Churches and Suicide

Copy right all rights reserved, 2010

Statistics on suicide tell the story.  Fifteen percent of persons with a depressive disorder will successfully commit suicide.  It is hard to understand how a person can ‘out of the blue’ begin to have intense thoughts of taking his/her own life.  However, if you have been seriously depressed you can empathize with those who are stepping  near the threshold of eternity.

“Just say no” will not work when you are dealing with suicide. 

The nature of the disease and the devil himself, prove formidable obstacles to cause a person with severe depression and other symptoms to keep living.

Suicide, the elephant in the room
Suicide is the subject and the death that very few talk about.  It happens all the time.  If you don’t believe that, just look at the statistics for this last decade. It is not getting any better; in fact, it is getting worse.

Pastors should be trained in suicide assessment

Yes, we know that The battle belongs to the LORD.  However, this does not mean that churches should just “let go and let God” when its members come up against suicide.  In your church, you should have a Suicide Hot Line.  The pastors should be trained in suicide awareness and stop gap interventions. The devil is a very intelligent being.  He knows more Scripture than we do.  He takes advantage of the hopelessness and horrible psychic pain of depression.  Suicide leaves in its wake, children who will practice it like the parents who model it.  Most people don’t commit suicide the first time they try it.  Each time a person attempts suicide, it weakens his/her resolve to live.

Suicide Acrostic

Severe depressive symptoms must be relieved.

Unconditional Love should be shown to the suicidal person.

Interventions are in order, such as, obtaining lethal means of suicidal people, implementing a more detailed treatment plan if necessary, which includes such things as getting them effective medications or possibly ECT, (electro-convulsive therapy.)

Cries for help should be attended to -- not ignored.  These cries may

be verbal or could be actions that a suicidal person takes to be noticed.

Intoxication of drugs and alcohol impairs judgment and loosens

inhibitions which make it easier for the suicidal person to take his/her life.

Deliberate planning by a person contemplating suicide should be identified

and sometimes psychiatric hospitalization is required.

Exhortation needs to be done by a fellow believer urging the suicidal person not to buy into demonic deception or submit to the devil who appears as a roaring lion.

Bloem, Steve and Robyn, CAMI (Christians Afflicted with Mental Illness) Leaders Guide

Stay tuned for blogs on this subject.