They Can & Here\\u2019s How<\\/strong><\\/h2>\\n Their ashes rest in an urn in my bedroom. My sister. My nephew\\u2026. He shot himself to death on Memorial Day 2017, and she followed suit on July 27. He was 42. She was 63. I try to put thoughts about them behind me. At times, it\\u2019s quite painful, but at others, I feel nothing. However, I can\\u2019t help but think about them right now. September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and this Sunday, Sept. 10, is National Suicide Prevention Day.<\\/p>\\n Could faith\\u2026 religion\\u2026 Christianity\\u2026 have saved them? I don\\u2019t know and never will.\\u00a0 Should our family have done anything differently to help them? Yes, but I don\\u2019t know what it would have been. By 2017, my sister and my nephew seemed determined to end their lives, and the rest of us felt helpless, hopeless and angry. We had felt that way for several years.<\\/p>\\n My sister, in particular, pushed everyone away with all her might and then wondered why we avoided her. She wouldn\\u2019t admit she had serious mental health problems and didn\\u2019t want anyone interfering in her life. Coherent conversations with her were nearly impossible, though we could still have passable conversations with my nephew.<\\/p>\\n No one in the family dared to set foot on their property by 2017. Both of them suffered from depression, which was bad enough, but they also were paranoid. My sister was concerned about someone breaking into the house they shared, and the two of them held gun drills to discourage anyone from trying.<\\/p>\\n They were descending into their own versions of hell, and no one could seem to stop them.<\\/p>\\n Who\\u2019s at Risk?<\\/strong><\\/h3>\\n People commit suicide for various reasons, but at the core of such tragedies is a pain so great that they see death as their only option.<\\/p>\\n \\u201cPeople of all genders, ages, and ethnicities can be at risk for suicide,\\u201d says the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH). The institute lists several major risk factors but notes that most people who have risk factors don\\u2019t attempt to kill themselves. The difficulty for people around them is determining who will act and who won\\u2019t.<\\/p>\\n Risk factors include:<\\/p>\\n \\nA history of suicide attempts<\\/li>\\nDepression and other mental health problems<\\/li>\\nSubstance abuse<\\/li>\\nChronic pain<\\/li>\\nA family history of mental health problems or substance abuse<\\/li>\\nA family history of suicide<\\/li>\\nFamily violence including physical and sexual abuse<\\/li>\\nThe presence of guns or other firearms in the house<\\/li>\\nRecent release from prison or jail<\\/li>\\nDirect or indirect exposure to suicidal behavior by family members or others<\\/li>\\n<\\/ul>\\n My sister had several risk factors. There was a history of suicide attempts, severe depression and other mental health problems, chronic pain from fibromyalgia and the presence of guns in the home. My nephew was severely crippled by cerebral palsy and was bedridden by the time he died. His disability, which created a great sense of guilt in his mother, caused constant physical and emotional pain, and he, too, lived in a home that he had filled with guns.<\\/p>\\n Some people with deep emotional problems turn to God, which my sister seemed to do, but my nephew became an atheist. I believe he decided that no loving God would subject a person to the unrelenting pain he suffered.<\\/p>\\n An Important Source of Help<\\/strong><\\/h3>\\n All that said, faith communities can often help at-risk people who turn to God, and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) might be a good place for them to start.<\\/p>\\n \\u201cFaith communities are a natural setting for suicide prevention,\\u201d the center says. \\u201cSpiritual beliefs and practices tend to help people experience hope and meaning in their lives. Faith communities can also provide opportunities for developing positive relationships with others and can be an important source of support during difficult times.\\u201d<\\/p>\\n The SPRC, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, advises \\u201cthe best way to prevent suicide is to use a comprehensive approach\\u201d that:<\\/p>\\n \\nPromotes emotional well-being and connectedness among members of a faith community<\\/li>\\nIdentifies at-risk people and helps them find assistance for their problems<\\/li>\\nPrepares faith leaders to deal with suicide deaths and to provide support to the survivors.<\\/li>\\n<\\/ul>\\n The center offers \\u201cbasic information to help faith community leaders recognize and respond to people who may be suicidal or at high risk\\u2026 (including) a list of relevant resource material and organizations.\\u201d Learn more by clicking here.<\\/a><\\/p>\\n SPRC also supports the \\u201cFaith. Hope. Life.