Thank you. everybody. It is 3 a .m. here. This
is part two to the suicide prevention. This is
Food for Thought, Thought to Fit Where You by
Neogentrics. Now, last time we were talking about
the different causes and ways that can push a
person towards suicide and the basic statistics
for it based off of the national averages, okay?
Now, with that being said, we're going to pick
up what I left off. And we're going to talk about
treatments. Okay? There are ways to help and
treat people who are aiming towards that or for
whatever reason are thinking or considering such
actions. Okay? 90 % of people who die by suicide
have a mental disorder at the time of their deaths.
There are biological and psychological treatments
that can help address the underlying health issues
that put people at risk for suicide. And I want
to make sure I cover at least a few of these
because I for one don't like seeing my friends
or watching my friends die in front of me. Okay?
At this time, there's only one medication. Clozapine.
I think I pronounced that wrong, but God help
me. It's been approved by the FDA for suicide
risk reduction in patients with schizophrenia.
Now, there is one study of mood disorder patients
that shows that treatments with antidepressants
and atypical... Sorry. Anti -psychotics and lithium,
ironically, reduce death by suicide. Now, I don't
know how much of that is actually true, but I
mean, they've been testing it. There are meta
-analysis of small lithium studies that show
that suicide is reduced in patients with either
bipolar disorder or major depression taking lithium.
But, those findings are controversial. Just because
you see something online and it says it helps,
it may be a hit and miss. Whether it does work
may only work for that one person. Keep this
in mind, like I mentioned before in a previous
podcast, that medicines affect everybody differently.
There's no one medicine for everyone. If that
was the case, we wouldn't have any problems.
Okay? There are two proven psychotherapies for
treating those who attempt suicide. Cognitive
behavioral therapy. for suicide attempters, and
dialectical behavioral therapy for patients with
borderline personality disorder and reoccurring
suicidal ideals, ideations, and behaviors. Clearly,
these short -term interactive therapies make
a difference. There are many small studies of
various interventions. including promising short
-term therapies. They include the family, the
show that repeated, I'm sorry, the show that
repeat suicide attempts are reduced under the
treatment of condition being tested. Now, while
these are, I guess you could say, helpful in
treating it, they're not the only other ways.
I mean, there is treatment for major depression,
okay? And that is, again, one of the major. causes
of suicide. Research shows that teaching healthcare
professionals to recognize and treat depression
is an effective way to reduce suicide rates,
and this has actually been proven true. They
focus on how depression can be treated, both
with medications and psychotherapy, which we've
discussed before. And if the depression is mild,
the doctor may begin with psychotherapy alone
and add medication later if the symptoms don't
improve. So basically, by managing to get rid
of the depression that would otherwise lead to
it, they reduce the possibility of it happening.
Next is medications. Many medications are available
to treat depression, and the most common of which
are antidepressants. Which, by the way, coffee
is a... A depressant. It is not an accelerant.
Just going ahead and tell you that now. It's
not going to help you in this situation. It might
make it worse. About 22 medications are currently
approved by the FDA, okay? And since there is
no accurate test to match a specific person's
symptoms and complaints with the right medication,
there's no way to actually know which drug will
work best for a particular person, going back
to what I was saying before. And the person who
may be depressed... Should discuss with their
doctor the medication choice and how to take
it as well as the potential side effects sometimes
there is The need to try a few different medications
before finding the one that actually gives the
best result With minimum side effects Um, when
the optimal dose with the best medication is
achieved, the antidepressant may take from four
to 12 weeks to actually achieve maximum benefit.
But I mean, it is possible for one or two symptoms
to improve in the first few weeks. Don't get
me wrong. There is progress. Okay. When antidepressants
are started and when doses are increased, a few
patients, especially children, adolescents, and
young adults, may experience increased anxiety,
agitation, restlessness, irritability, and anger,
which may lead to suicidal thoughts or attempts.
Now, these should be outlined by the doctor before
the treatment ever begins. Picking up with the
last piece, we're going to continue talking about
the treatment methods. I had mentioned before
psychotherapies. This is the next topic. Beyond
medicines, specific types of psychotherapy have
been proven to be effective for treating depression.
