What is Suicide?

A suicide attempt is an attempt to die by suicide that results in survival. It may be referred to as a "failed" or "unsuccessful" suicide attempt, though these terms are discouraged by mental health professionals for implying a suicide that results in death is a successful and positive outcome.

Thinking about suicide is scary. You may have strong feelings that are hard to deal with. You may feel like things will never be better, but you are not alone. Many people think about suicide. Thinking about suicide does not mean that you will do it. It does not mean that you are "going crazy." Thinking about suicide is often a sign that you want to escape.

There are ways to feel better. Remember, you are not alone. You can start by talking to someone else. You can talk to a family member or friend you trust. You can also call a crisis line. The 988 is an amazing example.

If you have a doctor or counsellor, tell them how you feel. They can teach you skills to deal with thoughts of suicide.

No one can say that they will never have thoughts of suicide. You can do two big things to help prevent suicide. The first is to build connections with other people. The second is to find help for mental health problems.

1. Build connections with other people

Feeling connected to others is a big part of protecting yourself from suicide.

Here are ways to build connections:

• Spend time with family and friends.

• Go to cultural or religious events.

• Get involved in your community. For example, sign up for classes at your community centre or college.

• Help others. For example, help out a charity or other group.

2. Get help early for mental health problems

Mental health problems are a big part of suicide. You can help protect yourself by finding help for mental health problems early.

Here are common signs of mental health problems:

• Feeling like nothing makes you happy anymore.

• Feeling very sad or hopeless for many weeks.

• Feeling like you cannot cope with things that happen in your life.

• Feeling very stressed or scared for many weeks.

• Noticing strange thoughts or noticing strange things that do not go away. Some people hear voices that other people do not hear.

• Sleeping less or more than usual.

• Eating less or more than usual.

• Drinking more alcohol or using more drugs than usual.

• Taking a lot of time off work or school.

• Avoiding family and friends.

• Feeling "run down" or sick often.

Talk to your doctor if you notice these signs. Your doctor can see what may be causing the problems.

Some people talk openly about thoughts of suicide, but many people keep their feelings secret.

There are warning signs to show that someone needs help. You often see many warning signs happening at the same time. Here are some warning signs:

• The person talks about wanting to kill themselves.

• The person uses more drugs or alcohol than usual.

• The person says they have no reason to live.

• The person seems very scared or worried.

• The person says that they feel like there is no way out of a situation.

• The person cannot see hope for the future.

• The person does not want to spend time with others.

• The person has a hard time controlling their anger.

• The person does things that may be dangerous and does not think about what might happen.

• The person’s mood changes in a big way.

If you are worried about someone else, it is important to talk about suicide. Talking about suicide will not give them ideas. You need to talk about it to figure out how you can help.

Start by asking the other person if they want to end their life soon and if they have a plan.

If they do want to end their life soon and have a plan, it is an emergency. Do not leave the other person alone. Call the suicide crisis line at 1-800-784-2433. They can send emergency workers if you need them. Stay with the person until the suicide crisis line workers or emergency workers say you can leave.

If they do not have a plan to end their life, they still need extra help. You can help by listening to the other person. You can also help them find extra support.

Listen.

Many people feel like they are all alone with their painful feelings. Listening shows them that they are not alone. You do not have to say much at all. You just have to be there for them. Here are some important things to remember:

• Take the other person seriously. They are in pain and they need help.

• Show the other person that you are a good person to talk to. Do not judge them or make fun of them.

• Trust is very important. Do not make promises that you cannot keep.

• Show that you understand they have a serious problem. Do not give advice like, "cheer up" or "pull yourself together."

• Say things like, "You are really important to me" or, "I don't want you to die." You can also say, "It makes sense that you feel like you do, but I can help you find other solutions."

Connect them with support.

Ask if they can talk to someone about their feelings. It could be a family member or a friend. It could also be a doctor or counsellor. You can also give them the phone number for the crisis line. The people who run crisis lines are trained to help others. They can help with many different problems.

Suicidal thoughts have many causes. Most often, suicidal thoughts are the result of feeling like you can't cope when you're faced with what seems to be an overwhelming life situation. If you don't have hope for the future, you may mistakenly think suicide is a solution. You may experience a sort of tunnel vision, where in the middle of a crisis you believe suicide is the only way out.

There also may be a genetic link to suicide. People who complete suicide or who have suicidal thoughts or behavior are more likely to have a family history of suicide.

