asha international mental health

We Give Hope

life-is-a-beautiful-giftA couple of weeks ago, I was heartbroken to hear about the suicidal death of a ten-year-old boy in my community. As a mother and mental health advocate, I realize how difficult it is to talk about suicide, a topic that has long been shrouded in shame and secrecy. But, it is time for us to break the silence and talk about suicide. According to the World Health Organization, suicide claims nearly 800,000 lives each year.

Every 40 seconds suicide claims the life of a person around the world – someone’s child, brother, sister, mother, father, family member or friend. Suicide is preventable. There is help. There is hope.

There are three steps all of us can take to prevent suicide:

  1. Awareness: Educate ourselves about the warning signs of suicide
  2. Acceptance: Create a culture of acceptance where a person can talk about their suicidal ideation without the fear of being judged, discriminated against or penalized
  3. Action: If you, a family member or a friend is feeling suicidal, get help

As a woman who has survived several suicide attempts, I have learned that even the darkest moments of despair can be overcome if we can ask and accept help. Life is a precious gift worth fighting for.

To learn more about how you can prevent suicide, please click here…

The post Let’s talk about suicide appeared first on Shadows in the Sun by Gayathri Ramprasad.

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