Suicide The UK’s Shame
There are many things to be proud of here in the UK. We are a free democratic society with what I believe to be an excellent health service. However, one thing that puts the greatness of Great Britain to shame is the number of suicides which occur every year. Suicides in England were 4820 people with the total in the UK being 6188.
There is a lack of support and what support that is available lacks accessibility for many sufferers. Innovation is what is needed as well as exploring new approaches like online therapeutic services. Though these numbers are high the Chair of the Health Select Committee believes that the figures are higher than reported. She also accuses the media of being irresponsible when reporting on suicide and that this can then lead to sufferers copying what has been reported.
Suicide is preventable it is up to all of us involved in mental health to do our bit to be able to provide the necessary support before these individuals attempt to take action. Everyday I see people in pain in my consulting rooms and many of them have contemplated or even attempted suicide. These can be avoided if the sufferers can be supported at the point long before they make an attempt on their life. We all need to play our part.
