Even Keel Bipolar Disorder Support Association

[jenndun]

I am heartened to see that Charmaine Dragun's family have the courage and determination to ensure Charmaine's suicide brings the issue of depression and suicide to the attention of the public and psych health professionals. Hopefully this will help inform the public of what can be done to help those severely depressed and those suffering from the affliction and encourage those suffering to share their pain with close ones.
I have suffered from depression most of my life and think one of the main reasons I am still here is that I told my family when I couldn't take anymore and with their support got the appropriate help. I know how worthless, helples, alone and desparate you feel when you are suicidal but what have you got to lose by telling them and it may just make the difference between life and death. I feel if nothing else my family and friends support made it less frightening and I had less anxiety and it made life just that little bit more bearable!

Here is a news article I found thought was very well written;

Engage with suicidal people, SANE advises
GLENDA KWEK
March 9, 2010 - 3:30PM
Mental health group SANE says the emergency hotline triple-0 should review its guidelines on helping someone when they are suicidal, after a witness at the inquest into the death of Perth newsreader Charmaine Dragun said yesterday he had been told not to go to her and "leave her where she is".

Barbara Hocking, executive director of SANE, said the standard advice for helping someone who was attempting to end their life was to engage with them and talk to them.

"I think he (the witness Tony Sklavos) was doing all the right things," she said.

"I think unfortunately he was given the advice to not talk to her, whereas I think the common prevailing wisdom is that you do engage with someone and let them know that you're there. You care and try and intervene.

"We do need to review the advice that triple-0 is giving. I think that's something that would be valuable to come out of this ... because this guy was wanting to do something to help and we will never know if had he engaged with her, it would have made a difference.

"Everyone felt that they were doing the best that they could. They (the triple-0 operator) were probably following guidelines they were provided. And so we've just got to make sure that the information and advice that we provide is the best information and advice."

Ms Hocking said people who find themselves in a similar situation with someone who is suicidal should not be afraid to speak to them.

"Don't be afraid. Just say something - let them know that you are there, because if you say nothing, they may feel even more isolated," she said.

"It's better to say anything, even if you say 'I don't know what to say, why are you there, how are you, can I help', any of those phrases, even just say 'I'm very scared seeing you there, please come back'."

"Say something, no matter how clumsy you may feel."

Ms Dragun, 29, a Channel Ten newsreader jumped from The Gap in November 2007. She was diagnosed with a depressive illness a decade before and was on antidepressant medication.

She had moved to Sydney from Perth to front the channel's 5pm news bulletins that were broadcast to Perth.

The inquest continues.

SANE Australia factsheets:

How to help when someone is suicidal (http://www.sane.org/factsheets/sane-steps%3a-how-to-help-when-someone-is-suicidal.html)

Finding help if you're feeling suicidal (http://www.sane.org/factsheets/thinking-of-suicide---finding-help-if-you%27re-feeling-suicidal.html)

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263) or visit www.beyondblue.org.au.

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[Uniden]

It also a matter of taking every talk of suicide serious and never ever say it’s taking the easy way out. There is really nothing easy about suicide as it goes against our natural self preservation one of our basic instincts. It can just add to the depression if someone fails to go through with it that is left with sence of falure.

The reality is not many people succeed in ending it and are left with the aftermath and sometime the lifelong physical scars in the case of cutters, paraplegia and quadriplegia are quite common in many cases and there are a few others I heard of including burns to about 80% of the body.

From the movie Pay it forward it was just a simple line “save me and have a cup of coffee with me” that stoped a jumper from taking the plunge.

On a personal note: I have been following the inquiry and also had the same problem a few months ago with a change to my antidepressant but had the foresight to reduce the medication until I was well enough to get the appropriate help. Which lead to the doctor threatening forced ECT, Just where is the support with medication to stop it getting this far.

[jenndun]

re; taking every talk of suicide serious and never ever say it’s taking the easy way out - I totally agree! Fortunately I've been taken seriously twice when I've told family and psychs that I was seriously contemplating it and as a consequence have never tried to self-harm although if I had attemped I am pretty sure I would have succeeded. I had a friend who succeeded on her third attempt. Yes failure does worsen depression and self-esteem and I've read actually puts you at a higher risk of trying again and succeeding.

Yes there are far more attempts with disasterous consequences than successful attempts but suicide is still the leading killer of young males and more people die from suicide than car accidents these days. (It is also thought quite a few fatal crashes may be suicides.) I am regularly hearing from family etc of the suicide of someone they know. In most cases it took everyone by surprise because they kept it to themselves. And, yes I think people's kindness can prevent a lot of suffering. If nothing else if people feel you will probably be sympathetic and they will be taken seriously they are more likely to tell you how they feel. You may be the person that can either get them the help they need, or at least give them the support they need to get proper help rather than hurt themselves.

Again, I agree it is NOT the time to come off one antidepressant to go onto a new one , which may not work anyway when you are depressed! I think adding on a compatiable med, stabilizing and THEN changing is the safest method and what has worked with me. A couple of years ago when I was first diagnosed with BP they took me off Zoloft thinking it was sending me into a mixed state and that caused the worst depressive episode that I'd had for nearly 20 yrs!