How to deal with suicide

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed counselor so this is my perspective as an ordained pastor.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. As a pastor I have seen a lot of stigma with these this and mental health. Although many don’t want to talk about suicide, it is the 10th leading cause of death with 47,511 deaths in 2019 (American Foundation for suicide Prevention).

How do you deal with this in your own life?

First if you are feeling suicidal, you need to get help by talking with a friend or call the suicide prevention lifeline (800-273-8255). If you are veteran use the military crisis line at 800-273-8255 (press 1).

Also, realize that you are important and your death would impact lots of people in a terrible way.

You need to do what you need to do to get healthy and that may require mental health counseling or therapy. Please do not suffer with this alone.

On another side, if you know someone who is expressing suicidal thinking and they have a definite plan of how they would do it, it is serous! You must not leave them alone and you must call 911.

When I was a pastor in Michigan a lady who just started going to our church called and told me she was going to kill herself. I asked her how and she had a definite plan (guns in the house). I was able to pass the phone over to my wife and call 911 and she was saved.

Everyone needs to make a commitment that they will be proactive in saving life.

Finally, those that have had a loved one commit suicide need to hear that it is not your fault.

Further, you have no way of knowing if you had done something it would have saved the person. For many people who are in your situation it is important to get help to process this terrible loss of life that was taken from you.

If you are in Sikeston on Tuesdays (1:30 and 6 p.m.) at First Baptist Church (1101 N Main) there is a free Grief Share program that would assist you in learning how to grieve.

In conclusion please let others know you stand with them in their mental health challenges and get educated so we can see fewer and fewer commit suicide.

Make sure you also trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior. There is always hope through Christ. “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” (Titus 2:13)

If you have a question you would like answered for future columns email mathewvroman@gmail.com