When he was in high school, Yasin Sadeghi began to struggle mentally. It felt like he had to put on a mask to continue being the cheerful guy people knew him to be. When Yasin felt bad, he became increasingly isolated. Photo: Hanna Johre / news In an already vulnerable situation, Yasin experienced a threatening incident which made him isolate himself even more. It was to be the start of a very difficult period. Locked himself in the apartment For 18 months he locked himself in the apartment. He only went out 12 times, and half of these were to meet the psychologist. But he stopped going to therapy and began to feel like a burden to everyone around him. At worst, he hardly went out. Photo: Hanna Johre / news Yasin was close to becoming part of a grim statistic. Figures from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health show that 693 people took their own lives in Norway in 2023. It is still most men who take their own lives, and it is also among them that the increase is greatest. An anonymous man became the rescue During this period he considered taking his own life several times. One summer day he had made up his mind. But he wanted one last confirmation that there was no point in continuing. He googled numbers for helplines. – I actually only called to convince myself that there is no help out there, says Yasin. Yasin would have liked to thank the man he spoke to on the helpline. Photo: Hanna Johre / news A man answered and they talked for around an hour. The man asked about friends, family and dreams Yasin had for the future. – The phone call I made then was decisive. Because then and there I had really made up my mind, says Yasin. Advice for those who have suicidal thoughts Take your thoughts seriously, talk to someone you trust and get professional help. Take suicidal thoughts seriously When everything feels hopeless and dark, some people may have thoughts that life is not worth living. Thoughts of suicide can be associated with psychological problems such as depression. It can also come in connection with difficult periods in life. , such as break-ups, illness, challenges at work and financial difficulties. If the thoughts become too intrusive, talk to someone you trust or seek professional help. Talk to someone you trust You can, for example, talk to a family member, a close friend, the GP, health nurse, teacher, imam or priest. It can be difficult to talk about suicidal thoughts with others. Many people would rather manage on their own, and may feel ashamed of needing help from others when bad thoughts and feelings arise. The situation can feel stuck, and it can be difficult to see solutions. If you get over the threshold and talk to someone you trust, you can get help to see solutions. Talking about it is the first step to solving the problems. You help yourself if you allow others to help you. Suggestions for what you can say “I’ve had a hard time lately, I’ve been thinking about whether life is worth living.” “The worries have peaked. I have a hard time seeing how to find solutions. I think I can’t bear to live anymore the way I am.” “I feel like a burden and that everything is my fault. I feel ashamed and think it would have been better for everyone if I wasn’t here anymore.” “I feel that I am not enough and have thoughts of taking my life.” “I have had a hard time lately and have started to have suicidal thoughts.”How do you get professional help? There are many places where you can get professional help and good treatment. How urgent the situation is has an impact on who you should contact. Call 113 if there is a danger to life and health If you feel that there is a danger that you will harm yourself or take your life, you should always call 113. The emergency services will help you in such an acute situation and will assist you so that you get further help. Services where you can get help in an acute but not life-threatening situation GP your GP on call 116 117 mental health and substance abuse service, including a psychologist Rapid mental health care (in some municipalities) home-based services / care services outpatient emergency team at District Psychiatric Centers (DPS) school health service youth health center More informationYou can get more information and advice at helsenorge.no The Internet as a tool After the conversation, Yasin got new motivation to find ways to get out of depression. He found a lot of advice from psychologists and others through Youtube and podcasts. Something that was good support for Yasin was others who shared about their challenges. Including heavyweight champion in boxing, Tyson Fury, who shared his own experiences with depression and suicidal thoughts in a podcast interview. Tyson Fury is best known from the boxing ring, here in a fight against Francesco Pianeta. Photo: LEE SMITH / Reuters – If the toughest man on earth can feel so down, even with a wonderful life on the outside, then it’s okay that I also feel the same feelings, says Yasin. Self-help can have a good effect Lars Mehlum is head of the National Center for Suicide Research and Prevention (NSSF). He believes that there is a lot of good help online, and he says that many people prefer online self-help tools. Lars Mehlum is professor and head of the National Center for Suicide Research and Prevention (NSSF). Photo: Knut Erik Røsrud / news Many of these tools can have just as good an effect as going to a psychologist or psychiatrist. But it is an advantage to get guidance from a therapist at the same time as using online resources. – Our knowledge suggests that it is the guided self-help tools that work best, says Mehlum. NSSF has been involved in developing an online self-help tool that you can access through your GP or other therapist. Several hospitals also offer guided internet treatment, so-called eBehandling. If you are very far down you may need help getting started and using these tools. – Then it is important to seek help from the GP and later for mental health care, says Mehlum. Talk about it Yasin hid how he really felt for a long time. When he shared his heavy thoughts with friends, many were surprised, and Yasin was overwhelmed by the care he encountered. Yasin dreams of working creatively and, among other things, makes tiktok videos with analysis of boxing