\\u201d campaign and website, which the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention created \\u201cto help all faith communities become more closely involved in suicide prevention.\\u201d<\\/p>\\n The website points out that \\u201csuicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States\\u201d and says, \\u201cYou and your faith community can play an important role in suicide prevention. Here are four specific actions for you to consider as part of the \\u2018Faith. Hope. Life.\\u2019 campaign.<\\/p>\\n \\n\\u201cKnow the facts<\\/strong>. Learn more about suicide prevention and how faith communities can help.<\\/li>\\n\\u201cPray and worship.<\\/strong> Incorporate mental health promotion and suicide prevention into your daily work.<\\/li>\\n\\u201cProvide care and comfort. <\\/strong>Find new ways to provide care and comfort to members of your faith community. Help lay caregivers\\u2026 be sources of hope and strength for others.<\\/li>\\n\\u201cBuild community.<\\/strong> Increase positive connections that will protect members of your faith community from suicide\\u201d \\u2013 and I might add that you shouldn\\u2019t forget about others in your community who aren\\u2019t members of your faith.<\\/li>\\n<\\/ul>\\n Click here<\\/a>\\u00a0to learn more. This website offers quite a few filters and links that will hopefully help Christian leaders better understand suicide and possibly save lives.<\\/p>\\n Warning Signs<\\/strong><\\/h3>\\n******** *\* Whether you are a faith leader or not, you should know the warning signs for suicide and take them seriously. The NIH lists these signs:<\\/p>\\n *\* ********Talking about:<\\/strong><\\/p>\\n \\nWanting to die<\\/li>\\nFeelings of great guilt or shame<\\/li>\\nBeing a burden to others<\\/li>\\n<\\/ul>\\n******** *\* ********Feeling:<\\/strong><\\/p>\\n \\nEmpty, hopeless, trapped or having no reason to live<\\/li>\\nExtremely sad, more anxious, agitated, or full of rage<\\/li>\\nUnbearable emotional or physical pain<\\/li>\\n<\\/ul>\\n******** *\* ********Changing behavior:<\\/strong><\\/p>\\n \\nMaking a plan or researching ways to die<\\/li>\\nWithdrawing from friends, saying goodbye, giving away important items, or making a will<\\/li>\\nTaking dangerous risks such as driving extremely fast<\\/li>\\nDisplaying extreme mood swings<\\/li>\\nEating or sleeping more or less<\\/li>\\nUsing drugs or alcohol more often<\\/li>\\n<\\/ul>\\n******** *\* \\u201cIf these warning signs apply to you or someone you know, get help as soon as possible, particularly if the behavior is new or has increased recently,\\u201d the NIH stresses.<\\/p>\\n *\* ********In the U.S., call or otherwise contact:<\\/p>\\n \\n911 <\\/strong>for emergency help<\\/li>\\nThe U.S. Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988<\\/strong><\\/li>\\nChat at\\u00a0988lifeline.org<\\/strong><\\/li>\\nThe Crisis Text Line by texting \\u201cHello\\u201d <\\/strong>to 741741<\\/strong><\\/li>\\nThe NIH Suicide Prevention website by clicking here.<\\/a><\\/li>\\n<\\/ul>\\n******** *\* ********These resources, which are available 24\\/7, are free and confidential.<\\/p>\\n The Spanish language lifeline in the U.S. is 1-888-628-9454. <\\/strong>U.S. veterans or service members in crisis may call 988 <\\/strong>and press 1,<\\/strong> or chat by clicking here.<\\/a><\\/p>\\n National Suicide Prevention Day, Month<\\/strong><\\/h3>\\n********** *\* My family\\u2019s tragedy was rooted in a doctor\\u2019s decision to order numerous x-rays of my sister\\u2019s abdomen more than 40 years ago. There was no large cyst or tumor, as the doctor claimed. But there was a small fetus, and the damage was done.<\\/p>\\n *\* My nephew was born with cerebral palsy that prevented him from crawling the way most babies crawl or walking with ease. Movement was always a struggle for him, and it grew worse with time. My sister blamed herself from the moment his disability was diagnosed and lived with guilt for the rest of her life. The guilt destroyed her career, her family and her marriage.<\\/p>\\n *\* Depression crippled my nephew, as it did my sister. She turned to prescription drugs to escape the pain, and thus the downward spiral began.<\\/p>\\n *\* **********September is National Suicide Prevention Month and Sunday, Sept. 10 is National Suicide Prevention Day. It\\u2019s a good time to reach out to any at-risk people in your life or seek professional help if you are feeling at-risk. And if you\\u2019re a person who prays, pray as well.<\\/p>\\n For other perspectives on suicide and religion, check out Connor Brennan\\u2019s post on Patheos, \\u201cReligious-Based Shaming Against Suicide Victims,\\u201d here<\\/a>, or \\u201cDepression, Suicide, and Hope\\u201d by Kyle Roberts on Patheos\\u00a0here.