Suicide Myths

By Jim Crosson

Following is a list of 12 myths about suicide that everyone should know.

1. Suicide happens without any warning.
2. People who talk about suicide don’t ever really do it. 
3. You shouldn’t talking about suicide to someone you think may be suicidal because this will only encourage them to go through with it. 
4. Only a certain types of people commit suicide. 
5. Suicide is a lower class phenomenon or occurs in only certain ethnic groups. 
6. Suicide genetic and runs in certain families. 
7. Suicidal people are crazy or mentally ill. 
8. People who are seeing a psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist rarely commit suicide. 
9. People who are prescribed psychiatric medications rarely commit suicide.
10. An unsuccessful attempt at suicide shouldn’t be taken seriously. 
11. Young people are more likely than old people to commit suicide.
12. If someone wants to commit suicide, there is nothing you can do to help them or stop them.

For more information about suicide and resources on suicide prevention, I recommend visiting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline web site.