Now, they're usually short term and they last
from 12 to 16 weeks. Basically, formalized and
interactive is to make the person actually do
stuff. Sessions may take, they take place once
or twice a week with a professional who has been
specially trained and certified in the treatment
that they're using. Okay. And the most common
types of psychotherapy for depression are cognitive
behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, behavioral
activation. and cognitive behavioral analysis
system of psychotherapy. There is clear evidence
from research studies that combining antidepressants
with one of these therapies is the best treatment
for chronic depression, meaning that the patient
has a depressive illness for two years or more.
But most of these cases, people have managed
to alter their mindsets and allow them to come
out of it sooner. So, it's a rarity, but it does
happen that people become depressed for an extended
period of time. And with that being said, bringing
up the different kinds of therapy, I have to...
How do I put this in a nice way? I have to bring
up electroconvulsive therapy. It's basically
a last resort. Among other things. Basically,
if the depression doesn't respond to the treatment
or if it is very severe or if psychotic symptoms
appear, there's an additional treatment that
should be used. And the oldest and best studied
is electroconvulsive therapy. It's basically
a treatment that can be given as an out or inpatient,
but requires anesthesia and the delivery of a
small electrical current to the brain. And while
I don't condone this one. it actually has been
pretty effective uh but it does have side effects
as you would imagine which the doctors are working
to reduce but still i would consider this a last
resort if it has to even happen to anybody so
don't even recommend this to anybody a similar
treatment is uh transmagnetic stimulation which
is less dramatic and may not be as effective
unfortunately Finally, for those who suffer from
seasonal mood disorder, or SAD as some people
call it, the doctor may suggest light therapy
in addition to other treatments, but it beats
the electroconvulsive therapy, which again, I
do not recommend. Now, all these other ones,
I put up for grabs if it's necessary, but that
one, just no, okay? Next to last, we have the
treatment for bipolar disorder, okay? Another
high risk group is people with bipolar disorder,
which is characterized by mood swings from high
maniac to low depressed. Often with periods of
feeling normal in between, those with bipolar
disorder are at the greatest risk for suicide
as they are in a depression or mixed mood state,
making them indecisive, which is very dangerous.
With bipolar disorder, the doctors will begin
treatment with a mood stabilizer, such as lithium.
I really don't like saying that. Mood stabilizing
anticonvulsants and antipsychotics. Some of these
words these people come up with. Anyway, the
use of antidepressants for the depressive phase.
of the illness is sometimes important, but there
is no evidence that antidepressants have long
-lasting results. Making them the best tool to
be used for bipolar disorder. Okay? I'm having
a very off day. It's very hard to say certain
things. Now, last but not least, the treatment
for alcohol and drug abuse. Now, I've covered
a lot of different things already before on how
to deal with this. But according to the AFSP,
when combined with depression, bipolar disorder,
or any mental disorder, alcohol and drug abuse
can increase suicidal risks. When being treated,
the patient should be completely honest about
his or her alcohol or drug intake for the safest
treatment and when the best chance of getting
better. The treatment for alcohol and drug abuse
is varied, but always include a strong psychosocial
component. They've included a lot of different
resources on their site, which I will not go
into, that help with this and help people to
recognize it. The whole point of me covering
this is just to let you know about the different
treatments that are available, depending on what
it is. Okay? I'm going to take a short break,
and I'll be right back. Something I have to go
into here, and I don't know if I can make this
as clear as day. If you're ever having thoughts
of suicide, say you're a person listening and
you're having thoughts about suicide, or maybe
you know someone who is considering it, you need
to find support. Bring hope to those affected
by suicide, whether it be yourself or someone
else. This is my attempt to do so, as with anything
else that I do, is bring in information to those
who need it. If you're ever having thoughts of
suicide, it's important to contact the nearest
health support center to your area for advice
and help and guidance before you do anything.
Because killing yourself doesn't just hurt you,
it hurts everyone else around you. And it doesn't
solve the problem. Okay? Many people have tried
over the years to solve their problems to do
so. And it hasn't helped anybody. If you're ever
in a state of distress, reaching out is the first
step to safety. Okay? Call the Suicide Prevention
Lifeline. Okay? Or if you're a veteran, call
the Veterans Crisis Line. And if you're not safe
with talking to someone, you don't feel like
talking to anybody, you can always text them.
