Did you know that:

– Suicide is one of the top ten causes of death in Singapore.
– In recent years, suicide has increased among the elderly and the young. In 2011, the elderly made up 23% of all suicides, even though they constitute only 9.3 % of the population.
– From 2010 to 2011, the suicide mortality rate doubled among those aged 65-74 and those aged 85 and above.
– From 2008 to 2009, suicide among those aged 10-29 also rose by 70%, increasing from 64 to 91 deaths.

These figures were taken from this really good op-ed I read recently by By Corinna Lim, Executive Director of AWARE, and Porsche Poh, Executive Director of Silver Ribbon Singapore, on how the laws here in Singapore (which criminalises suicide attempts) end up doing more harm than good to people suffering from depression and who need help. Couldn’t agree more with the points they raised. You can (and totally should!) read the full piece here: http://www.aware.org.sg/2013/02/suicide-law-deters-the-distressed-from-getting-help/

Anyway, back to my story —  this piece was for Lifewise Magazine, a publication of the National Healthcare Group and produced by Mediacorp Customised Publishing.

Click on the link to view the full story: A Long Way Down.