Two Myths and a Truth

In order to address the issue of suicide, we need to dispel two common myths.

Myth: a person talking about ending their life isn’t serious, or they’re just trying to get attention.

If someone is talking in that matter, they are thinking of ending their life, and they should be taken very seriously.

Myth: once a person has decided to end their life, nothing can be done.

Any individual who is aware of the warning signs of a suicide can intercede before action is taken.

There are three elements to a suicide: ideation (having the idea), plan (developing a plan) and action (implementing the plan). The action step can often be triggered quickly (minutes, hours or a few days). However, any individual who is aware of the warning signs of a suicide can intercede before the action step occurs.

Remember the truth: suicides are preventable!