THE BIBLE AND YOU
Hope and Help for the
Brokenhearted With the Covid-19 pandemic and a host of global problems plaguing the world, it’s no surprise that anxiety and depression are rampant. Some even look for a way out in suicide. Yet all is not lost; we can have real hope for tomorrow. But we must look in the right place to find that true source of hope! by Peter Eddington
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’m stressed. I hate my life—absolutely hate it. There is no joy, no happiness, no hope, no peace—just misery. I want to know from God what His plans are for me. I’m asking because I’m tired of this. I am not one to give up, but life has found a way to beat me down to the core. If this is what life is about, I no longer want a part of it. Are we born to die unhappy?” This is the gist of an email we at Beyond Today received. The person is desperately asking for help. Sadly, we’ve received many such pleas for help from people wishing to end their lives. Filled with depression, hopelessness and inner pain, they are reaching out for answers and hope. And you can be sure that if you’re not personally suffering in this way, someone you know probably is—whether among your family or friends or others in your workplace or church congregation. Let’s consider the scope of this problem and what can be done about it. Thankfully, the Word of God does provide guidance and help in facing anxiety, depression and thoughts of suicide—much-needed help and encouragement for the brokenhearted.
depression and suicide are worsening. An April 3, 2020, headline at the Scientific American website reported: “COVID-19 Is Likely to Lead to an Increase in Suicides. The psychosocial repercussions of this crisis could make the tragedy even worse.” In 2018, more than 48,000 Americans died by suicide and more than 1.4 million adults attempted it, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The same report noted that suicide is the 10thleading cause of death in the United States. The U.S. National Suicide Prevention Hotline is currently accessible by the 10-digit number 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). Last year, counselors answered more than 2 million calls and more than 100,000 online chat requests. Local crisis lines received another 14 million calls. For U.S. adults ages 18 to 65, suicide is the fourth-leading cause of death. For those 18 to 24, it ranks third, while for college students it’s the second-highest. Shockingly, suicide among children is increasing at an alarming rate. The National Mental Health Association reports that among children ages 5 to 15, suicide is the sixth-leading cause of death. Your own kids and their friends may struggle with this! The Federal Communications Commission is moving ahead Rising suicides as depression grows with plans to implement a three-digit number—988—to reach According to the World Health Organization, close to 800,000 the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, streamlining access people die by suicide every year. For every suicide there are many to crisis services across the country. more people who attempt suicide. It is the third-leading cause of death in 15- to 19-year-olds. Nearly 80 percent of global suicides So what’s behind this? Suicide can be the end result of financial reverse, romantic occur in low- and middle-income countries. failure, childlessness or the discovery of terminal illness, but And now, with the global Covid-19 pandemic, rates of
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