Suicide Prevention Presentation Reflection

On Thursday February 4th, we had two speakers join our class to share information on the prevention of suicide. I believe that it is necessary for people to be trained at and listen to information regarding suicide with the great prevalence that it has in our society. For college aged students, suicide is the second leading cause of death. This is devastating especially because after hearing the presentation, I learned that suicide is preventable. 

I learned multiple warning signs of suicide and to name a few, they included:

- Talking about wanting to die or wanting to kill oneself

- Looking for a way to kill oneself, ie. searching for/buying a gun

- Talking about being a burden to others

- Withdrawn or feeling isolated

- Sleeping too much or too little

- Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs

- Displaying intense mood swings

These are all things that I am now more aware of with friends/family members and I believe that it is important to say something if I notice any of these signs. 

One of the things that I find so interesting about mental illness and suicide is that it is so rarely talked about. Going to a speaker like this is a great way to segway into a conversation with friends or family. It is frustrating how taboo or stigmatizing the idea of seeing a counselor is as well. I have gone to counseling many times myself and I was embarrassed at first to talk about it. Now that I have gone, I see so much value in seeking help when it is needed, even for things that do not necessarily concern depression or suicide. 

I found it interesting that the night before these speakers came to class that Eric Hipple, a former NFL quarterback spoke on campus. I went to this presentation as well and found it heartbreaking to hear his story of his own suicide attempt and having to experience his son's completion of suicide. I had brought some of my residents to this presentation and it really opened up the door to a conversation about issues that we or our peers and families might be facing. I think that the more we talk about it, the more that it can be prevented and the more people who need to will seek help. It was an important conversation that we had and I hope that after seeing these speakers, the conversation continues.