Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. In honor of this day I want to talk about something that is at times considered taboo, but it shouldn’t be. The stigma surrounding suicide leads to underreporting which affects the methods critical to helping prevent suicide. So let’s talk about it.
On average, there are 121 suicides a day. It is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States – and for every suicide that is carried out, there are 25 attempts.
What causes suicide?
There is no single cause for it. Suicide most often occurs when “life’s stressors exceed someone’s abilities to cope for someone suffering a mental illness. Depression is the most common condition that is associated with suicide – but anxiety, and substance abuse problems, especially when they are unaddressed also increase the risk for suicide to occur”. (Resource: asfp.org)
What are the warning signs?
There are some things to look out for that may signal that a person has been contemplating suicide. The first is a change in behavior or personality – someone who went from being really down all the time changed to being really up beat. If the person starts talking about not being around anymore, begins to give away their possessions, talking about having no reason to live, withdrawal from family and friends and increased isolation, use of or increased use of drugs or alcohol, to name only a few.
What do you do?
- Be there for them – Stay with them if you are with them or go to them if you aren’t.
- Show them love and encouragement. Hug them, allow them to show their feelings, let them know it is ok to feel what they feel, even if it is distorted.
- Cater to them. Get them something to eat if they are hungry, let them shower if you think that can help, rent a movie, turn on their favorite music.
- Talk to them about getting help. Call Lifeline – 1800-273-TALK. It is the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and it provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. If you fear they are in immediate danger, take them to the nearest emergency room to be evaluated or call 911 and have an ambulance come to get them and take them for an evaluation if you feel you cannot safely transport them.
What NOT to do:
Judge them, be angry with them, make them feel guilty, leave them, discount their feelings or tell them to “get over it”. Lastly, NEVER EVER tell someone to “kill themselves”.
For more information regarding suicide and suicide prevention, you can take a look at my resources page, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org
If you know of any great resources regarding suicide and suicide prevention, leave them below.
