Depression+and+Suicide


 * Depression is a potentially life-threatening mood disorder that affects up to 12% of the population, or approximately 17.6 million Americans each year. In addition to considerable pain and suffering that interfere with individual functioning, depression affects those who care about the ill person, sometimes destroying family relationships or work dynamics between the patient and others. The economic cost of depressive illness is estimated at $30-44 billion a year in the United States alone. The human cost cannot be overestimated.**
 * As many as two thirds of the people with depression do not realize that they have a treatable illness and do not seek treatment. Persistent ignorance and misperceptions of the disease by the public, including many health providers, as a personal weakness or failing that can be willed or wished away leads to painful stigmatization and avoidance of the diagnosis by many of those affected.**

Every year about 30,000 people commit suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in adolescents, the second leading cause of death among college-age youth and the sixth leading cause of death in children. If you suffer from depression and have strong suicide urges, please seek the help of a professional therapist as soon as possible. You can find mental health professionals who specialize in suicide prevention by looking in your local Yellow Pages under Mental Health and/or Suicide Prevention. Local crisis lines may also be available. If not, call (800)-SUICIDE. If in the midst of an acute suicide attack, check yourself into the emergency room or tell someone who can help you find help immediately. This is not the time to try to handle the situation alone. The majority of individuals who commit suicide feel isolated, desperately unhappy and alone. People usually attempt suicide to block unbearable emotional pain. They are intent on stopping their emotional pain, not on dying. The person who attempts suicide is often so distressed that they are unable to see that they have options or know that their life will improve. Nobody can predict exactly how another person will react to troubling or difficult periods in life. But, there are often clear warning signs that a friend or loved one may be considering suicide. Two out of every three people who commit suicide talked about suicide to friends or family. Even more gave clear warning signs before they committed suicide. Suicide warning signs usually occur in clusters, so often several warning signs will be apparent. People contemplating suicide give warning signs, often in hopes that they will be rescued. If someone tells you that they feel suicidal, above all, take them seriously. Give them the time they need to talk about how they feel and refer them to someone best able to help them. A doctor, counselor, social worker or minister are options for referral. If they appear acutely suicidal, you may need to get them to a hospital emergency department. The strongest risk factor for suicide is depression and the vast majority of people who attempt suicide are depressed. After getting past the immediate risk of suicide, it is crucial to find effective help for depression.

===Are women or men at higher risk?  === • Suicide was the seventh leading cause of death for males and the sixteenth leading cause of death for females in 2006. 1 • Almost four times as many males as females die by suicide. 1 • Firearms, suffocation, and poison are by far the most common methods of suicide, overall. However, men and women differ in the method used, as shown below. 1 
 * **Suicide by:** || **Males (%)**  || ** Females (%) ** ||
 * Firearms || 56 || 31 ||
 * Suffocation || 23 || 19 ||
 * Poisoning || 13 || 40 ||

[|www.allabout**depression**.com/gen_04.html]

suicidal.com/**depression**faq/

[|www.counseling.caltech.edu/Suicid-Depress.html]



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