For many people in #India having a conversation about #suicide is a taboo. People don’t understand the term itself and find it frightening and for that matter, #suicide is a complicated topic to understand. In most cases, it’s not clear why a person makes this choice. It is unfair to form opinions without understanding the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ behind a situation. To make people aware and understand better about #suicide, we got in touch with a few #mentalhealthexperts from Mind Specialists ( a platform that is creating awareness around #MentalHealthandWellness) and spoke to Dr. Avdesh Sharma (Psychiatrist), and Dr. Sujatha D. Sharma, ( Clinical Psychologist), who helped us navigate maturely through this subject.
#JamesDonaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
What is #suicide?
Dr. Avdesh said, “#Suicide is a cry for help that ends in a terrible way. The number of suicides that are reported is usually ten times lower than the actual numbers. As a lot of attempts get passed off as accidents and due to the #stigma that’s attached to ‘#suicide’ people don’t talk about it at all.”
“For every attempt, there are countless failed attempts and that’s just how deep the problem is and how important it is to inform and educate people about it. So, whatever statistics you get to see is just the tip of the iceberg,” he added.
He further explained that one of the major reasons for people committing #suicide is ‘#depression’. The problem is that in case if a celebrity commits #suicide, it is talked about more but when a common man does the same, it goes unnoticed.
Reasons Why people commit #suicide-
– 70% of people who have attempted or have lost lives to #suicide have #depression.
– Job losses and fear of losing economic stability.
– Feelings of failure and shame.
– Sometimes due to social inequality.
– Traumatic childhood experiences.
– Loss of a loved one or a failed relationship.
Dr. Sujatha D. Sharma explained how we shouldn’t shy away from talking about #suicide with someone. We often worry that asking a loved one about #suicide may give them the idea of it or just increase the chances of them attempting it. But, that’s not true as someone who is suicidal is already thinking about it. So, you can ask them, ‘if they think it would have been better if they weren’t here.’ She also said that only asking the question will give you an assessment of what you further need to do or how you are going to help them change their mind. So, here are a few ways Dr. Sujatha suggested that can change someone’s mind about the same-
5 Ways To Realistically Change Someone’s Mind About #Suicide
Take warning signs seriously – If you see something that is unusual or sign, like the person in question is not how he or she is on regular days. So, you go and ask them what’s going on and if you can’t help them you inform their family or refer them to a psychologist.
Hear them out- Just make sure that you don’t send out empty re-assurances or judgments that make the other person feel uncomfortable. Never tell them that they are thinking too much and things are just fine.
Understand their emotional state- The idea is to help them take one day at a time and one situation at a time. Enable them to explain why they might feel it in the first place and understand their emotional state.
Remove all harmful items- Make sure that you remove all weapons, medications, and other substances that can aid them in committing #suicide or overdose.
Be present- Just make sure to fix a time when you call them and try and fix a time when they call you. This way you can keep a check on them and also reassure them that you care.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