<\\/a><\\/p>\\n<\\/body><\\/html>\\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \\u00a0 They Can & Here\\u2019s How Their ashes rest in an urn in my bedroom. My sister. My nephew\\u2026. He shot himself to death on Memorial Day 2017, and she followed suit on July 27. He was 42. She was 63. I try to put thoughts about them behind me. At times, it\\u2019s quite painful, \[…\]<\\/p>\\n","protected":false},"author":4662,"featured\_media":3326,"comment\_status":"open","ping\_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":\[1160\],"tags":\[1163,1172,1166,1169\],"class\_list":\["post-3320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-suicide-and-religion","tag-christianity-and-suicide","tag-help-for-at-risk-people","tag-suicide-risks","tag-suicide-warning-signs"\],"yoast\_head":"\\nCan Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?<\\/title>\\n<meta name=\\"description\\" content=\\"People commit suicide for various reasons, but at the core of such tragedies is a pain so great that they see death as their only option.\\" \\/>\\n<meta name=\\"robots\\" content=\\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\\" \\/>\\n<link rel=\\"canonical\\" href=\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/2023\\/09\\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\\/\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:locale\\" content=\\"en\_US\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:type\\" content=\\"article\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:title\\" content=\\"Can Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:description\\" content=\\"People commit suicide for various reasons, but at the core of such tragedies is a pain so great that they see death as their only option.\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:url\\" content=\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/2023\\/09\\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\\/\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:site\_name\\" content=\\"Woman to Woman\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"article:published\_time\\" content=\\"2023-09-08T01:13:17+00:00\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"article:modified\_time\\" content=\\"2023-09-11T04:35:38+00:00\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:image\\" content=\\"https:\\/\\/wp-media.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/sites\\/1491\\/2023\\/09\\/handgun-3822252\_1280.jpg\\" \\/>\\n\\t<meta property=\\"og:image:width\\" content=\\"1280\\" \\/>\\n\\t<meta property=\\"og:image:height\\" content=\\"853\\" \\/>\\n\\t<meta property=\\"og:image:type\\" content=\\"image\\/jpeg\\" \\/>\\n<meta name=\\"author\\" content=\\"Ginny Baxter\\" \\/>\\n<meta name=\\"twitter:card\\" content=\\"summary\_large\_image\\" \\/>\\n<meta name=\\"twitter:label1\\" content=\\"Written by\\" \\/>\\n\\t<meta name=\\"twitter:data1\\" content=\\"Ginny Baxter\\" \\/>\\n\\t<meta name=\\"twitter:label2\\" content=\\"Est. reading time\\" \\/>\\n\\t<meta name=\\"twitter:data2\\" content=\\"7 minutes\\" \\/>\\n<script type=\\"application\\/ld+json\\" class=\\"yoast-schema-graph\\">{\\"@context\\":\\"https:\\/\\/schema.org\\",\\"@graph\\":\[{\\"@type\\":\\"WebPage\\",\\"@id\\":\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/2023\\/09\\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\\/\\",\\"url\\":\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/2023\\/09\\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\\/\\",\\"name\\":\\"Can Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?\\",\\"isPartOf\\":{\\"@id\\":\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/#website\\"},\\"datePublished\\":\\"2023-09-08T01:13:17+00:00\\",\\"dateModified\\":\\"2023-09-11T04:35:38+00:00\\",\\"author\\":{\\"@id\\":\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/#\\/schema\\/person\\/3b22d514c89b8d2c7482f4e4d62aeb26\\"},\\"description\\":\\"People commit suicide for various reasons, but at the core of such tragedies is a pain so great that they see death as their only option.\\",\\"breadcrumb\\":{\\"@id\\":\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/2023\\/09\\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\\/#breadcrumb\\"},\\"inLanguage\\":\\"en-US\\",\\"potentialAction\\":\[{\\"@type\\":\\"ReadAction\\",\\"target\\":\[\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/2023\\/09\\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\\/\\"\]}\]},{\\"@type\\":\\"BreadcrumbList\\",\\"@id\\":\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/2023\\/09\\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\\/#breadcrumb\\",\\"itemListElement\\":\[{\\"@type\\":\\"ListItem\\",\\"position\\":1,\\"name\\":\\"Home\\",\\"item\\":\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/\\"},{\\"@type\\":\\"ListItem\\",\\"position\\":2,\\"name\\":\\"Can Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?