A L OT TO L IVE FOR GET THE HELP YOU NEED BY CALLING the 24hr hotline for troubled youngsters at 1-888-429-KARE (5273) M AGA Z I N E A PR I L 2 018
table of Contents
04. INFORMATION ON SUICIDE What is suicide and it's signs 10. INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGES Encouraging paragraphs about loving your life 16. SOCIAL MEDIA Whatsapp and Instagram posts 20. GALLERY Photos depicting the warning signs of suicide 24. FAQs and ANSWERS Questions people ask and the answers they need to know
When dealing with people remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion. – Dale Carnegie
Editor' s Note
Welcome Readers! In this inaugural issue of A Lot To Live For, I am pleased to present to everyone a publication that I believe encapsulates the current information on suicide awareness and prevention. Every tiny aspect of this magazine’s design and content shows the amount of work I put in so it may be insightful and interesting. What you see here is not a new formula. It’s a beginning. The objective of this magazine is to get everyone to start monitoring emerging trends in child and youth mental health, try to break the stigma that surrounds mental illness and build awareness about the type of difficulty young people might face. My aim was to make everything sharper, clearer, more alive and dynamic and I did just that. I hope you all enjoy and help to spread awareness about suicide so that a conversation may be started.
S.Francis
Informat ion On Suicide
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uicide is the action of taking one’s life. This is done to deal with the pain or fear that overwhelms an individual’s value for wanting to live and is globally the second leading cause of death. The World Health Organization data for 2014 indicates that 1.22 per 100,000 Jamaicans commit suicide. There are measures we can and must take right away to help prevent suicide whether encouraging responsible media reporting, raising awareness, promoting suicide prevention help lines and getting at-risk individuals the appropriate care. No one should ever feel like they are alone in the world; everyone should at least take the time out of their day to ask someone “How are you? Are you OK? How is your day going? Do you want to hang out?” whether they are suicidal or not you may never know the impact these questions have on someone. The behaviors listed below may be signs that someone is thinking about suicide: • Talking about wanting to die or wanting to kill themselves • Talking about feeling trapped or feeling that there are no solutions • Feeling unbearable pain (emotional pain or physical pain) • Talking about being a burden to others • Using alcohol or drugs more often • Withdrawing from family and friends • Changing eating and/or sleeping habits • Giving away important possessions
Risk factors are those characteristics associated with suicide, However, they might not be direct causes. A few risk factors are: •Family history of suicide, child maltreatment etc. •Unwillingness to seek help because of the stigma •Loss (relational, social, work, or financial) •Cultural and religious beliefs (e.g. belief that suicide prevention is the recognition of warning signs and taking them seriously by finding means and ways on how to reduce the risk of someone taking their life. A few warning signs may be: Substance abuse Self-Harm Isolation Aggression Depression
What Leads to Suicide 1. When someone is not well supported in a social group they feel like they are an outsider or a loner and the only people they have in this world are themselves. 2. When the degree of social integration is too high. When a person commits this type of suicide they are greatly involved in a group. All that they care about are that group’s norms and goals and they completely neglect their own needs and goals. 3. When someone is in times of great stress or change. Without regulation, a person cannot set reachable goals and in turn people get extremely frustrated. Life is too much for them to handle and it becomes meaningless to them. 4. People commit this suicide when their lives are kept under tight regulation. They often live their lives under extreme rules and high expectations. These types of people are left feeling like they’ve lost their sense of self 6
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If you or someone you know is going through a difficult time get the support you need for yourself or get support for someone. IDEAS
on how to support someone
EmpathIze and listen - Try not to offer solutions or to convince them that things will get better. -"I'm here for you, tell me what's on your mind."
validate your friends emotions -"You're important to me. It sounds like you're having a hard time"
ask open-ended questions - Try to get them to start talking about how they're feeling. -"I'm listening. Please tell me what's going on."
Make sure they're safe - Get them to speak with a counsellor, health professional or helpline.
