A Global Overview

In 1996 the United Nations World Health Organisation urged the member governments of the United Nations to address the issue of global suicide.

In the year 2.000, the same organisation estimated that the annual worldwide suicide death toll stood at approximately 1.000.000 - that is one million men, women and children: One million lives. Approximately one million families torn apart and devastated. An annual waste of humanity on a Biblical scale.

One MILLION SOULS. This death toll must surely parallel the casualty figures for any similar period of time in the GREAT WAR of 1914 -1918.

Such numbers are easy to say, but not so easy to visualise. I cannot picture one million people.

To provide us lesser mortals with an idea of the scale of this body count. Someone calculated that it is equal to the loss of lives in the 9/11 terrorist attack on New York- if it were to be repeated each and every day of the year.

Apparently!

The WHO report goes on to state that for every successful suicide, there were between 10 and 20 failed attempts.This (we are informed) represents one suicide every 40 seconds, and one attempt every three seconds.

This means that there are more deaths by suicide worldwide than by violence, including all acts of WAR, TERRORISM and MURDER combined.

This being so, the United Nations (1996) appeal for the governments of the World to do something, appears to have fallen upon deaf ears. Evidence of this disturbing claim may be found in the fact that globally, suicide rates are (according to some reputable sources) continuing to rise. Whilst according to others - they are not. Personally I am convinced that they are rising.

Given that (for a variety of reasons) the actual number of suicides occuring within the space of one year is unknowable - on what are suicidal statistics based? Unfortunately, suicide statistics are unreliable and for reasons touched upon in the click on link (below) need to be taken with a pinch of salt.

N.B. It is truly alarming to realise that "official suicide figures" are enormous underestimates and that the "actual figures" involved really are unknowable.

Suicide: The primary cause

Medical Authorities representing the sovereign governments of the World appear to be agreed in the identification of untreated DEPRESSION as being the main cause of suicide.

This is extremely disturbing as the World Health Organization has warned the World that major depression will become the planet's second most debilitating disease by the year 2020. However, according to the New York based NARSAD: 'Major depression is already the leading cause of disability worldwide'. NARSAD could be right...

The assertion that depression will become the world’s second most debilitating disease (following heart disease) by the year 2020 is questionable. Studies on depression have produced alarming figures. A depressed person, for example, is four times more likely to suffer a heart attack than a non-depressed person is. If a depressed person does have a heart attack, he or she is four times more likely to die. Indeed research over the past two decades has shown that depression and heart disease are common companions and, what is worse, one can lead to the other.

Notwithstanding this crucial piece of information, it is also self evident that; the higher the level of depression - the higher the level of suicide.

This ongoing rise in depression would certainly explain the ever-increasing suicide rates.

The 'Hellish' prospect of the ever increasing spread of depression, prompts the question, what will actually happen after 2020? What will happen when depression is officially the second biggest life-threatening disease on our planet?

Obviously depression will not simply end at this point. Nor will it become a thing from a dark and distant past. It will continue to rise and suicide rates will continue to rise with it.

Following 2020, the next health 'milestone' in global mental health will be the year in which depression 'officially' replaces heart disease as the World's Number One Health problem.: And then what.......?

Unless checked. Suicide rates will continue to rise, claiming the lives of countless millions.

As these rates grow we will eventually be confronted by a nightmare scenario in which depression-related-suicide has become humanity's primary cause of death.

N.B. Like before when dealing with the 'unknowable' number of suicides. It should be noted that the main cause of suicide is undiagnosed depression. Being undiagnosed, the actual number of sufferers is also unknown and unknowable. This being so, depression could easily become the second most debilitating disease well before the year 2020. We simply don't know.

Despite the fact that we do not (nor can not) know how many people are taking their own lives each year. Nor can we know how many people are suffering from the condition which is held to be the primary cause of suicidal acts; The simple truth is that suicide is (and has been throughout human history) a silent pandemic. It is madness that our species appears unable to acknowledge the existence of one of its own biggest killers: suicide. It seems that rather than face the truth that suicide is a very real threat to every man, woman and child on the planet ( And by so-being, a threat and enemy to every family on the planet) Our species prefers to believe that by ignoring It - It will simply go away. It will not !!! ... and it is madness to believe that it will.

Our entire species appears to be in denial.

This bury your head in the sand approach is worse than a nonsense. Nonsenses don't normally kill people on such a vast scale - normally. But this ostrich-like avoidance of an unacceptable truth is typical of the confusion, ignorance and fear surrounding suicide.

Suicide does not have the same high visibility profile as other global killers: AIDS, Heart Disease and Cancer. The, high visibility profiles of which serve to orchestrate global action against the conditions concerned. Suicide does not. In this respect, suicide truly stands alone.

However, it is vital to understand that...

Suicides are preventable
Sufferers are 'curable' which is to say that people do recover from a suicidal crisis.
Depression (the main cause of suicide) is 'treatable' and people do recover from depression.

The sooner mankind's religions, societies and governments, accept that suicide is a reality which is killing people in ever increasing numbers. The sooner we can start addressing and then eradicating it, as the mature and responsible species we like to think - and boast that we are.


