Project update

I had 12 replies to my questionnaire. The most shocking to me, were the answers to question 2. Before conducting this survey, I would never have guessed that one person would know up to 6 people who had experienced suicidal thoughts.


Question 1) Do you know someone who has entertained suicidal thoughts? (Whether it be you or another)
1: Yes
2:  yes 
3: Yeah
4.  No
5: Yes
6: Yes
7: Yes I do, myself and friends.
8: Yes, myself included.
9: Yes
10: Yes, me and others.
11: Yes
12: Yes
Question 2) How many people do you know who have had these thought? (Please include yourself if it applies)
1: 1
2: 3 
3: Jess, Will and My Dad
4: None 
5: 5
6: Three
7: 4
8: 5-6
9: 3-4
10: 5
11: 6
12: 2
Question 3) Do you feel you can talk to friends / family about any problems you may have? (FYI, you all can always talk to me at any time! It'll always stay between us!)
1: Yes
2: yes 
3: Friends mainly. I don't feel as connected to my family anymore with everything going on with Jess so I tend to keep any problems away from them now.
4: yes always my friends, not always family members
5: Not all the time.
6: Nope, definitely not with suicide, as it is something which has affected both sides of my family.
7: Can’t talk to my family, there are a few friends I would trust enough. Two at the most.
8: I don’t really talk to my family about problems as we don’t get on very well and I don’t have many friends but there’s a few close people I talk to. 
9: Friends - Yes, Family - No
10: No ,I feel that it’s easier if I keep my problems to myself because I don’t want to hurt others.
11: No
12: Yes
Question 4) Do you feel there is enough outside support for people with suicidal thoughts? e.g. not friends or family.
1:  Samaritans-I know someone who worked for them and even for the Samaritans it is horrible to hear on the end of the phone when someone is about to commit suicide and the phone goes silent.
2:  im not sure 
3: Definitely not, Jess tried to end her life 10th of January and she still hasn’t had a single counselling session, nor have doctors attempted to help her with her depression, so she tried again on the 28th, and even now, we're still waiting around for them to do something. In regards to having someone to talk to before you go through with it, I think there is, however it's not that well known of, I think I only know of one place which is BulliesOut, and even that is quite a small little organisation. 
4.possible not as much as what it can be, but then again im unaware of any support there, if there's any already
5: Yes
6: Definitely not.
7: Only with doctors, but even they are pretty touch and go. They kinda pick and choose when they want to act interested. 
8: There is always the option of counselling but I feel it did not help me at all. I always find talking to my friends and them cheering me up works much better than any councillor could do. 
9: It’s still a taboo subject in my opinion, not enough people take it serious enough, especially in today’s society.
10: No and if there is, it’s often hard to find.
11: Yes there is plenty of support but hardly anybody looks for it.
12: I think the support is out there but people aren’t aware of it and maybe too ashamed or down to get it. 
Question 5) Do you know of any outside organisations / companies that help people with suicidal thoughts?
1:  No
2:  yes 
3:: Just Bulllies Out.
4: .no
5: Yes
6: Nope.
7: I know there are charities and organisations that are in place to help but I can’t  think of any off the top of my head.
8: I only really know of the Suicide Hotline and the Samaritans. I’ve never used either though.
9: There’s a couple of help lines in Scotland, some specialise in different age groups.
10: Not really no.
11: Yes
12: None that I can think of off the top of my head.
Question 6) Do you think there is enough awareness of suicide, the thoughts and it's effects?
1: No, I think that there should be more awareness raised for people considering suicide.
2: I’m not sure
3: Definitely not, The media shove obesity, celebs, tv storylines and everything else down our throats and don't bother to actually inform us of the effects/awareness of suicide, it's bloody stupid. I think it would benefit people more than knowing who's put on a dress size! It would also, have a knock on effect of less numbers of kids with anorexia etc! 
4: no I think it should be made more aware
5: no
6. Nope.
7: I don’t think there is nearly enough awareness. Its not something that is approached in schools or at work. 
8: In a way yes and no. Yes because of the word spreading thanks to social networking sites such as Tumblr and the like. No because of sites like Tumblr where people still send anon hate to people which causes them to feel really down about themselves and possibly take their own lives. 
9: There isn’t enough awareness because it’s a taboo subject in my opinion.
10: No, most definitely not.
11: No, people need to know why some people actually feel like committing suicide so they don’t say the wrong thins to the wrong people. 
12: Nope, definitely  not.
Question 7) What are your personal thoughts on suicide and people who commit / attempt to commit it? 
1: I feel that they should have the support and help they need because no body wants to see 
someone’s life ruined especially if there is the help and support out there for them
2: I feel it is a selfish act although most people do not understand what that person is going through and for someone to go against all natural survival instincts there must be something wrong. 
3: I think it's a damn shame that people feel as if they can't talk to anyone anymore about their problems, and that it's there only way out. It's heartbreaking to see someone go through it, I can't even put it into words. It's just a damn shame that the government are more fussed about stupid things like raising the price of fags instead of trying to get the UK suicide rate down by enforcing better suicide awareness and getting people to go into schools etc, 
4: my personal opinion is that i think a person who commits suicide must be in such an awful place, mentally. I wouldn’t say that im against people who do it, as im unaware of their mental state to even have those thoughts to start off with. However, a person who does that and leaves their family and friends behind absolutely devastated i think is unforgivable, as people get taken from their families every day against their own will. 
5: Sad and sometimes frustrating. 
6: My mum's dad and dad's mum both committed suicide before I was born and know it was because of illnesses. But I know people commit suicide for different reasons. I believe people have as much right to die as they do to live if they choose. But I know the after effects of suicide are horrible, I can't speak to my mum and dad about their parent's suicide- I don't even know how they died. BUT, I do respect their decisions to do so. I know a lot of people believe suicide is a coward's way out, but I think it must take a lot of courage to end your life.
7: I know first hand what it’s like to feel you don’t have a way out. The one thing I hate is when people brand suicide attempts and success as selfish. Suicide can be a cry for help, but it is also an ultimatum with yourself, which is a personal choice in my opinion. 
8:  I’m not sure I’d be the best person to ask this, seeing as (albeit a rarity) I still sometimes get those thoughts. It’s weird because I feel that self harm is absolutely pointless (In the sense that it did not help me in the slightest). Yet suicide is mainly a more last-resort thing. Even though some people use it to try and run away from problems without trying to solve them first. 
9: Personally, it’s a cry for help. A final answer for everything. The person who attempts / commits needs help and if we can’t allow that person to open up then we’re basically assisting it. We can’t be responsible for thinking it’s shameful to talk about when we could be saving lives.
10: I think that suicide is a long term solution to a short term problem, but I can understand why people do it, wanting to and once attempting to myself. I think that some people are past help and the keep them here when they are miserable and just want to die, is horrible, just like killing someone who want to live. 
11: I feel sorry for somebody with suicidal thoughts / attempted suicide / has committed suicide. Some people say it’s cowardly / selfish but they have no idea what that person has been through to feel like that. 
12: I think for people to consider or even attempt suicide then it is obviously because they are so unhappy and that is all they feel they can do to escape. I can understand the view point that people find it the most selfish act as they leave a big mess and a lot of hurt loved ones behind, however I don’t agree really and think it is a personal choice and obviously a last resort.