After all, what is the Yellow September campaign for?

When I was a kid, my older sister dated a boy who had a lot of patience with me and, knowing my taste for writing, wrote me letters often, telling silly things like the fact that Lollo was his favorite chocolate and Urban Legion, your favorite band. Suddenly he was gone, and only a few months later my mother had the courage to tell me: he had killed himself, jumped from the window of the building where he lived.

Knowing the real reason for his disappearance made me much sadder than my fear that he had simply ceased to be my friend - and I was angry at my mother and sister for not saying anything to me the day before. what happened. Ever since then, I've always wondered what makes a person have the courage to jump out of the window, to decide to end his own life.

A few years later, in Journalism, I learned that suicide is something we rarely report, precisely because it is such a big taboo, and at the same time, depending on how the story is told, it may be an incentive for more People kill each other.

Have to talk, yes

In 2012, out of every 100, 000 Brazilian people, seven had the same attitude as my sister's ex-boyfriend - according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the proportion is 20 suicide attempts for each case reported. The same WHO states that 90% of suicides could be prevented and, precisely for this reason, several institutions that work with the theme have come together to create the September Yellow campaign, which has been in existence since 2014.

The purpose of the movement is precisely to debate the issue so that potential suicides can have access to ways to seek help and treatment. "It is possible to prevent when we talk about the subject, because it is a matter of attention, care for people, " said Adriana Rizzo, a volunteer of the Center for Valorization of Life (CVV), in a statement published in Estadão.

The campaign was very popular on social networks and, according to CVV's Facebook page, every 45 minutes a person kills himself in Brazil, and every 40 seconds someone kills himself somewhere in the world.

During the month of September, various institutions and individuals are joining the campaign through the yellow color, which is displayed through lighting, banners, ribbons and cloths printed on facades of houses and buildings.

About helping

One of the campaigns shared on social networks, however, has been questioned. This particular campaign says that the person sharing that image is willing to talk to someone who has suicidal thoughts.

Although the intention is good, it should be remembered, however, that the ideal is for a person prepared to deal with the matter to talk to a potential suicide, to prevent any comment from encouraging the person instead of doing the opposite. If the idea is to support, the key is to help the person who demonstrates suicidal ideas seek treatment in institutions such as the CVV itself.

Expressions of criticism and judgment should be avoided when talking to someone who thinks about suicide. Instead, it is crucial to show that you care about the person and be willing to seek help alongside them. Failure to see friends and family, sudden mood swings, and long-term sadness and apathy are signs that someone may need help. Stay tuned.

Cool update: Technology always has its advantages, and now Google has a cool strategy that helps us diagnose depression. To find out how this story works, click here.

* Posted on 09/09/2016