Too much to bear

For most, the issues can be dealt with, but for 17 in 100,000 men and five in 100,000 women, the situation becomes too much, resulting in suicide.

Suicide rates have fallen dramatically since 1991 from 21 in 100,000 men and seven in 100,000 women, but much is being done to prevent crisis situations.

According to the World Health Organisation, mental disorders, particularly depression and substance abuse, are associated with more than 90 per cent of suicides.

But there is always help at hand, as Chris Kelly, from Dorset HealthCare NHS Foundation Trust’s Psychosocial and Early Intervention Service, explains.

“The first thing is to try and engage with them as a person and recognise their stress is very real,” he said. “There are times in all our lives when we can feel like that. Some people may have made a plan that they want to kill themselves but they’re often willing to talk and to listen and when they have their pain and their difficulties recognised they can see other options.

“They pull back from immediate crisis and start thinking about friends and family that they might be able to use and start tackling their problems.”

There is still a stigma attached to suicide, but Chris stressed the most important message was for people to come forward and admit they were struggling and to get help before they reached crisis point.

“Call the Samaritans or a mental health helpline or a friend or family member or your GP,” he said.

“No matter how low you may feel there is somebody who will help. Even if you feel there’s nothing anybody can do, you may not be in the best position to judge for yourself.”

Steve*, a former patient of Chris’s, certainly felt he was on his own when he left his Bournemouth home following several weeks of feeling low, unable to concentrate and being irritable with his family.

Then 21, Steve had dropped out of college and left his job and, before he left home, had spent long periods of time alone in his room.

Despite his family’s concerns, they could not get him to seek help and Steve became homeless, living rough in Bournemouth before making contact with the Early Intervention Service.

“Steve was afraid that when he explained what had been happening to him no one would understand or that he would be locked away,” explained Chris.

“He missed his family, but felt that he couldn’t return. He found it difficult to trust people, but gradually he began to speak about the voices he was hearing and the high levels of paranoia he had been suffering.”

Steve was found somewhere safe to live and regularly met with a nurse who helped him with his feelings and reviewed his depression. He was given help with the voices that nagged him daily and was prescribed medication to help him cope with his daily anxieties and psychosis experiences.

The team also met with Steve’s family to help them understand more about their son’s illness.

Gradually, Steve was re-introduced to college and soon began to work part-time, which helped improve his mood and self-esteem.

His medication was reduced, he began to see the Early Intervention Team less and less often and he changed his job and obtained a flat, where he continues to live.

“It has been a tough two years for Steve, but he does not experience the voices or the paranoid ideas any more and hasn’t for some time,” said Chris.

“He is much more hopeful for the future; he enjoys his job and sees his family regularly.

“Having a group of people there to listen to him, to understand and to provide flexible support to him and his family really helped Steve on the road to recovery. He has developed an understanding of psychosis and he feels much more willing to talk about his problems if he feels the need to.”

• If you need help with mental health problems, call your GP, a friend or family member or the Samaritans on 08457 909090.

Name has been changed.