It's difficult to imagine what led a friend, family member, or celebrity to commit suicide. There may have been no clear warning signs, and you may wonder what clues you might have missed. Often, many factors combine to lead a person to the decision to take their own life. Here are some factors that could contribute to the events leading to the suicide:

• Mental Illness, Traumatic Stress (even years after the event)

• Loss or Fear of Loss

• Substance Use & Impulsivity

• Hopelessness, Feeling like a Burden

• Chronic Pain & Illness

• Social Isolation

• A Cry for Help (to family, friends, or anyone)

• Accidental Suicide (Pass-Out Challenge, TikTok trends that involve choking to achieve a high-like sensation. Unintentional overdoses can also be categorized here as well)

Accidental Suicide Challenges: These are trends on social media that can kill someone if done for a long period of time. Some challenges include:

• Blackout Challenge

• Chapstick Challenge

• The Penny Challenge

• Pass-Out Challenge

• Many others that can lead to death or serious and severe life-long injuries.

You may be at risk of suicide if you:

• Attempted suicide before

• Feel hopeless, worthless, agitated, socially isolated or lonely

• Experience a stressful life event, such as the loss of a loved one, military service, a breakup, or financial or legal problems

• Have a substance abuse problem — alcohol and drug abuse can worsen thoughts of suicide and make you feel reckless or impulsive enough to act on your thoughts

• Have suicidal thoughts and have access to firearms in your home

• Have an underlying psychiatric disorder, such as major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or bipolar disorder

• Have a family history of mental disorders, substance abuse, suicide, or violence, including physical or sexual abuse

• Have a medical condition that can be linked to depression and suicidal thinking, such as chronic disease, chronic pain or terminal illness

• Are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender with an unsupportive family or in a hostile environment

Suicide in children and teenagers can follow stressful life events. What a young person sees as serious and insurmountable may seem minor to an adult — such as problems in school or the loss of a friendship. In some cases, a child or teen may feel suicidal due to certain life circumstances that he or she may not want to talk about, such as:

• Having a psychiatric disorder, including depression

• Loss or conflict with close friends or family members

• History of physical or sexual abuse

• Problems with alcohol or drugs

• Physical or medical issues, for example, becoming pregnant or having a sexually transmitted infection

• Being the victim of bullying

• Being uncertain of sexual orientation

• Reading or hearing an account of suicide or knowing a peer who died by suicide

If you have concerns about a friend or family member, asking about suicidal thoughts and intentions is the best way to identify risk.

In rare cases, people who are suicidal are at risk of killing others and then themselves. Known as a homicide-suicide or murder-suicide, some risk factors include:

• History of conflict with a spouse or romantic partner

• Current family legal or financial problems

• History of mental health problems, particularly depression

• Alcohol or drug abuse

• Having access to a firearm

An effort to match or surpass a person or achievement, typically by imitation of another suicide that the person attempting suicide knows about either from local knowledge or due to accounts or depictions of the original suicide on television and in other media. The publicized suicide serves as a trigger, in the absence of protective factors, for the next suicide by a susceptible or suggestible person. This is referred to as suicide contagion

These suicidal actions of copycat suicide tend to happen in the days and sometimes weeks after a suicide is announced. In exceptional cases, such as a widely discussed suicide by a celebrity, an increased level of thinking about suicide may persist for up to one year.

Examples:

• Robin Williams = Suicides increased by 10%, following his suicide

• Marilyn Monore = U.S. Suicides increased by 12%

• Myth: Suicide is not very common.

• Fact: Someone dies by suicide almost every day in BC.

• Myth: Thinking about suicide is not very common.

• Fact: One in every nine people has thought about suicide at some time.

• Myth: Someone who wants to die by suicide just wants to die.

• Fact: People who die by suicide do not necessarily want to end their lives. They want to get rid of bad things in their lives. They do not know what else to do.

• Myth: People who attempt suicide just want attention.

• Fact: A suicide attempt does show that someone needs help. People who attempt suicide often think it is the only way to stop their pain. Their feelings are very real and very hard to deal with.

• Myth: People who survive a suicide attempt will never try to end their life again.

• Fact: Most people who die by suicide have attempted suicide in the past.

• Myth: Only people with a mental illness think about suicide.

• Fact: You do not need to have a mental illness to think about suicide. Some people think about suicide because they do not know what else to do. But many people who attempt suicide or die by suicide have a mental illness. They may not know they have a mental illness at the time.

• Myth: Talking about suicide will make people think about dying by suicide.

• Fact: Talking about suicide does not give people ideas. Talking honestly about suicide is a good way to find out if someone needs help. Talking about suicide lowers the risk of suicide.