IDEAS
on how to support yourself
Get outsde - Go for a walk, jog or bike ride - Play a sport or a game - Go to your favourite spot or park Be creative - Draw something simple - Make your favourite snack or dessert - Write down how you're feeling Soothe your senses - Take a bath or shower - Smell a scent that you like - Listen to peaceful music Just Relax - Look up at the sky and clouds - Read a new book or magazine - Take a nap
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Situations, they creep up on you like a thief And oftentimes, you are left in disbelief But I serve a God that cannot fail I don’t see my victory, but i‘m claiming it yeah @iamchozenn So many things happen in the world today Song: Smile I see families struggling everyday Confusion, contention This may lead any sane being into depression
But I’m gonna smile (fix up yuh face) Forget about my pain I’m gonna smile Through the stormy rain I’m gonna smile Forget about my pain I’m gonna smile And speak over my life 11
What is Happiness? Happiness is when you can smile even when you have nothing to smile about Happiness is when you are confident in whatever you do Happiness is when you feel loved Happiness is when everything in your life is going great and you feel like you can move mountains Happiness is gettng the love support and attention you need from your friends and family Happiness is within you so be happy H-appy A-mazng P-erfect P- assionate I-mmeasurable N- oble E-xcellent S-anctified S-mile
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- Kevin Smith Studio Engineer
Happiness is the only thing that will keep us going. A happy individual is a one who admires the smallest things in life. However, not everyone can be happy, simply because in order to be happy despite any situation is difficult for some persons. But if we learn to accept our life with both the flaws and successes then we can be happy. Happiness is the only thing that will keep us going. No matter how you feel good or bad it’s healthy to put your feelings into words. You don’t have to wait for a big problem to talk about your feelings. You can say how you feel any time. It’s a good thing to practice. You don’t have to talk about every feeling you have. But noticing your feelings and saying how you feel and why is good practice. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Talking about your feelings is an ideal way to express them. And when you have difficult feelings you need to talk over, you’ll be ready. - Natasha Lewin Student 13
Sometimes we find ourselves in dark places which seem to have overwhelming circumstances. Maybe it’s an emotional trigger, or financial hole, self esteem issues, or other external circumstances that might cause one to ponder ... Should I just end it all? Often described as the coward’s way out, society has woven numerous negative connotations around suicide. Catholicism damns the soul to hell, popular ideologies trains ones thoughts to believe persons who go through with the act are selfish. What about the underlying problem? Why do we not spend more time trying to extend a hand to those who are truly suffering? If you are feeling motivated in any way to commit suicide, maybe it is time to seek out an alternative. All is not always lost. Speak to someone, you can never know the power of another perspective. Where there is life, there is hope. - Raynor Allen Photographer/Videographer 14
Suicide doesn’t take away the pain, but it rather inflicts hurt and painto others and your loved ones. Those you leave behind die a thousand times trying to relive moments figuring out where they might have gone wrong. But what will resonate is the question “why”. The biggest teacher is the thing we call life. Life is one thing we all have to face, it has its ups and downs but that’s what makes it fair and balance. Being able to live and learn from both the good and bad times; so whenever the hard times come, it doesn’t break us but serves as a lesson. We all have a purpose don’t let the pressures get you down, see every stumbling block as a stepping stone because life is a journey and nothing comes easy. Be strong, courageous and fight the good fight. Suicide is NOT the way, confide in someone, people can’t help if they don’t know. DON’T GIVE UP ON LIFE. LIFE IS TOO PRECIOUS. - Yeshima Sinclair 15
W I T H E V E R Y
YOU ARE NOT ALONE E X P E R I E N C E
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Gallery
Self-harm 20
Isolation 21
Substance Abuse
A G G R E S S I O N 22
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D E P R E S S I O N
FAQS & ANSWERS
" Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud "
- Maya Angelou
Q: Does suicide tend to run in families? A: It has not been definitely proven that there is a direct genetic component involved in suicidal thing and attempts. Q: Do all suicidal people talk about killing themselves before they try to do t? A: NO. Q: At what age should education about suicide preventon start? A: Young children up to age 11 can benefit from learnng how to identify their feelings and where to go for help when they feel bad. Q: Are all suicidal threats real or is it usually just a cry for attention? A: While many people threaten suicide to get attention, all suicide threats must be taken seriously. Q: Are suicide and suicide attempts clustered? A: When one person decides that suicide is a solution to his or her pain, other people may be influenced to follow. 24
Q: Why is suicide a difficult area to cover? A: It is difficult because the family has lost someone usually unexpectedly and you are expected to write about it and sometimes interview the family who is having a hard time accepting the sudden loss of life. This can come across as invasive and sometimes insensitive. Q: Do you think reporting suicide is an opportunity to provide the public with informationand resources that could save lives? A: Yes it is an opportunity because it sheds light on a serious problem and also can be used as a public education moment to spark public debate. Q: Is copycat suicide the reason why the media hardly reports suicide? A: No. It is mainly because it can be difficult to cover and sometimes suicides are overlooked mainly due to stories that the public may think is more important. In addition, the public also frowns on suicide as something that ‘irresponsible people whowant to go to hell’ do. In essence, the media reflects what the public wants. Q: What are some important media guidelines for suicide? A: Respect the family’s privacy. If they do not want to talk or wish the matter to be publicized leave it alone.Be considerate when reporting the story try not to trivialize the issue. Q: How can suicide be prevented? A: By highlighting the issue and having a frank national discussion. Also, it is important that families notice signs of depression and openly speak about matters that may be affecting each other.
Answered By: Mr. LeightonWilliams Journalist 25
SUICIDE AWARENESS MATTERS 26
Myth VS Facts Myth People who talk about suicide won't really do it.
Fact Almost everyone who attempts suicide has given some clue or warnng. Don't ignore even indirect references to death or suicide.
Myth Anyone who tries to kill him/herself must be crazy.
Fact Most suicidal people are not psychotic or insane. Extreme distress and emotional pain are not necessarily signs of mental illness.
Myth People who die by suicide are people who were unwilling to seek help.
Fact Studies of suicide victims have shown that more than half sought medical help n the six months prior to their deaths.
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+18768518765 Linked In: Seveina Francis Email: smileyfrancis@ymail.com smileysevii@gmail.com @youmatter876