People
living with mental illness and or suicidal thoughts, plans,
and attempts are mostly professionals, parents, friends, and
neighbors - people with jobs, homes and kids. This fact
is contrary to society stereotypes and therefore it is essential
to learn, observe, act, and advocate ensuring that suicide
prevention efforts increase and succeed.
Listening
to the pain
Sometimes
people can pass through life events without seriously compromising
their mental health or their ability to think clearly. But,
in certain cases and with some people, these events and their
fallout can trigger anxiety, stress, depression and even thoughts
of suicide as a way to alleviate the pain of living.
As
a member of the clergy you can make a difference by listening
and offering calming support to individuals who seek your
advice and counsel. Listening closely to the words
offered by individuals seeking your services can help you
to proactively refer people to appropriate mental health or
crisis services.
If
a person has suicidal thoughts, they may exhibit the following
emotional and behavioral indicators
associated with suicide (References 2&3):
- Overwhelming
emotional pain that is beyond what the person
can endure – given their coping capacity or recent
loss of coping resources
- Hopelessness
that their situation can improve, that the future
holds any promise of relief from pain
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Electronic,
print, and multimedia resources are provided to help you to
find additional authoritative information on What to look
for as a Clergy member. These resources are available from
such national organizations as The National Institute of Mental
Health as well as professional organizations, not-for-profit
organizations, and educational institutions. |
Internet
National
Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
The
NIMH is the primary National Institute of Health organization
for research on suicide and suicide prevention. The
NIMH offers specific resources, research, tools, and reports
for individuals in helping roles, health care professionals,
and researchers interested in learning more about suicide
and suicide prevention.
The
NIMH provides a Web page dedicated to men and depression including
a subsection titled Signs and Symptoms available
at the following Web address:
http://menanddepression.nimh.nih.gov/
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