\\"}\]},{\\"@type\\":\\"WebSite\\",\\"@id\\":\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/#website\\",\\"url\\":\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/\\",\\"name\\":\\"Woman to Woman\\",\\"description\\":\\"Woman to Woman offers insightful stories for and about Christian women and shares a layperson\\u2019s perspective on life, the Lord and progressive Christianity.\\",\\"potentialAction\\":\[{\\"@type\\":\\"SearchAction\\",\\"target\\":{\\"@type\\":\\"EntryPoint\\",\\"urlTemplate\\":\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/?s={search\_term\_string}\\"},\\"query-input\\":\\"required name=search\_term\_string\\"}\],\\"inLanguage\\":\\"en-US\\"},{\\"@type\\":\\"Person\\",\\"@id\\":\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/#\\/schema\\/person\\/3b22d514c89b8d2c7482f4e4d62aeb26\\",\\"name\\":\\"Ginny Baxter\\",\\"image\\":{\\"@type\\":\\"ImageObject\\",\\"inLanguage\\":\\"en-US\\",\\"@id\\":\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/#\\/schema\\/person\\/image\\/\\",\\"url\\":\\"https:\\/\\/secure.gravatar.com\\/avatar\\/b1d1ffc556ecb8495cfe22d0280ae39e?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\\",\\"contentUrl\\":\\"https:\\/\\/secure.gravatar.com\\/avatar\\/b1d1ffc556ecb8495cfe22d0280ae39e?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\\",\\"caption\\":\\"Ginny Baxter\\"},\\"description\\":\\"Ginny Baxter is a former journalist and public relations professional whose passion is writing. A graduate of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, Ginny majored in English with a focus on journalism. She later studied public relations at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She comes from a Christian family and has been an active church member since childhood.\\",\\"url\\":\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/author\\/gbaxter\\/\\"}\]}<\\/script>\\n","yoast\_head\_json":{"title":"Can Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?","description":"People commit suicide for various reasons, but at the core of such tragedies is a pain so great that they see death as their only option.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/2023\\/09\\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\\/","og\_locale":"en\_US","og\_type":"article","og\_title":"Can Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?","og\_description":"People commit suicide for various reasons, but at the core of such tragedies is a pain so great that they see death as their only option.","og\_url":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/2023\\/09\\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\\/","og\_site\_name":"Woman to Woman","article\_published\_time":"2023-09-08T01:13:17+00:00","article\_modified\_time":"2023-09-11T04:35:38+00:00","og\_image":\[{"width":1280,"height":853,"url":"https:\\/\\/wp-media.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/sites\\/1491\\/2023\\/09\\/handgun-3822252\_1280.jpg","type":"image\\/jpeg"}\],"author":"Ginny Baxter","twitter\_card":"summary\_large\_image","twitter\_misc":{"Written by":"Ginny Baxter","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\\/\\/schema.org","@graph":\[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/2023\\/09\\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\\/","url":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/2023\\/09\\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\\/","name":"Can Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-09-08T01:13:17+00:00","dateModified":"2023-09-11T04:35:38+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/#\\/schema\\/person\\/3b22d514c89b8d2c7482f4e4d62aeb26"},"description":"People commit suicide for various reasons, but at the core of such tragedies is a pain so great that they see death as their only option.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/2023\\/09\\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":\[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":\["https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/2023\\/09\\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\\/"\]}\]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/2023\\/09\\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":\[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Can Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?"}\]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/#website","url":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/","name":"Woman to Woman","description":"Woman to Woman offers insightful stories for and about Christian women and shares a layperson\\u2019s perspective on life, the Lord and progressive Christianity.","potentialAction":\[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/?s={search\_term\_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search\_term\_string"}\],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/#\\/schema\\/person\\/3b22d514c89b8d2c7482f4e4d62aeb26","name":"Ginny Baxter","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/#\\/schema\\/person\\/image\\/","url":"https:\\/\\/secure.gravatar.com\\/avatar\\/b1d1ffc556ecb8495cfe22d0280ae39e?