Suicide
HOW DO I KNOW I OR SOMEONE I KNOW MIGHT BE SUICIDAL?
- A sense of hopelessness or no hope for the future.
- Sense of Isolation
- Aggressiveness and irritability – “Leave me alone”.
- Feelings or worthlessness
- Observable changes in mood and behaviour.
- Talking or writing about death
- Self-harming behaviours like cutting.
- Engaging in 'risky' behaviours
- Talking about their funeral arrangements
- Substance abuse.
- Feeling like a burden to others
- Making suicide threats or wishing they were dead
RISK FACTORS
- Previous suicide attempts
- History of substance abuse
- History of mental health conditions – depression, anxiety, bipolar, PTSD
- Relationship problems – conflict with parents and/or romantic partners
- Recent death of a family member or a close friend
- Ongoing exposure to bullying behaviour such as cyberbullying
- Losing a friend or family member to suicide
WHAT CAN I DO?
- Talk about how you are feeling
- Don't make any major decisions
- STOP. WAIT and THINK - These thoughts might only last a few minutes; you may feel differently in a few hours.
- Create a safety plan - a structured plan you can work through when you're thinking about suicide – what you can do, who you can talk to, and where you can go
- Set small achievable goals - keeps you focused
- Stay away from drugs and alcohol - ask for help to remove access to these things
- GET HELP HERE