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If you are contemplating suicide, seek help immediately! Things CAN get better. Let others know that something is wrong. Share your feelings with a relative or close friend, your health care provider, your teacher or your religious leader. Ask a relative or close friend to stay with you. Go to the nearest health care facility. Call a hotline for help! This is an emergency! Look in your local phone book under “suicide,” “crisis,” “mental health” or contact:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-talk (8255) or 9-1-1.
Mental Health America 1-800-969-6MHA (6642) www.mentalhealthamerica.net
If you think someone else is about to act, get emergency help right away – this is an emergency! Do not leave the person alone. Stay with them until help arrives. Take action right away! Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number.
Things to Know
What increases the risk? Many factors may play a role. Depression is a primary reason some people attempt suicide. An individual may feel helpless, seeing no reason to live. Other mental illnesses such as Bipolar Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can increase suicide risk. Alcohol Abuse is often linked to suicide. In some cases, a person may abuse alcohol to cope with other problems, making them worse. Substance Abuse and drugs use, both legal and illegal, can impair a person’s judgement.
Some other factors that may increase suicide risk include: a family history of suicide; having a serious physical illness such as cancer; past suicide attempts; a major loss or stressful life event such as a divorce, a death of a family member or close personal friend.
Warning Signs
Get to know the warning signs and what to look for. The person may talk in general terms about suicide. They may make statements like “nothing matters anymore” or “it’s no use, nothing is going to change.” The person may threaten to take his or her life. The person may be making preparations for death. For example, he or she may give away personal items or make sudden changes in a will, trust or real estate documents.
The person may seem deeply depressed, hopeless, lose interest in work and school, or withdraw from family and friends.
Daily Changes
Pay attention to changes in daily life. The person may change eating, sleeping, personal hygiene or sexual habits. The person may act impulsively by taking part in risky situations, spend money needlessly, or gamble excessively. The person may make an attempt to hurt themselves. Remember, if this person has attempted suicide before, he or she may try again.
How Can You Help?
If you are worried that someone may be thinking about taking their own life, there are ways you can help.
Give support. Encourage the person to discuss their feelings. Pay close attention to the answers and ask questions. Let them know you want to help. Don’t argue with the person.
Suggest positive actions. Encourage the person to keep busy, continue with work or school and try to have fun – like getting away for a fun little vacation. It could help the person gain a new outlook. Reduce stress with a new hobby; enroll at a local gym and start an exercise program, (health permitting, before starting a new exercise program, the person should consult their health care provider).
Encourage the person to seek professional counseling. Help is critical but you can’t do it alone.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255 http://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
The Veterans Crisis Line can be reached at 1-800-273-8255 https://www.veteranscrisisline.net
IMAlive Crisis Chatline (www.imalive.org) is a non-profit, worldwide 24/7, anonymous chatline to help anyone in crisis via instant messaging.
The Crisis Text Line (crisistextline.org) is the only 24/7, nationwide crisis-intervention text-message hotline.[42]
The Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting HOME to 741-741
This report is not a diagnosis. We hope this information can guide you toward improving your life.
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