We talk about suicide from experience.
Talking about suicide is one of the most important prevention tools. It opens doors to understanding, breaks the silence that often surrounds this topic, still considered taboo, and can facilitate timely intervention. Through conversation, we can:
- Raising awareness among the population to reduce the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health.
- To offer support, comfort and hope to people who are in a difficult situation, listening to them without judging them and making them feel accompanied.
At the Ciutat Vella Adult Mental Health Center, part of the Sant Joan de Déu Health Park, we have collected testimonies from several patients who wanted to share their experiences with suicidal thoughts and behaviors, hoping that their experiences can help others at risk. We have put into writing some of the topics we discussed with them, focusing on recovery and hope.
Despair
💬 What they tell us
"When you completely lose hope and feel that the only viable way out is to die, what's really happening is that you've lost the ability to have an enriching perspective on your surroundings. Your view is so distorted by pain that you're unable to enjoy simple things."
"At the height of my depression, I was devastated by constant suffering that haunted me every day, and it seemed impossible that this suffering could ever lessen."
"I felt like I was facing a wall that I couldn't escape and that I couldn't evade."
✅ Our reflection
It's important to be aware of sudden mood swings in people around us who are feeling unwell. People at risk of suicide may experience ambivalence about the idea of dying, as well as anxiety, hopelessness, and even aggression.
Warning signs
💬 What they tell us
"I had anxiety, a need to vent with alcohol, loss of concentration, and a tendency to distance myself from my loved ones."
"He was incapable of enjoying simple things like admiring a sunset or stumbling upon the smile of a stranger while walking down the street."
✅ Our reflection
Some of the symptoms that people at risk of suicide may experience include:
- Insomnia.
- Concentration and memory problems.
- Neglect of personal care.
- Decreased desire for social contact.
- Problems with self-concept and self-esteem.
You have to be attentive to these signs so you can ask for help, whether the person detects them themselves or if it is someone in their environment.
7 steps to create your personal safety plan
Talk and ask for help
💬 What they tell us
"The key is to understand that you are not alone. When you think or feel that all is lost, ask for help. Explain what you feel and what is happening to you. Look for someone you can turn to, let them love and care for you. If you don't have an 'SOS' person, go to a healthcare professional and ask for help."
"I hadn't talked to anyone about it before; it was hard for me to do it and it's still hard, but now I'm trying."
"I talked to people close to me and it helped me a lot to vent. I think it's valuable to have people by your side who you can talk to and who can make you see things differently."
✅ Our reflection
Talking about suicide opens the door to intervention. A person's support network is crucial in managing their psychological distress. Establishing a non-judgmental listening attitude is the first step in creating a safe space and a climate of trust.
Let them love and care for you. There's no point in dying in pain; what makes sense is living with love.
Tools to get ahead
💬 What they tell us
"The priority is to identify the warning signs and to have internalized the possible alternative paths that allow you not to lose hope."
"The support of my loved ones and participating in psychoeducational sessions for depression organized by the centers I attended has helped me a lot."
✅ Our reflection
From close relationships to the professional environment, having support, information and accompaniment in decision-making becomes the fundamental pillar in the presence of suicidal thoughts.
Elena Jacinto
Seek help from mental health professionals
💬 What they tell us
"It's important to go to professionals, who in my case continue to provide me with tools and strategies to overcome the ups and downs I experience."
"From the people who have helped me, I have learned very valuable things, such as the importance of personal physical care. I'm talking about something as basic as understanding that to enjoy life, it is essential to have healthy eating and sleeping habits, which create a sense of well-being. I have also learned that you are not the one who causes the pain, that it is not your fault, and that you are many more things than just pain."
✅ Our reflection
Once a therapeutic bond has been established between the professional and the person being treated, the following is useful:
- Working on problem-solving.
- Change negative statements about yourself.
- Identify stressors.
- Leverage strengths.
- Advise on possible symptoms of depression or anxiety, as well as treatments that help minimize them.
What would you say to someone going through a similar situation?
💬 What they tell us
"I would tell them: Wait, because this suffering that seems endless will end. It's not eternal, it has a time limit! You have to wait for it to pass, be patient, and above all, follow the professionals' guidelines. In time, you'll understand the reason for those guidelines. And to that person's friends, I would say listen and be there for them."
"Don't punish yourself. Let them love and care for you. And if you don't have someone to turn to, go to a healthcare professional and ask for help. Do it for a very simple reason: there's no point in dying in pain; what makes sense is living with love."
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