The Invisible Epidemic: The Risks of Isolation on Suicide Rates

It seems paradoxical to talk about the risk's of feeling isolated when we live in such a hyperconnected world but in the past 10 days my family and I have been impacted twice by people taking their own life. When the first happened 10 days ago I could almost have written it off as a one off. When the second happened yesterday it became impossible to ignore. Both people at either end of the risk spectrum. One a beautiful 26 year old female and the other a father in his 50's. Both perfect in their own way and both quietly slipping into a world of isolation and hopelessness that no one knew was so insurmountable for them.

The Human Need for Connection

Humans are social beings. We love to feel like we are part of something, even if we are introverts. We all need to feel like we belong and from the earliest stages of our existence, we constantly seek out ways to connect and belong. Social interaction is fundamental to our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. When we lack meaningful connections and support systems, we are more susceptible to all sorts of mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.

Isolation: A Breeding Ground for Despair

Isolation creates a fertile ground for despair to take root. It magnifies negative emotions, distorts reality, and engulfs individuals in a downward spiral. The lack of meaningful social #connections and support networks can leave us feeling hopeless and disconnected from the world around us. We become #isolated without even realising it. This level of emotional distress can increase our risk of suicidal ideation and, tragically, suicide itself.

The Vicious Cycle:

Isolation and #suicide rates are becoming intertwined in a vicious cycle. When people feel isolated, they are less likely to seek help or reach out to others for support. This reluctance can stem from a sense of shame, stigma, or the belief that nobody will understand their struggle. As a result, their feelings of isolation can get worse, and the risk of suicide can become even more pronounced.

Vulnerable Populations:

There are populations that are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of isolation. They fall into two groups - people who are older and people who are younger. For some it's due to factors such as limited mobility, the loss of loved ones, and a decrease in social interactions. For others it could be the lack of strong social connections that create the unending feeling of hopelessness.

Mitigating the Risks:

So what can we do?

1. We have to get better at creating cultures of connection and support. This has to be at work, at home and in our communities.
2. We have to stop asking the person who is overwhelmed, isolated and unwell to reach out for help when they need it but instead we need to get better at finding ways to look beyond our own daily grind and truly see the people around us and reach back to them to help them step forward.
3. We have to try and be more aware of the small signs that people who need help give us.
4. And finally we all need to take responsibility for being kind to each other and taking care of our human tribe.

No one is immune to feeling lost and hopeless. It's not good enough anymore to just attend fund raisers for mental health or have the office approved morning tea to ask if people are ok.

To this day I am grateful to the people in my own tribe who could see me slipping away into a pit of hopelessness even when I couldn't see it myself. They determinedly reached out to me like a human chain to protect me from my own fear and anxiety and not one of them ever gave up on me. To them I am forever grateful. They showed me the true power of community and now we as a community need to reach back and help others around us that aren't as strong to take the next step alone - at work, at home and in our #community .

I'm not going to end this by saying - if you need help reach out. I'm going to challenge you all to just reach out to people and check in. Don't wait for the person who needs it most to get the energy to ask for help. Just help.