By Adrian Zupp
Suicidal thinking can be brought on by any of a variety of things – sometimes in combination. Some of the leading risk factors for suicide include depression, previous attempts at suicide, family history of suicide, substance abuse, dealing with loss or problems with the law, access to lethal means such as guns, and shame or confusion over one’s sexual orientation.
Often the feelings associated with these risk factors are buried by the individual and her or she suffers in silence. There are a number of possible reasons for this, but whatever the case, it is an unhealthy path to take.
Most people who commit suicide have depression. (However, most people who suffer from depression do not commit suicide.) Approximately 10 percent of the U.S. population will suffer from depression at some point in time. And yet it is estimated that only 50 percent of those people diagnosed with depression receive treatment.
This brings us back to a great many individuals suffering from depression, making the decision to not seek help. For these folks, the step from “burying” the problem and visiting a clinician is just too much for them to handle. Furthermore, they may not even realize they have depression and pass it off as something else.
In-person and online screenings form the perfect bridge between inaction and seeking help; between not knowing and knowing.
Being anonymous, online screenings are the perfect way to take that first step without feeling any pressure or scrutiny; whether it’s for depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, alcohol or bipolar disorder.
You can take a screening any time, 24/7, and get some good information in the process.
A few minutes of your time just might lead to relief from your pain and suffering, or that of someone you love. You might even save a life.
Adrian Zupp is the marketing and communications writer at Screening for Mental Health.
