Common Warning Signs
- Giving away favorite possessions
- A marked or noticeable change in an individuals behavior
- Previous suicide attempts and statements
- Depression (crying, insomnia, inability to think or function, excessive sleep or appetite loss)
- Inappropriate goodbyes
- Verbal behavior that is ambiguous or indirect “I’m going away on a real long trip…You won’t have to worry about me anymore….I want to go to sleep and never wake up.”
- Purchase of a gun or pills
- Alcohol or drug abuse
- Sudden happiness after long depression
- Obsession with death or talk about suicide
- Decline in performance at work, school, or other activities
- Deteriorating physical appearance or reckless actions
High-Risk Life events Associated With Suicide
- Death or terminal illness of a loved one
- Divorce, separation, or broken relationship
- Loss of health (Real or imaginary)
- Loss of job, home, money, self-esteem, personal security
- Anniversaries
- Difficulties with , school, family, the law
- Early stages of recovery from depression
What To Do
- Take suicide threats seriously; be direct, open, and honest in communications
- Listen; allow the individual to express their feelings and express your concerns in a non-judgmental way
- Say things like “I’m here for you….Let’s talk…I’m here to help”
- Ask; “Are you having suicidal thoughts?” A detailed plan indicates greeater risk
- Take action sooner rather than later
- Get the individual who is at risk connected with professional help
- Dispose of pills, drugs, and guns
- Don’t worry about being disloyal to the individual; contact a reliable family member or close friend of the person
What Not To Do
- Do not leave the person alone, if you feel the risk to their safety is immediate
- Do not treat the threat lightly – even if the person begins to joke about it
- Do not act shocked or condemn. There may not be another cry for help
- Do not point out to them how much better off they are than others. This increases feelings of guilt and worthlessness
- Do not swear yourself to secrecy
- Do not offer simple solutions
- Do not suggest drugs or alcohol as a solution
- Do not judge the person
- Avoid arguments
- Do not try to counsel the person yourself – get professional help!
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