Radiation Therapy Can Lead to Suicide Attempts
For most cancer patients radiation therapy is their last chance to beat cancer. Unfortunately a number of people will attempt killing themselves during or just after their radiation therapy. For some this is due to the pain they have to endure during the radiation therapy regimen…and for others it’s due to radiation therapy long term effects like sterility that is caused by the radiation treatment (mostly affects those who have cancer in parts of the body near their reproductive organs). But the biggest risk group for suicide attempts, are those who go through radiation therapy and fail to get cured, since they are the most hopeless group.
People who have a severe medical condition like cancer are a major risk group for suicide. In fact cancer patients are 2x more likely to commit suicide compared to the general population. However it is important to note that by all factors, this number is most likely underestimated due to the fact that a high number of cancer related suicides go unreported. Pay extra attention to those who have oral, pharyngeal and lung cancers, since these groups are the most at risk. Suicide in cancer patients is mostly due to the fact that those suffering from cancer are usually dealing with massive depression.
Some may think that suicide is a rare occurrence, but it’s quite the opposite. In United States alone, there are more than 1.1 million suicide attempts every year. In fact, 1 out of 14 people in America will know someone who’ll commit suicide this year. Worldwide the numbers can reach as high as 20 million suicide attempts per year. To put this in terms that are easier to comprehend, that is more or less the entire population of Australia attempting suicide every year. So as you can see, suicide is a serious threat and should be watched out for.
If you know someone going through radiation therapy or someone who has cancer…it’s important to learn all the possible suicide warning signs, so that you can help save the life of the person when they start feeling suicidal. If you are the person with cancer, it’s important to provide a suicide warning signs guide to someone with whom you interact on a daily basis, so that they can help save your life when you start feeling hopeless. Remember advancement in cancer research happens every day, killing yourself when the cure might be around the corner, is the last thing you should do.
Click here to get the most comprehensive guide on suicide prevention with more than 200 suicide warning signs and learn how to avoid becoming 1 in 14 Americans who’ll lose someone(a child/a spouse/a relative/a friend) to suicide this year.
Related posts:
