TO CELEBRATE THE VALUE OF EACH HUMAN LIFE

Did you know that every hand print is unique and so are you? Jesus said “I have come that they might have life, and that more abundantly.” Your life is worthwhile to Jesus. Don’t end your life, begin it with him, and begin to see your life from his perspective. Now that’s something worth living for!

TO CHALLENGE SOCIETY’S DOUBLE STANDARDS IN RESPONDING TO SUICIDE

If people are physically sick or have a medical diagnosis, their premature death is seen as a relief – as heart-wrenching as the loss may be, it’s a relief to know they are finally out of their suffering. Similarly, if people are merely depressed and take their own lives, we have come to sympathise with their suffering and so news of the suicide will only elicit a brief shake of the head or “aw, that’s a shame”. Yet, celebrity suicides tend to make headlines and elicit global sentiments of grief and regret, prominent examples being Virginia Woolf, Robin Williams and Kurt Cobain.

TO OFFER POSITIVE ALTERNATIVES TO SUICIDE

Treatment of the suicidal or those with suicida ideation need not focus solely on challenging the faulty thinking of the client (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) but on redirecting them away from self-preoccupation to concern for others and the wider world (Durkheim, 1897).

People do not commit suicide because of what others have done to them or how others perceive them, although this may be a trigger. The determining factor is how they see themselves and their lives.

This raises the question about the causes of human emotional suffering. Physical suffering has a more direct and obvious causality e.g. if someone suffers a blow to the head, pain will be felt followed by likely dysfunction resulting from the physical assault. 

An external event such as a bereavement may trigger a certain reactive thought process, but we have the capacity to re-order or retrain our thought processes.

REASONS

You may have a complex interplay of reasons to end your life. Your reasons validate your pain and suffering. Only you know what you have been through to reach this point of seeming no return.

INSIGHTS

Gleaned from various fields of study and areas of human discourse, there is no shortage of knowledge and wisdom on how to appreciate the essence, purpose and value of human life.

STRATEGIES

We all need a helping hand in traversing the often rough terrain of  life with our sanity and well-being intact. A wealth of tools and keys are available here at your disposal.