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\\/\\/secure.gravatar.com\\/avatar\\/b1d1ffc556ecb8495cfe22d0280ae39e?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Ginny Baxter"},"description":"Ginny Baxter is a former journalist and public relations professional whose passion is writing. A graduate of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, Ginny majored in English with a focus on journalism. She later studied public relations at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She comes from a Christian family and has been an active church member since childhood.","url":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/author\\/gbaxter\\/"}\]}},"\_links":{"self":\[{"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/posts\\/3320","targetHints":{"allow":\["GET"\]}}\],"collection":\[{"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/posts"}\],"about":\[{"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/types\\/post"}\],"author":\[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/users\\/4662"}\],"replies":\[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/comments?post=3320"}\],"version-history":\[{"count":0,"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/posts\\/3320\\/revisions"}\],"wp:featuredmedia":\[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/media\\/3326"}\],"wp:attachment":\[{"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/media?parent=3320"}\],"wp:term":\[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/categories?post=3320"},{"taxonomy":"post\_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/womantowoman\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/tags?post=3320"}\],"curies":\[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\\/\\/api.w.org\\/{rel}","templated":true}\]}}

{"id":3320,"date":"2023-09-07T21:13:17","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T01:13:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/?p=3320"},"modified":"2023-09-11T00:35:38","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T04:35:38","slug":"can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/2023\/09\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Courtesy of Pixaby \/ andychoinski)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They Can & Here\u2019s How<\/strong><\/h2>\n Their ashes rest in an urn in my bedroom. My sister. My nephew\u2026. He shot himself to death on Memorial Day 2017, and she followed suit on July 27. He was 42. She was 63. I try to put thoughts about them behind me. At times, it\u2019s quite painful, but at others, I feel nothing. However, I can\u2019t help but think about them right now. September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and this Sunday, Sept. 10, is National Suicide Prevention Day.<\/p>\n Could faith\u2026 religion\u2026 Christianity\u2026 have saved them? I don\u2019t know and never will.\u00a0 Should our family have done anything differently to help them? Yes, but I don\u2019t know what it would have been. By 2017, my sister and my nephew seemed determined to end their lives, and the rest of us felt helpless, hopeless and angry. We had felt that way for several years.<\/p>\n My sister, in particular, pushed everyone away with all her might and then wondered why we avoided her. She wouldn\u2019t admit she had serious mental health problems and didn\u2019t want anyone interfering in her life. Coherent conversations with her were nearly impossible, though we could still have passable conversations with my nephew.<\/p>\n No one in the family dared to set foot on their property by 2017. Both of them suffered from depression, which was bad enough, but they also were paranoid. My sister was concerned about someone breaking into the house they shared, and the two of them held gun drills to discourage anyone from trying.<\/p>\n They were descending into their own versions of hell, and no one could seem to stop them.<\/p>\n Who\u2019s at Risk?<\/strong><\/h3>\n People commit suicide for various reasons, but at the core of such tragedies is a pain so great that they see death as their only option.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople of all genders, ages, and ethnicities can be at risk for suicide,\u201d says the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH). The institute lists several major risk factors but notes that most people who have risk factors don\u2019t attempt to kill themselves. The difficulty for people around them is determining who will act and who won\u2019t.