				UNDERSTANDING SUICIDE A GLOBAL OVERVIEW



	IT'S REAL NAME IS PENACIDE \| GLOBAL OVERVIEW \| DASISIGNPOST


		In 1996 the United Nations World Health Organisation urged the member governments of the United Nations to address the issue of global suicide. In the year 2.000, the same organisation estimated that the annual worldwide suicide death toll stood at approximately 1.000.000 - that is one million men, women and children: One million lives. Approximately one million families torn apart and devastated. An annual waste of humanity on a Biblical scale. One MILLION SOULS. This death toll must surely parallel the casualty figures for any similar period of time in the GREAT WAR of 1914 -1918. Such numbers are easy to say, but not so easy to visualise. I cannot picture one million people. To provide us lesser mortals with an idea of the scale of this body count. Someone calculated that it is equal to the loss of lives in the 9/11 terrorist attack on New York- if it were to be repeated each and every day of the year. Apparently! The WHO report goes on to state that for every successful suicide, there were between 10 and 20 failed attempts.This (we are informed) represents one suicide every 40 seconds, and one attempt every three seconds. This means that there are more deaths by suicide worldwide than by violence, including all acts of WAR, TERRORISM and MURDER combined. This being so, the United Nations (1996) appeal for the governments of the World to do something, appears to have fallen upon deaf ears. Evidence of this disturbing claim may be found in the fact that globally, suicide rates are (according to some reputable sources) continuing to rise. Whilst according to others - they are not. Personally I am convinced that they are rising. Given that (for a variety of reasons) the actual number of suicides occuring within the space of one year is unknowable - on what are suicidal statistics based? Unfortunately, suicide statistics are unreliable and for reasons touched upon in the click on link (below) need to be taken with a pinch of salt. N.B. It is truly alarming to realise that "official suicide figures" are enormous underestimates and that the "actual figures" involved really are unknowable. . Suicide: The primary cause Medical Authorities representing the sovereign governments of the World appear to be agreed in the identification of untreated DEPRESSION as being the main cause of suicide. This is extremely disturbing as the World Health Organization has warned the World that major depression will become the planet's second most debilitating disease by the year 2020. However, according to the New York based NARSAD: 'Major depression is already the leading cause of disability worldwide'. NARSAD could be right... The assertion that depression will become the world’s second most debilitating disease (following heart disease) by the year 2020 is questionable. Studies on depression have produced alarming figures. A depressed person, for example, is four times more likely to suffer a heart attack than a non-depressed person is. If a depressed person does have a heart attack, he or she is four times more likely to die. Indeed research over the past two decades has shown that depression and heart disease are common companions and, what is worse, one can lead to the other. Notwithstanding this crucial piece of information, it is also self evident that; the higher the level of depression - the higher the level of suicide. This ongoing rise in depression would certainly explain the ever-increasing suicide rates. The 'Hellish' prospect of the ever increasing spread of depression, prompts the question, what will actually happen after 2020? What will happen when depression is officially the second biggest life-threatening disease on our planet? Obviously depression will not simply end at this point. Nor will it become a thing from a dark and distant past. It will continue to rise and suicide rates will continue to rise with it. Following 2020, the next health 'milestone' in global mental health will be the year in which depression 'officially' replaces heart disease as the World's Number One Health problem.: And then what.......? Unless checked. Suicide rates will continue to rise, claiming the lives of countless millions. As these rates grow we will eventually be confronted by a nightmare scenario in which depression-related-suicide has become humanity's primary cause of death. N.B. Like before when dealing with the 'unknowable' number of suicides. It should be noted that the main cause of suicide is undiagnosed depression. Being undiagnosed, the actual number of sufferers is also unknown and unknowable. This being so, depression could easily become the second most debilitating disease well before the year 2020. We simply don't know. *Suicide: A timeless pandemic* Despite the fact that we do not (nor can not) know how many people are taking their own lives each year. Nor can we know how many people are suffering from the condition which is held to be the primary cause of suicidal acts; The simple truth is that suicide is (and has been throughout human history) a silent pandemic. It is madness that our species appears unable to acknowledge the existence of one of its own biggest killers: suicide. It seems that rather than face the truth that suicide is a very real threat to every man, woman and child on the planet ( And by so-being, a threat and enemy to every family on the planet) Our species prefers to believe that by ignoring It - It will simply go away. It will not !!! ... and it is madness to believe that it will. Our entire species appears to be in denial. This bury your head in the sand approach is worse than a nonsense. Nonsenses don't normally kill people on such a vast scale - normally. But this ostrich-like avoidance of an unacceptable truth is typical of the confusion, ignorance and fear surrounding suicide. Suicide does not have the same high visibility profile as other global killers: AIDS, Heart Disease and Cancer. The, high visibility profiles of which serve to orchestrate global action against the conditions concerned. Suicide does not. In this respect, suicide truly stands alone. However, it is vital to understand that... Suicides are preventable Sufferers are 'curable' which is to say that people do recover from a suicidal crisis. Depression (the main cause of suicide) is 'treatable' and people do recover from depression. The sooner mankind's religions, societies and governments, accept that suicide is a reality which is killing people in ever increasing numbers. The sooner we can start addressing and then eradicating it, as the mature and responsible species we like to think - and boast that we are.







		. Produced in Derbyshire.