Suicide - Please don't - and stay away from anyone who promotes it

One night this week I heard on the news that every minute 8 men commit suicide world wide. Then the other night again on the news I heard that 50,000 people in the United States committed suicide last year. So that hasn't been removed by my thoughts as I enjoy this beautiful Christmas season. So, I want to talk about it for a bit today. I have a video of PTSD, but I will upload that next week. I took a look at what the stats are for Canada and WHO (World Health Organization). Stats for Canada- suicides are about 4,500 in Canada per year. This amounts to 12 people dying by suicide each day. WHO reports 700,000 world wide suicides a year. The Stats for Americans was approximately 50,000 this year. Just the numbers alone are startling. All these people killing themselves and what are we doing about it? I want to write to our Premiere and ask that OHIP includes mental health and not only physical care. There is money provided to organizations for mental health and charity organizations out there, but we need more. We need to ensure that anyone needing mental health care is covered for it. This should be world wide. There should be support groups initiated specific to this group as there is for AA. And no organization in my opinion who is provided for funding should have MAID on their platform. I believe the objective is to save a life and not take it. There are good insurance plans out there and employers seem to be providing more benefits for this. However, there are so many people who do not have the luxury of insurance and they need help too. I think we fail as a society if we close our eyes. Look at all these lives - gone. Their hope - gone. One of the first things I do if I have a client who is suffering from suicidal thoughts is suggest they share their thoughts not only in the therapy room, journaling et...but with family and those close to them. I also always recommend a full phyisical and psychiatric assessment. Medication can help, sharing can help, learning ways to cope can help and I also try to determine when this started and why? Right now with the internet there are all kinds of people out there who are preying on people. I think it was just this week, that a 12 year old boy killed himself. Someone out there on the internet, told him to pay or otherwise he would release sexual photos of him. Please if there is anyone who is reading this that is being preyed upon right now - go to the police and if you are a minor, please share this with your parents. Talk to them. Don't let some creep steal your life. They are counting on getting away with it because they have you suffer shame. You have nothing to be ashamed of, the creeps do and this extends to pedophiles. Don't give them money because they will ask you for money again and again. Then there are those who who encourage you to kill yourself. We have one guy in jail because he was the cause of so many deaths. He used to be a cook of all things. I know he targeted Canadians, Americans and Brits who are now dead, so he can make a buck. Does he feel responsible? I doubt it. So remember, talk about it.....talk and talk.....If you are at the point where you do want to commit suicide, go to an emergency hospital. Seek professional help. Seek a support group. Practice mindfulness. Work out the problems in your life with support. Nothing is worth your life. Perhaps it is time to make changes. If you are a child please talk to your parents. If you cannot talk to them, talk to a teacher, religious leader, or counsellor at school. If you are bullied, report it and ensure it stops. Tell yourself each day that you love you and that you are worth it. Look in the mirror and tell yourself you are a decent person and a loving person. Surround yourself with positive people. Why not this year tell yourself you want to make changes. You want to live. Take care of yourself. What do you think? PS. They release a new number 988 for suicide prevention. Also, be aware that 211 is available as a resource of mental health organizations. Find out what is available where you live. Have a good weekend.