According to Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that someone in the United States commits suicide every 12.3 minutes. That’s more than 100 suicides each day. And while the suicide rate decreased in the late 1990s, it has once again increased, with more than 38,000 Americans committing suicide each year.
This is why it’s important to what to do when suicidal behavior is present. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), suicidal behavior takes many forms. The first sign to look for is a difference in your loved one’s behavior in general.
Signs of Suicide
You may notice changes in how your loved one acts as well as completely new behaviors. The AFSP says to look for three factors that may influence behavior: a painful event, loss or general change. Experts say that these circumstances can be overwhelming and unbearable. As a result, it may seem more difficult to feel the pain than to live, which can lead to suicidal behavior.
It’s essential to notice what a person says. Suicidal behavior can manifest in the things people say. This is true if the person is concerned about being a burden to those around them or if he or she feels trapped. The person may talk of great pain and of having no reason to stick around in this life. Generally speaking, talk of the future may indicate a wanting to live and planning on being around in the future. But hopelessness, talk of no solution and unbearable emptiness can be warning signs.
Behavior is also important to observe. The AFSP says to look for alcohol or drug abuse. Is the person drinking or using drugs more than he or she usually would? And is he or she coherent, or so intoxicated that a life-ending decision could be made?
Look for signs of reckless or withdrawn behavior. For example, does he or she drive fast without worrying about the consequences? Or has he or she withdrawn from a normal routine? Has isolation become regular? And is staying in bed occurring often? These can be signs of suicidal behavior.
Mood Changes that Can Signal Suicide
Low energy can be a sign of major depression. However, if your loved one suddenly perks up, stay vigilant. Experts say that this may be a sign that he or she has made a decision to end life, which explains suddenly joyous behavior or a mysterious type of high.
Take a look at the person's internet browsing history. Are they researching ways to attempt suicide? And are they looking up things needed to end life? Have they looked into purchasing guns when guns would not normally be something that he or she is interested in? Don’t feel bad about snooping. Discovering this could save the life of your loved one.
Another VERY BIG sign can be a goodbye. The AFSP says that those who exhibit suicidal behavior may go and see people or call people to say final goodbyes. They may also give meaningful items away. In other words, if a person’s favorite treasure is suddenly passed off to someone else, the behavior needs to be taken seriously.
That said, a goodbye may not be obvious. It may be a simple text that doesn’t say much or a quick phone call in which the person just says hello. This is why taking all signs into account is crucial.
Mood is another factor to take into consideration. According to the AFSP, depression is a major factor. The person may lose interest in daily activities. He or she may become aggressive, irritable or anxious.
Further, there are several risk factors to take into account. For example, mental health conditions should be taken into consideration. Is the person suffering from depression? Is he or she bipolar? (Research shows that a quarter to half of those with bipolar disorder try to end their lives at least one time.) Schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and borderline personality disorder also can increase risk. Think about health issues and pain that may be too much for your loved one to handle.
Environmental factors should also be considered. The AFSP says that stressful life events can trigger suicidal behavior. For example, losing a job, getting divorced or the death of a loved one can serve as triggers. Take note of all of these potential triggers when observing your loved one. Look for how the person has been treated and what the person has experienced. Has he or she been bullied or abused? Or has someone they know taken their own life?
Finally, you’ll want to consider historical factors. The AFSP says to look at whether or not the person has tried to commit suicide before and if there is a family history of suicide.
If you’ve gone through this checklist and it raised some red flags, you’ll want to start asking questions immediately. There is a misconception that asking questions will push a person toward suicide. However, experts say that this isn’t true. Instead, asking questions can give the affected person a chance to open up. Consequently, this can lower the risk of a person attempting suicide.
How to Help
Experts say that you should tread carefully by being sensitive, but make it a point to ask direct questions. Following are the questions that the Mayo Clinic suggests asking.
- How are you coping with what's been happening in your life?
- Do you ever feel like just giving up?
- Are you thinking about dying?
- Are you thinking about hurting yourself?
- Are you thinking about suicide?
- Have you ever thought about suicide before or tried to harm yourself?
- Have you thought about how or when you'd do it?
- Do you have access to weapons or things that can be used as weapons to harm yourself?
Stay with the person until help arrives. He or she can be hospitalized and put on suicide watch. Further, if a person has already taken steps to end his or her life, call 911 immediately.
Don’t take suicide lightly. Time is not on your side. Once a life is ended, there’s no going back. So do everything that you can to prevent this irreversible tragedy.