matches. Photo: Hanna Johre / news That someone sees that you are having a hard time and asks how things are going can be very important. Mehlum has found this in research on people who have tried to take their own lives. – Most people say that it would be crucial for someone to take hold of them and do something so that they can get help, says Mehlum. One step at a time The road ahead was long and the method was taken step by step. Yasin set himself small realistic goals and increased the challenges little by little. In the beginning, the goal was to go to the store. Eventually he gradually increased to going to training, and as time went on he was ready to start studying and traveled abroad. In order to feel better mentally, Yasin set small milestones for himself. Photo: Hanna Johre / news – It was about creating a snowball effect. When I had achieved something small, I could try something a little bigger next time, says Yasin. Advice for those who are worried about someone Dare to care! It can be difficult and uncomfortable to talk about suicidal thoughts, but it is not dangerous. On the contrary, talking about suicidal thoughts can save lives. What worries you? You may have cause for concern if the person you are worried about: withdraws from social contact and is alone a lot, is more irritable and restless, and has difficulty sitting around drinking more alcohol or using more drugs than usual has physical or mental pain seems sad and down, and has seemed depressed over time has lost hope for the future says that life is not worth living talks about being a burden and devalues more concerned with death than usual focuses a lot on financial obligations, such as insurance, wills or loans What do you do if you think someone is having suicidal thoughts? Dare to worry! People with suicidal thoughts may find that everything seems stuck, and that there are no solutions to change this. They may worry that they are a burden to others and many therefore do not share their thoughts. Ask directly Try to be direct and clear without blaming or judging. Show that you care and are concerned, don’t be afraid to say something wrong, and try to listen more than you talk. Listen and be open Listening, daring to speak and showing support can be protective. That others hear and see can save lives. Seek help if needed Read more about who you can contact here Tips for what to say If you are worried about someone, tell them in a concrete and clear way. Here are some suggestions for how to ask directly: You say you are tired of everything. Is it like you’re thinking of taking your life? I’m worried about you, it seems like you’re having a really hard time. Is it so bad that you have thought about taking your own life? Do you think about suicide from time to time? I say this because I care about you – do you have suicidal thoughts? What do you do if someone tells you that they are having suicidal thoughts? Take suicidal thoughts seriously The most important thing you can do is to be present, to listen, show care and help find the right help. Listen and be open Let the person share their thoughts with you without interrupting too much. Be present and provide support It it is important that you are not judgmental, but show patience, care and support. Show that you understand. Say that you understand that the situation the person is in is difficult and painful, but that suicide is not the solution. Seek help Motives to seek professional help, and contribute actively to get such help. More information Read more about what you can do at helsenorge.no – Lift heavy and you feel better Physical activity has always been important to Yasin, and it was important on the way out of depression. He receives support from the research. It is well documented that physical activity has an effect on psychological ailments, both as treatment and prevention. – It’s strange that it can be so simple, like that, caveman-like almost, just lift heavy, and you’ll feel better, laughs Yasin. Training has been important for Yasin to maintain good mental health. Video: Private Run for suicide prevention Now that he is better mentally, he wants to help others who are struggling. In May this year, Yasin ran 52 kilometers with a splice to raise money for Ung Samtale. They are a low-threshold offer for people who need to talk to someone. Yasin had not run much at the front and the race became a very metaphorical experience. – The head says “it’s perfectly fine if you give up”, but I had decided to finish, he says. He limped to the finish line an hour and a half after the finish line had been closed and the officials had gone home. But he was pleased to have finished and sees it as a symbol of how far he has come. Talk about it Life is not rosy, and bad feelings can come back. But Yasin has taught you to recognize the thought patterns and knows how to deal with them better. Maintaining good training routines helps him a lot in everyday life. In addition, he has become better at sharing with others how he feels. Yasin hopes his story can help others find hope. Photo: Hanna Johre / news – I remember the feeling that I thought no one would care. But that’s not true, there is always someone who cares about how you are, he says. Need someone to talk to? If you need to talk to someone, there are several helplines, chat services and support groups where you can share your thoughts and feelings completely anonymously, and get support, advice and guidance: Mental health on the helpline 116 123 Mental health also has a chat, which you can find at mentalhelse.no. Church SOS chat service: soschat.no Young Conversation: [email protected] Church SOS also has a helpline on 22 40 00 40 Cross on the neck from the Red Cross: 800 33 321 Cross on the neck also has chat: korspåhalsen.no The emergency telephone for children and young people: 116 111 Sami national competence service – mental health care and substance abuse 78 96 74 00 SnakkOmPsyken.no: Chat service run by Blå Kors In urgent cases, call 113 You can find more helplines here Published 13.06.2024, at 11.27 Updated 13.06.2024, at 12.16
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Overcame suicidal thoughts, will help more people with suicide prevention – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