<\/p>\n Risk factors include:<\/p>\n \nA history of suicide attempts<\/li>\nDepression and other mental health problems<\/li>\nSubstance abuse<\/li>\nChronic pain<\/li>\nA family history of mental health problems or substance abuse<\/li>\nA family history of suicide<\/li>\nFamily violence including physical and sexual abuse<\/li>\nThe presence of guns or other firearms in the house<\/li>\nRecent release from prison or jail<\/li>\nDirect or indirect exposure to suicidal behavior by family members or others<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n My sister had several risk factors. There was a history of suicide attempts, severe depression and other mental health problems, chronic pain from fibromyalgia and the presence of guns in the home. My nephew was severely crippled by cerebral palsy and was bedridden by the time he died. His disability, which created a great sense of guilt in his mother, caused constant physical and emotional pain, and he, too, lived in a home that he had filled with guns.<\/p>\n Some people with deep emotional problems turn to God, which my sister seemed to do, but my nephew became an atheist. I believe he decided that no loving God would subject a person to the unrelenting pain he suffered.<\/p>\n An Important Source of Help<\/strong><\/h3>\n All that said, faith communities can often help at-risk people who turn to God, and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) might be a good place for them to start.<\/p>\n \u201cFaith communities are a natural setting for suicide prevention,\u201d the center says. \u201cSpiritual beliefs and practices tend to help people experience hope and meaning in their lives. Faith communities can also provide opportunities for developing positive relationships with others and can be an important source of support during difficult times.\u201d<\/p>\n The SPRC, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, advises \u201cthe best way to prevent suicide is to use a comprehensive approach\u201d that:<\/p>\n \nPromotes emotional well-being and connectedness among members of a faith community<\/li>\nIdentifies at-risk people and helps them find assistance for their problems<\/li>\nPrepares faith leaders to deal with suicide deaths and to provide support to the survivors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The center offers \u201cbasic information to help faith community leaders recognize and respond to people who may be suicidal or at high risk\u2026 (including) a list of relevant resource material and organizations.\u201d Learn more by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n SPRC also supports the \u201cFaith. Hope. Life.\u201d campaign and website, which the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention created \u201cto help all faith communities become more closely involved in suicide prevention.\u201d<\/p>\n The website points out that \u201csuicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States\u201d and says, \u201cYou and your faith community can play an important role in suicide prevention. Here are four specific actions for you to consider as part of the \u2018Faith. Hope. Life.\u2019 campaign.<\/p>\n \n\u201cKnow the facts<\/strong>. Learn more about suicide prevention and how faith communities can help.<\/li>\n\u201cPray and worship.<\/strong> Incorporate mental health promotion and suicide prevention into your daily work.<\/li>\n\u201cProvide care and comfort. <\/strong>Find new ways to provide care and comfort to members of your faith community. Help lay caregivers\u2026 be sources of hope and strength for others.<\/li>\n\u201cBuild community.<\/strong> Increase positive connections that will protect members of your faith community from suicide\u201d \u2013 and I might add that you shouldn\u2019t forget about others in your community who aren\u2019t members of your faith.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Click here<\/a>\u00a0to learn more. This website offers quite a few filters and links that will hopefully help Christian leaders better understand suicide and possibly save lives.<\/p>\n Warning Signs<\/strong><\/h3>\n Whether you are a faith leader or not, you should know the warning signs for suicide and take them seriously. The NIH lists these signs:<\/p>\n Talking about:<\/strong><\/p>\n \nWanting to die<\/li>\nFeelings of great guilt or shame<\/li>\nBeing a burden to others<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Feeling:<\/strong><\/p>\n \nEmpty, hopeless, trapped or having no reason to live<\/li>\nExtremely sad, more anxious, agitated, or full of rage<\/li>\nUnbearable emotional or physical pain<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Changing behavior:<\/strong><\/p>\n \nMaking a plan or researching ways to die<\/li>\nWithdrawing from friends, saying goodbye, giving away important items, or making a will<\/li>\nTaking dangerous risks such as driving extremely fast<\/li>\nDisplaying extreme mood swings<\/li>\nEating or sleeping more or less<\/li>\nUsing drugs or alcohol more often<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n \u201cIf these warning signs apply to you or someone you know, get help as soon as possible, particularly if the behavior is new or has increased recently,\u201d the NIH stresses.