2023-09-10 13:07:45
Suicide prevention awareness
Every year, many international humanitarian organizations commemorate Suicide Prevention Awareness Day or World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, coinciding with the designation of the “yellow” month of September as a month to raise awareness of the dangers of suicide and the importance of Psychological health.
You can Global Health Organization 700,000 people die from suicide every year, and it is estimated that the number of attempts is much higher.
In the 22 countries that make up the Arab world, this topic has not been addressed significantly, and large-scale studies estimate that suicide rates in the Arab world are low at 3.9% to 4.8% per 100,000 individuals, compared to an average global rate of 9% per 100,000.
However, the topic of suicide and psychological/mental illness is generally considered a thorny topic that is not adequately talked about in the Arab world, and as a result, suicides and suicide attempts are largely underreported and these crises are very likely underestimated. For example, it indicates Recent research Individuals in the Arab world report high rates of depressive symptoms and thoughts of ending their lives.
In this context, A.J. With news now about her personal experience, where her sister tried to end her life two years ago and how this issue affected her and her family.
She said: “At the time I did not really realize the extent of the crisis. I knew it was not normal but I thought she was experiencing a lot and was generally tired.” She added: “She was not concentrating during conversations and often mentioned how tired she was.” I was living in another country at the time so we weren’t together in person and she was always busy so I didn’t suspect anything. “She was the last person you would think would try something like that. That’s the saddest part. You can never look at someone and think you understand how or what they feel.”
When asked about what happened and how it affected her and her family, A.J. answered: They threw all the sharp objects out of the house and wanted, in her words, to “cover her in bubble wrap and protect her from everything and from herself.” She also continued her talk about the confusion and bewilderment of feelings that the family faced. On the one hand, they were happy and very grateful that she was still alive and with them. But on the other hand, they were afraid, confused, and very anxious. The impact of the suicide attempt was not easy for the family, and they did not know what was the appropriate course of action at that time.
A.J. continued: “I did a lot of research afterwards to understand the causes of suicide and what people go through at the time, and many survivors said that after their attempts it was like instant remorse which made me wonder if those who did not survive felt the same way, and if so how much regrettable”.
She concluded her speech by saying: “Some of my friends described my sister as “selfish” for what she did. Of course, this made me angry because she is my sister, but I think that when people are in that state of mind, they do not think properly, and harming others is certainly not the focus of their concern.”
What is suicide prevention awareness?
According to Lana Qasqas, a social and psychological specialist, suicide awareness is the process of educating people about the dangers of suicide and how to deal with them, and its importance lies in the fact that it works to save lives in the first place because it teaches people to recognize the symptoms of depression and thus provide support and help, which in turn can help save the lives of people who suffer from it. Depression and suicidal thoughts.
Secondly, awareness can reduce the rate of depression because it encourages people to seek help to treat depression and psychological problems. Awareness also contributes to changing society’s negative view of suicide and eliminating recklessness towards this problem.
How do I know if someone is suffering from depression?
According to Dr. Ibrahim Magdy Hussein, a neurology and psychiatry consultant, suicide is one of the last stages of depression, and a person reaches this stage when he feels that he is not useful to others, and that others will not be able to help him.
We find that the person uses certain terms, such as praying for himself or talking about his fatigue with life and his loss of passion, and when trying to discuss with him, he says phrases such as “I am not afraid of death” or “death is delayed,” or he talks about his will while he does not suffer from any diseases or distinguishes himself. At his young age, these are signs of severe depression.
In this case, you must talk to the person and be honest with him that he needs psychological treatment, whether medication or through therapy sessions.
What should I do if I’m having suicidal thoughts?
When asked Dr. Marie-Ange Nohra, therapist, psychoanalyst, and university professor, what can I do if I am having suicidal thoughts? Nohra responded by saying that the first piece of advice is to go to a person close to you or someone you can trust and talk to him. This relieves tension and thus helps you take a distance from the problem and see it in a clearer and simpler way.
Of course, talking to specialists is better because they provide guidance and support during these periods and have experience in helping in the most appropriate way.
How do I help people who have no one to turn to?
In the event that there is no specific person to turn to, there are telephone support lines in some Arab countries, and there are many websites that can be used to talk to specialists.
In this context, Qasqas said that the biggest problem is that societies underestimate the suffering of people who have suicidal thoughts, and therefore we, as people, must spread awareness about mental health issues and encourage talking about the problem in order to contribute to avoiding marginalization and neglect of this crisis.
Websites and hotlines to provide psychological support
There are a number of means Which can be used to request psychological support The most prominent assistance in the Arab countries is as follows:
The Middle East
Middle Eastern Eating Disorder Association
https://www.meeda.me
[email protected]
Online “psychotherapy” website
Ayadi Health
Lebanon
Embrace Lifeline 12:00PM-2:00AM
[email protected]
???? 1564
The UAE
Dubai Foundation for Women and Children Helpline
???? 5111
???? 800111
Estijaba helpline
???? 8001717
Algeria
???? 58 2000 3983 0021
Egypt
National Council for Mental Health
???? 20818102
Befrienders
[email protected]
???? 7621602
???? 7622381
Iraq
United Nations hotline
???? 80069999
the two seas
???? 188 199 161 0097
???? 260 199 161 0097
???? 191 199 161 0097
???? 334 199 161 0097
Jordan
???? 900 508 262 0096
Morocco
Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide
???? 42 42 382 002
Smile of Reda (Befrienders Casanlanca)
???? 40 47 87 22 5 212
???? 70 95 58 62 6 212
Saudi Arabia
Psychological Counseling Contact Center
???? 60 33 03 920
Sudan
Befrienders Khartoum
???? 253 555 11 249
1694356841
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