186 died on the roads and we are bombarded with RSA ads, yes road safety is very important but here is an area which gets little of the funding and attention that the roads get

I lost two people to suicide within the last year. It wasn’t because of mortgages or financial pressure or recession.

There are a million and one reasons why you might feel crap, and a lot of the time you won’t be able to explain why you’re feeling so down. But this is why you need to talk to someone you trust: a good friend, a doctor, anyone. I’ve been in a rough patch and actively getting a helping hand was the best thing I ever did. So please, just talk and look after yourself!

525 people committed suicide in Ireland in 2011. In the same period 186 people died on the roads. Which campaigns are you more aware of?

don’t bottle it up. trust me, talk to someone, anyone. it will lighten the load!

We are a small country and it’s in your face every min of every day ” we owe this much money” “we are going to be broke for years to come” “this banker gets a bonus of €250000″ “more money into the banks” the country is a depressing hole! No wonder it’s effecting people like this!

I spoke to a man last week who has removed four phone numbers from his phone since Christmas. All young men, all suicides. It is incredibly sad, so much devastation left behind and so much pain.

I wish people would stop saying committed when talking about suicide it makes it sound like a crime. I had a friend that ended his life lately and he was a good man with depression and other problems.

The is clearly a massive problem in this country and few families are untouched by a friend or relation who has taken their own life. There are so many differing reasons why people choose suicide as their way out but there’s not enough talk about it. People don’t tend to confront suicide head on and that’s what’s needed. The first step is talking about it and we’re not good at that. The road safety campaign has been a successful one here so we should follow that awareness campaign strategy and get people talking about it and understanding it more. The current economy might account for some of the increase but in most cases there’s more to it than just money.

It states that the recession is much to blame and I am sure that is fact.
But I remember during the celtic tiger era that the suicide rate was not much lower than now.

@Waterford quiet please you obviously know nothing on the subject…….

I think you will find the figures are much higher. Most suicides are not recorded as such i.e some single car fatal crashes and overdoses or even more disguised forms of suicide. It’s well overdue that the government takes account and admits suicide is at epidemic proportions. I work in the emergency services and know of three of my collages across the country that have taken their own lives in the last month alone.

Just asking but, for decades men had the social outlet of the local pub, but this is for many especially rural based older men, no longer an option. How much of the increase relates to rural based older men?

” men accounted for 84 per cent of all deaths by suicide in 2011″

the typical answer is to talk to someone, many many do, believe me. the answer as to why is pushed under the carpet, hush hush. these men felt worthless, more feel worthless, dispensable. alcohol is not the answer as to why they did it, this is used to numb the pain of the actual act. the reason why they’re doing i’m too scared to tell and besides… no one is listening.

This is the result of the austerity. Devastating peoples livleihoods because of no investment in public projects like trains, trams, highways, etc. People cut their expenditure and are staying indoors now. So they get more depressed and take their own lives. That’s what being in the EU does – you suffer.

The reason people commit suicide now more than the past is because before the fear of burning in hell for a mortal sin stopped them. Now people no longer respect the church so it’s easier to kill themselves. It’s time to listen to what the church teaches.

This country should allow the happy drugs that make u laugh and be happy. Guess what we could get it in d chemist and the government could clam tax on it all the time and everyone happy then. The government win on tax and the people win on taking happy stuff. Then less people won’t die then coz we 2 busy be happy and laughing. Crime would drop overnight then. The government don’t have a clue. Other country’s allow it.