All star superman jumper:

Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s graphic novel, “All Star Superman”, is more than fiction to most fans, and a beacon of hope to some. It is in this comic, that a page is dedicated to the Man of Steel, a.k.a, Superman saving a young girl’s life by interrupting her suicide attempt. 

His inspiring words, “it is never as bad as it seems”, ignites hope that there is always another way, even when it seems otherwise. 

Introduction

This blog deals with the topic of suicide and how hope can be found in the most unlikely to spaces. It talks about the inspiring tal eof Superman saving a young girl from suicide in the popular ‘All Star Superman’ graphic novel, moving on to discuss why people attempt suicide, some statistics related to suicide, this story of hope, and how to prevent suicide.

Suicide and its causes

Suicide refers to the act of taking one’s life,  while suicidal behaviour refers to the actions or cognitions related to ending one’s own life. Suicidal ideation can refer to the thoughts or plans regarding taking one’s own life which can be detailed or just fleeting considerations. Suicide is usually not an isolated problem but occurs because of or in conjunction with some other related issues which could be social, psychological or interpersonal. while the exact cause of suicide may vary from person to person, some common risk factors could be:

•  Some major psychological or psychiatric illness like mood related disorders, or schizophrenia 
•  because of substance abuse
•  interpersonal issues with family or friends
•  workplace related problems or financial issues
• feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
•  some sort of trauma in one’s life or  sudden and major life changes
•  uncontrollable emotional or physical pain 
• Feeling  trapped 
• Feelings of isolation or loneliness [6].

 Although all of these are strong risk factors, this is however not a foolproof list. There may be other reasons that push people towards suicide and there also may be people who go through all of this but still don’t contemplate suicide.Iit varies from person to person and their level of being able to deal with distress  as well as the social support around them.

It is important to be sensitive to issues related to suicide and if you know someone who might be indulging in extremely drastic or changed behaviour, or exhibiting signs of suicidal ideation, it is recommended that you urge them them to seek help. Further if you feel overwhelmed and feel yourself inching towards the contemplation of suicide, it is very important to reach out and seek help because as the title suggests it is never as bad as it seems and you can find hope in the unlikeliest of places.

Statistics related to suicide

• Close to Eight Hundred thousand people died due to suicide every year.
• A prior suicide attempt is single most important risk factor for suicide in the general population 
• Suicide is the third leading cause of death in the adolescence age group
•  Ingestion of pesticides, hanging and firearms are among the most common methods of suicide globally. [1].

A message of hope

 Although, the aforementioned risk factors are highly correlated with suicide  attempts a lot of times impulsive decisions are taken in moments of crisis and break down due to life stressors. 

The most leading emotion that leads to suicide is usually feeling of hopelessness, that is, when a person feels that there is nothing to live for anymore. This is why small messages of hope can go a long way in protecting uncountable lives. Readers seem to agree that this one strip of comic in “all stars Superman” can be considered the most moving piece  throughout the series[2]. One reader claims that it is the fact that Superman who was doomed himself, deemed that it was important enough to spare time to save a seemingly unimportant young person that gave her hope to keep going forward in her life and that deterred her from considering suicide herself [3,4]. 

the message contained in the statement that “it is never as bad as it seems” stands for the belief that there is always something better waiting for you even when you feel like there is nothing to live for anymore. The statement that “you are stronger than you think you are” is in fact a beacon of hope for everybody who thinks suicide is the answer because they feel weak in front of the problems that they are facing; it stands for the belief that when facing crisis, we end up summoning the strength that need even without realising it. It supports  that if we try, we might end up realising that we are, in fact, stronger than our worst problems and fears.

This piece of fiction also gives a very important message that it is in fact very important to reach out to those you feel are in need of support because a small sign of kindness can go a long way in protecting someone’s life. depression and trauma can in fact be overcome but not without help, so,  if we find someone around us needs help we should offer it without hesitation and in whatever way that we possibly can. 

How to prevent suicide

Before we dive into the subject of prevention of suicide it is important to understand when you or someone around you might need professional help and to do your best to make it available. 

• Seeking professional help for psychiatric disorders that may lead to suicide like mood related disorders, schizophrenia, substance use disorders
•  if the issues you are facing are interpersonal in nature, then seeking family counselling or personal therapy to deal with it
• Developing skills for solving problems and dealing with disputes effectively
•  fostering a sense of self-esteem and purpose in life
•  harbouring believes that discourage suicide and indulging in activities like self-affirmations 
• Reaching out to friends family or support workers
• staying connected as much as possible
•  avoiding environmental cues that lead to suicidal ideation
•  getting regular exercise and maintaining a healthy diet
•  indulging in hobbies or activities that provide pleasure
•  if you have a history of this idle ideation or 10 not keeping harmful substances in your reach
• Identifying when and how to start spiralling and trying to stop it from the root

Here are some hotlines that offer support:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: This resource is available for a confidential chat 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
  • The toll-free number is 800-273-8255.
• Befrienders Worldwide: This resource offers contact numbers and support information for different countries and different languages.
• Childhelp: All calls to the National Child Abuse Hotline are anonymous and confidential.
  • For the United States, call 800-422-4453 [5].

Conclusion

In this blog post we discuss the story from all star Superman jumper which is a story of hope and perseverance. We discuss the signs symptoms or causes of suicide, how to prevent suicide, what hope can look like and what the message what is the message that is contained in all stars Superman. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs): All Star Superman Jumper

References

[1]. Suicide. (2019) World Health Organisation. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide

[2]. Remembering ‘All Star Superman’ On World Suicide Prevention Day (2012). Comic alliance. https://comicsalliance.com/all-star-superman-world-suicide-prevention-day/

[3].D.C. Roundup: how one page from All star superman saved my life. https://www.comicsbeat.com/dc-round-up-how-one-page-from-all-star-superman-saved-my-life/

[4]. Mitchel M., (2018).Three inspiring times superman saved someone from suicide. The twin geeks. 

[5]. Kahn A., Legg T.J., (2019) What you should know about suicide. Healthline. 

[6]. Suicide (2020). MedBroadcast.  https://medbroadcast.com/condition/getcondition/suicide