Thursday, December 6, 2018

Thursday's Thoughts on Surviving Suicide

I found this website shortly after my failed suicide attempt. I stumbled on an article discussing the phrase "suicide survivor" and who exactly it refers to. In my experience, more often than not, the term is used to describe someone who has lost a loved one to suicide. I suppose this makes sense, being that the definition of suicide negates the possibility a person who commits suicide surviving it.

So, the term "suicide attempt survivor" is more accurate and needs less explanation for someone like me who has attempted to take their own life but did not succeed in doing so.

From time to time, someone will comment on some post that interested me back at the beginning of my journey and I get an email about it. This process reminds me that, while I have come very far and am in a MUCH better place than I was a year ago, there are many others who are just starting the journey of what to do after you try to die and fail. Such is the case today.

I want to share the following from this post (link here) about suicide attempt survivors. It gave me hope many months ago. A suicide attempt is not a death sentence. You CAN recover. Many people do.

Please take a moment to read the entire article. I will leave you with this....

There are different possible reasons why people who attempt suicide, or try to make such an attempt, might choose afterward to stay alive. The most intuitive reason is that suicidal crises are, by their nature, temporary. 
More often than not, the crisis passes.
Too, people who attempt suicide may receive the help they need afterwards. Friends and family may rally to their side. Therapists and doctors may help provide relief. The person’s reasons for dying may begin to fade.
Another possibility is that the instinct to live kicks in once someone comes close to dying. Until then, that instinct may have been obscured by depression, stress, hopelessness or despair.
Again, please take a moment to read the entire article. 
I am proof that this is true. If you are struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide, please please please seek out help. Seek out help just as you would if you had cancer.  If someone you love is struggling with depression and or suicide ideation, please please please help that person get the help they need, just as you would if the person you love had cancer or some other disease.
I have not posted the suicide hotline in a while... I think i will post it in the side of this blog, but until then, here it is...
Call 1-800-273-8255
Available 24 hours everyday



No comments: