Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Debt Can Lead To Suicide

How does someone who is living with the sheer panic and desperation of constantly trying to get through each day, because of their debt problems, stop the thoughts of their contemplating suicide?

As mention in my article http://debts-challenge.blogspot.com/2008/03/fear-and-worry-of-being-in-debt.html, these are the thoughts of many people who are living daily with the stress and worry of mounting debts and knowing that they cannot even afford their every day living expenses. Every second, their thoughts are of how they can get out of debt.

As a result of this constant stress and anxiety, they may not be eating or sleeping properly. The consequence of this will be their inability to work at their normal productive level and also to make good judgements. Without realising it, they will have slipped into a severe state of depression.

In this state, not only will they become pessimistic, but they will also become obsessive over their debt problems. Everything will look hopeless and they will eventually reach a point when they will not be able to see a light at the end of the tunnel. They will start to see suicide as their only way out.

Once a person reaches this point it is imperative that they be taken seriously.

If you know someone who is threatening suicide for whatever reason, get them to seek professional help right away. Go with them for support and encouragement, if you can. At the very least direct them to The Samaritans. Talk to them. Give them your time.

Going back to the original question of this article, the way to stop people considering suicide as an option to eliminating debts, is to help them put their debt problems into perspective.

  1. Spend time talking to them positively about their debts solutions. Contact a debt agency and make an appointment for them. Help them prepare for this appointment. You can do this by following the tips listed here.

  2. Encourage them to list all their achievements up until this point in their lives. This will help to reinforce their capability of dealing with their debt problems by way of reminding them of what they have successfully achieved in the past and putting their debt problems into perspective.

  3. Show them that you care by telling them what you like about them as a person. Their confidence will be at their lowest, so truthful but genuine compliments can only help to restore this.

  4. Enlist their family for more support. Some family members, who know nothing about the stress this person is going through, may well be in a position to and also, want to, help.

  5. Encourage them to make an appointment to see their doctor and go with them for moral support. Just the small act of driving them there and waiting for them while they are in their meeting, will help, not only them but also you. You will have knowledge that you have done everything in your power to help this person at a time of great need.

Music is another way of motivating and uplifting a person ...


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

AnneMarie...THANK YOU ever so much for approaching such a sensitive subject. I can say that as a person who personally suffers from depression, you are bang on with all your information. The one thing that often so contributes to the stress & anxiety of debt is the absence of family or friends whether is it true or perceived. It is of paramount importance that those 2 groups do not abandon their friend or relative or decrease contact with them. There is nothing worse than our perception that "no one" cares. The inability to "keep up with the Joneses" because of debt or extremely low finances can resound with a further crippling effect. We do not ask for help...help and support MUST be offered. Any self esteem and confidence we had has disappeared and all we want to do is hide away from the rest of the world. Thank you for your wise advice. Even if we are not considering suicide your 5 points for someone taking action is important. For those who read your information...please note that you may not even recognize a friend or family with the symptoms that AnneMarie has stated. We can be very good at hiding our emotions and removing ourselves from active view. Think of those around you and ask yourself if they are as involved with everyday activities as usual or have you even seen them or heard from them. Could it be that they are avoiding contact with people? If you have any kind of suspicion go see them or phone them or contact them in some way on a regular basis until you are sure that they are functioning well on their own. If need be, come straight out and be honest about being worried about them. Sometimes that is all that is needed... a person that expresses they care. With the love and support of family and friends there is no obstacle too big for us to overcome.

Anonymous said...

Phyllis

Thank you for your comment. In truth it was a difficult article to write because of the sensitivity of the subject.

This is something which has haunted me for a long time and I just hope that it is helpful to others.

Your comments were a great addition to the article and I really appreciate you spending the time writing them.

Many thanks and wishing you a wonderful life,

AnneMarie

Anonymous said...

Great work.