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Suicide and Suicide Prevention

Suicide is the act of killing yourself. People often turn to suicide because they are seeking relief from pain. But remember that relief is a feeling and you have to be alive to feel it. If you are dead, you will not feel the relief you so desperately seek.

If you asked other people (family or friends) they may react badly to your suicidal feelings, either because they are frightened, or angry; they may actually increase your pain instead of helping you, despite their intentions, by saying or doing thoughtless things. You have to understand that their bad reactions are about their fears, not about you.

You can survive suicidal feelings if you find a way to reduce your pain.

Be aware if you feel:

• Sense of hopelessness and or helplessness

• Having no control over your life

• Persistently thinking things will never get better and that no one can help

• Feeling overwhelmed by your own expectations

• Loneliness, fear, feelings of abandonment and of not being heard

• Consistently high levels of anxiety and or anger

• Difficulty expressing emotions

• Difficulty accepting affection

• Preoccupation with thoughts of death or dying

Watch out for warning signs:

• Sudden changes in the way of relating to others – withdrawing from family/friends, not wanting to be left alone, not wanting to be touched, loss of interest in usual social activities, developing violent, argumentative or disruptive behaviour, loss of humour or unusual change to acting the clown

• Decline in school or work, disinterest in the future, apathy about dress and appearance

• Changes that suggest depression – marked weight increase or decrease, lack of concentration, changes in sleeping pattern, delusions or hallucinations, sudden happiness after a lengthy period of depression, talk o being worthless, impulsive and or risk taking behaviour, running away from home, absenteeism, carelessness, accident prone behaviours, taking personal risks, increased or heavy use of alcohol or other drugs

• Finalizing personal business – making a will, giving away prized possessions, organizing own funeral, saying goodbye

• Self harm – cigarette burns, cutting oneself – suicide attempts

• Verbalizing depression – direct or indirect. “I wish I was dead”, “You won't have to bother with me anymore”, “I think dead people must be happier than when they were alive”, “I’d like to go to sleep and never wake up”.

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