They're available to you 24 -7, okay? The Suicide
Prevention Hotline is 1 -800 -273 -TALK or 1
-800 -273 -8255. And as for veterans, the number
is similar, but it's not the same. You dial the
same number. 1 -800 -273 -8255. But for veterans,
you'll press 1 on the options list. Okay? This
is the best way to help anybody or to allow those
who are currently in that position to seek some
help that will actually help them. This is how
you can take action and help prevent someone
from making a mistake that they'll regret later.
Now... Let's take a turn here and go in a different
direction. There's four things I want to quickly
cover. I'm not going to go too much in depth
on them. If you want to find out more, visit
the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
website. They'll have the rest of this information
available to you. There are four categories I
want to keep in mind. And they're willing to
help you with just about any of them, okay? Say
you've lost someone to suicide. Or you're worried
someone might be at risk. Or you've made an attempt
yourself. Or worse yet, your loved one has made
an attempt or actually committed it. They have
links on their website to help you with each
one of these situations. Say you lost someone
to suicide. You're not alone. Suicide affects
millions each year. And thanks to their donors
and volunteers, the American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention is able to be there to help you. They
have practical information for immediately after
a loss. They have resources for loss survivors,
how to take care of yourself, how to connect
with other survivors. They even have things such
as International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day,
a survivor outreach program, and survivor support
groups. And then they even have a program set
aside to honor a loved one. Doing things such
as memory funds, out of the darkness walks, and
even memory quilts. I don't know how to make
a quilt yet, but it's something I want to learn
how to do. Just simply for that sake. What about
when someone is at risk? If you're in that position.
How do you talk to someone who may be struggling
with depression or anxiety? First things first,
have an honest conversation. Okay? If you think
someone is thinking about suicide, assume you
are the only one who will reach out. Here's how
you talk to someone who may be struggling with
their mental health. First things first, talk
in private, not in public. Two, listen to their
story. Three, tell them you care about them and
actually mean it, okay? Don't just say it. People
can tell when you're sincere. As in another podcast,
I've already covered that. Four, ask directly
if they are thinking about suicide. And then
five, encourage them to seek treatment or to
contact their doctor or therapist if they have
one. And then six, avoid debating the value of
life, minimizing their problems, or giving advice.
Never do this. Okay? Because you might end up
pushing them further over the edge. If a person
says they are considering suicide, take the person
seriously. Not as a joke. And stay with them.
Help them remove lethal means. Don't leave anything
around them that can allow them to cause harm
to themselves. When you get a chance to immediately
call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline,
which is the number I gave earlier, or just text
TALK to the number 741741, and you'll get connected
to a trained crisis counselor to help you. And
they're available 24 -7, like I mentioned before.
And if worse comes to worse, escort them to a
mental health service or an emergency room immediately.
Okay? Now, on the opposite end, say you're the
person who made an attempt and you're listening
to this. They're able to help you after an attempt
and even have voices of hope that can guide you
in the right direction. There are many different
ways in which you can do this. And while I don't,
how do I put this? I'm not going to condone one
over the other. Each one has its own purpose
and each one is for a different kind of person.
Okay? And like I said, I'm not going to cover
these two in depth because most people aren't
going to sit here and read through all of this.
Basically, after an attempt, they have a guide
on their site that will help you. Immediately
after an attempt, they ask to help you figure
out how did you even get here. They help you
to interact with your family and your friends.
And show you things you can do to support your
recovery. Even provide you a safety plan and
information for your family and friends that
can help you. Along with that, like I mentioned
before, they have the Voices of Hope. The Voices
of Hope, if I could simplify this as simple as
possible. is a series of videos featuring those
who have struggled with suicide, unscripted interviews
with people speaking from their own personal
experiences. Now, you can choose to watch these
videos or you don't have to. Again, it's up to
you. But it's all for your benefit to help you
prevent yourself from making the worst mistake
of your life. Now, on the last note here, say
your loved one has made an attempt. They offer
you resources that help them with the same...
issue okay when the loved one has made an attempt
what to do what also the same voices of hope
if needed okay suicide is not a game okay it
is very serious and it should be taken as such
a person's life is not something as simple as
fading grass as it dries and burns up in the
sunlight, okay? No one person is insignificant
or more important than the other. This is a very
serious topic. Anyway, thank you guys for listening.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. God bless.