Suicide prevention

[StGallsGAA]

Lifeline is a wonderful organisation - 0808 808 8000 - Free from landlines & UK mobiles. 

A useful number to give to all young people.  In many cases surviving suicide is just geeting though the moments of most despair when alone.

http://www.lifelinehelpline.info/

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

"Depression: sad business, isn't it? My view is that it's largely caused by disappointment"

That doesn't seem to tally with medical opinion. 
On the other hand it is good to see a paper like the BT taking on this subject.

Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain if they won the lottery it wouldn't change their mood.

With the latest neuro-imaging techniques they can observe the various components of the brain working (or not).

It seems, for example, that Area 25 of the Prefrontal Cortex is centrally involved in (some types of) depression. Area 25 is linked to the amygdala (memory and emotions) and the hippocampus (long-term memory), amongst others. Area 25 is believed to be involved in the regulation/production of serotonin, a chemical that is believed to be, in turn, centrally involved in mood regulation, etc.

That whole brain circuit contributes to depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), where it seems that those particular afflictions are as a result of brain malfunctions, as opposed to specific traumas experienced.

[Pangurban]

For the sake of clarity, its probably worth noting that there are 3 types of depression
1. Reactive...Which is usually triggered by external events
2. Endogenous. Which arises from a chemical imbalance in the Brain
3. Agitated. Which is generally associated with old age and dementia.

There is a high risk of self harm or suicide with all 3 types, but particularly so with endogenous

[Declan]

Suicide reaching 'rampant' levels in rural society, warns coroner
By Stephen Rogers and Gordon Deegan
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
A MIDLANDS coroner has warned that suicide is "rampant" in rural society as yesterday alone he heard inquests into the deaths of five people who had taken their own lives.
Of the six inquests Offaly county coroner Dr Brian Mahon heard in Tullamore yesterday, five were the suicides of people — all men — aged between 32 years and 60 years.
He said the incidences of people taking their lives in Ireland was "really serious and rampant" at the moment adding there was evidence of an increase over the last year, particularly in rural areas.
The latest published figures for suicide in this country produced by the Central Statistics Office show that there were 527 cases, up from 424 the previous year.
An additional 195 "deaths by undetermined intent" were recorded by the CSO, a high proportion of which may have been suicide.
More recent figures, albeit provisional, have been published in Clare by the coroner's office there. They show more than three times the number of people died from taking their own lives last year than from road tragedies.

The provisional statistics point to 15 suspected suicides in the county last year, compared with four road traffic fatalities.
The figure may be even higher for Clare amid concerns over a number of deaths where the cause has not been fully determined.
Yesterday, consultant psychiatrist Dr Moosajee Bhamjee called for the same energy and funding from Government, aimed at tackling road safety, to be put into lowering the numbers of people taking their own lives.

Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/suicide-reaching-rampant-levels-in-rural-society-warns-coroner-143159.html#ixzz1C2dGrMTv

This is a huge problem affecting our country and yet it seems not to figure on anyone's political agenda - Very scary