essential to talk to someone — a friend or relative when this occurs. When you speak, you are sharing. And sharing is caring. Do not cope with it alone. Be a good listener if someone opens up to you of his/her feelings. Listening boosts confidence and acceptance in the depressed person and can reduce despair, stress levels, and suicidal feelings.
2. Seek Professional Help
More prolonged suicidal feelings and low esteem are signs of clinical depression. You can only treat this through therapy or the use of prescription drugs. Seeking help from a doctor or mental health specialist is vital in healing mental health issues from substance abuse.
3. Check on your diet
Make sure you always eat balanced meals always. Healthy eating habits will help ease physical health issues such as heart diseases and reduce the risk of developing mental illness and depression.
4. Do routine health check-ups
Getting health assessment tests often will help prevent health conditions early enough, which may negatively affect your mental well-being.
5. Exercise your body every day and get enough sleep
Walk, join a yoga class, or enroll in a gym as a daily routine to exercise, practice, and keep fit. Exercising improves the general health of the body and mind.
6. Maintain good behavior and choose a positive attitude
Accept that things will not always go your way but will not remain the same. It is important to stay hopeful and positive as a lack of these exposes you to temptations of destructive behavior and negative influence. For example, being on the run from law enforcers will make your life difficult. Lawlessness can compound your mental stress, leading to self-harm.
Conclusion
In line with the 2019 theme, “Suicide Prevention”, WHO’s message through its Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Dr Devora Kestel called on each of us to play our part by reaching out, listening and supporting those suffering. She says these interventions will go a long way in helping prevent suicide.
What are you doing to help reduce the ever-growing suicidal death cases?