<\/p>\n In the U.S., call or otherwise contact:<\/p>\n \n911 <\/strong>for emergency help<\/li>\nThe U.S. Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988<\/strong><\/li>\nChat at\u00a0988lifeline.org<\/strong><\/li>\nThe Crisis Text Line by texting \u201cHello\u201d <\/strong>to 741741<\/strong><\/li>\nThe NIH Suicide Prevention website by clicking here.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n These resources, which are available 24\/7, are free and confidential.<\/p>\n The Spanish language lifeline in the U.S. is 1-888-628-9454. <\/strong>U.S. veterans or service members in crisis may call 988 <\/strong>and press 1,<\/strong> or chat by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n National Suicide Prevention Day, Month<\/strong><\/h3>\n My family\u2019s tragedy was rooted in a doctor\u2019s decision to order numerous x-rays of my sister\u2019s abdomen more than 40 years ago. There was no large cyst or tumor, as the doctor claimed. But there was a small fetus, and the damage was done.<\/p>\n My nephew was born with cerebral palsy that prevented him from crawling the way most babies crawl or walking with ease. Movement was always a struggle for him, and it grew worse with time. My sister blamed herself from the moment his disability was diagnosed and lived with guilt for the rest of her life. The guilt destroyed her career, her family and her marriage.<\/p>\n Depression crippled my nephew, as it did my sister. She turned to prescription drugs to escape the pain, and thus the downward spiral began.<\/p>\n **September is National Suicide Prevention Month and Sunday, Sept. 10 is National Suicide Prevention Day. It\u2019s a good time to reach out to any at-risk people in your life or seek professional help if you are feeling at-risk. And if you\u2019re a person who prays, pray as well.<\/p>\n For other perspectives on suicide and religion, check out Connor Brennan\u2019s post on Patheos, \u201cReligious-Based Shaming Against Suicide Victims,\u201d here<\/a>, or \u201cDepression, Suicide, and Hope\u201d by Kyle Roberts on Patheos\u00a0here.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0 They Can & Here\u2019s How Their ashes rest in an urn in my bedroom. My sister. My nephew\u2026. He shot himself to death on Memorial Day 2017, and she followed suit on July 27. He was 42. She was 63. I try to put thoughts about them behind me. At times, it\u2019s quite painful, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4662,"featured_media":3326,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1160],"tags":[1163,1172,1166,1169],"class_list":["post-3320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-suicide-and-religion","tag-christianity-and-suicide","tag-help-for-at-risk-people","tag-suicide-risks","tag-suicide-warning-signs"],"yoast_head":"\nCan Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"People commit suicide for various reasons, but at the core of such tragedies is a pain so great that they see death as their only option.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/2023\/09\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Can Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"People commit suicide for various reasons, but at the core of such tragedies is a pain so great that they see death as their only option.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/2023\/09\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Woman to Woman\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-09-08T01:13:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-09-11T04:35:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/1491\/2023\/09\/handgun-3822252_1280.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"853\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ginny Baxter\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ginny Baxter\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/2023\/09\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/2023\/09\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\/\",\"name\":\"Can Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-09-08T01:13:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-09-11T04:35:38+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/#\/schema\/person\/3b22d514c89b8d2c7482f4e4d62aeb26\"},\"description\":\"People commit suicide for various reasons, but at the core of such tragedies is a pain so great that they see death as their only option.