Suicide Prevention? Jesus.
Montana is the nation’s 4th leader in the amount of suicides committed each year. The majority of these suicides presiding in Native American Reservations. Well, because suicide is so prevalent in our world today and specifically in Montana, it is a pretty important topic in my social work classes.
Today’s discussion was about this topic of suicide, brought about by an article written in the local newspaper about suicide on Reservations and what is being done about it. It would make sense that we talk about suicide in our social work classes because the whole profession of social work is based off of the idea that we should be helping/empowering people to help themselves. So it is good that suicide is covered in the profession of social work, especially since it is so prevalent and heart wrenching to those around.
Suicide among social work is viewed as a “social disease.” The root of this “social disease” being utter hopelessness, whether it be utter hopelessness in oneself, or just hopelessness in society in general, it is the underlying cause of all suicide.
During our conversation on suicide in class today, my teacher made a fairly bold claim: suicide is a 100% preventable disease, and we have to figure out how to prevent it. I admire her efforts and enthusiasm behind suicide awareness and stopping suicides, because suicide is such a devastating occurrence and it is terribly sad to see people get to that point of utter hopelessness where they feel that the only way out is through suicide. However, as I was thinking about her statement, I realized that all of her efforts toward this 100% prevention will be in vain. The only way anyone can find hope in this honestly hopeless world, is through the Gospel. Our only true hope in this world is Jesus Christ. So since the underlying root of suicide is hopelessness, and our separation from God the reason we have this hopelessness in the first place, the only one who is truly able to accomplish 100% prevention of this “social disease” is Jesus Christ.
Today’s discussion was about this topic of suicide, brought about by an article written in the local newspaper about suicide on Reservations and what is being done about it. It would make sense that we talk about suicide in our social work classes because the whole profession of social work is based off of the idea that we should be helping/empowering people to help themselves. So it is good that suicide is covered in the profession of social work, especially since it is so prevalent and heart wrenching to those around.
Suicide among social work is viewed as a “social disease.” The root of this “social disease” being utter hopelessness, whether it be utter hopelessness in oneself, or just hopelessness in society in general, it is the underlying cause of all suicide.
During our conversation on suicide in class today, my teacher made a fairly bold claim: suicide is a 100% preventable disease, and we have to figure out how to prevent it. I admire her efforts and enthusiasm behind suicide awareness and stopping suicides, because suicide is such a devastating occurrence and it is terribly sad to see people get to that point of utter hopelessness where they feel that the only way out is through suicide. However, as I was thinking about her statement, I realized that all of her efforts toward this 100% prevention will be in vain. The only way anyone can find hope in this honestly hopeless world, is through the Gospel. Our only true hope in this world is Jesus Christ. So since the underlying root of suicide is hopelessness, and our separation from God the reason we have this hopelessness in the first place, the only one who is truly able to accomplish 100% prevention of this “social disease” is Jesus Christ.
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