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/2023\/09\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/2023\/09\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/2023\/09\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Can Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/\",\"name\":\"Woman to Woman\",\"description\":\"Woman to Woman offers insightful stories for and about Christian women and shares a layperson\u2019s perspective on life, the Lord and progressive Christianity.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/#\/schema\/person\/3b22d514c89b8d2c7482f4e4d62aeb26\",\"name\":\"Ginny Baxter\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b1d1ffc556ecb8495cfe22d0280ae39e?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b1d1ffc556ecb8495cfe22d0280ae39e?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Ginny Baxter\"},\"description\":\"Ginny Baxter is a former journalist and public relations professional whose passion is writing. A graduate of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, Ginny majored in English with a focus on journalism. She later studied public relations at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She comes from a Christian family and has been an active church member since childhood.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/author\/gbaxter\/\"}]}<\/script>\n","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Can Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?","description":"People commit suicide for various reasons, but at the core of such tragedies is a pain so great that they see death as their only option.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/2023\/09\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Can Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?","og_description":"People commit suicide for various reasons, but at the core of such tragedies is a pain so great that they see death as their only option.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/2023\/09\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\/","og_site_name":"Woman to Woman","article_published_time":"2023-09-08T01:13:17+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-09-11T04:35:38+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":853,"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/1491\/2023\/09\/handgun-3822252_1280.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Ginny Baxter","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ginny Baxter","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/2023\/09\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/2023\/09\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\/","name":"Can Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-09-08T01:13:17+00:00","dateModified":"2023-09-11T04:35:38+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/#\/schema\/person\/3b22d514c89b8d2c7482f4e4d62aeb26"},"description":"People commit suicide for various reasons, but at the core of such tragedies is a pain so great that they see death as their only option.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/2023\/09\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/2023\/09\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/2023\/09\/can-christians-help-people-at-risk-for-suicide-they-can-and-heres-how\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Can Christians Help People at Risk for Suicide?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/","name":"Woman to Woman","description":"Woman to Woman offers insightful stories for and about Christian women and shares a layperson\u2019s perspective on life, the Lord and progressive Christianity.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/#\/schema\/person\/3b22d514c89b8d2c7482f4e4d62aeb26","name":"Ginny Baxter","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b1d1ffc556ecb8495cfe22d0280ae39e?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b1d1ffc556ecb8495cfe22d0280ae39e?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Ginny Baxter"},"description":"Ginny Baxter is a former journalist and public relations professional whose passion is writing. A graduate of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, Ginny majored in English with a focus on journalism. She later studied public relations at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She comes from a Christian family and has been an active church member since childhood.","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/author\/gbaxter\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4662"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3320"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3320\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/womantowoman\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}