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No suicide attempt should be dismissed or treated lightly!
Why Do People Commit
Suicide?
A suicide attempt is a clear indication that something is
gravely wrong in a person�s life. No matter the race or age of the
person; how rich or poor they are, it is true that most people who
commit suicide have a mental or emotional disorder. The most common
underlying disorder is depression, 30% to 70% of suicide victims
suffer from major depression or bipolar (manic-depressive)
disorder.
Warning Signs of Someone Considering
Suicide
Any one of these symptoms does not necessarily mean the person
is suicidal, but several of these symptoms may signal a need for
help:
- Verbal suicide threats such as, �You�d be better off without
me.� or �Maybe I won�t be around.�
- Expressions of hopelessness and helplessness.
- Previous suicide attempts.
- Daring or risk-taking behavior.
- Personality changes.
- Depression.
- Giving away prized possessions.
- Lack of interest in future plans.
Remember: Eight out of ten suicidal persons give some sign of
their intentions. People who talk about suicide, threaten to commit
suicide, or call suicide crisis centers are 30 times more likely
than average to kill themselves.
What To Do If You Think Someone Is
Suicidal
- Trust your instincts that the person may be in trouble.
- Talk with the person about your concerns. Communication needs
to include LISTENING
- Ask direct questions without being judgmental. Determine if the
person has a specific plan to carry out the suicide. The more
detailed the plan, the greater the risk.
- Get professional help, even if the person resists.
- Do not leave the person alone.
- Do not swear to secrecy.
- Do not act shocked or judgmental.
- Do not counsel the person yourself.
The Statistics of Suicide
- Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death in the United
States, accounting for more than 1% of all deaths.
- More years of life are lost to suicide than to any other single
cause except heart disease and cancer.
- 30,000 Americans commit suicide annually; an additional 500,000
Americans attempt suicide annually.
- The actual ratio of attempts to completed suicides is probably
at least 10 to 1.
- 30% to 40% of persons who commit suicide have made a previous
attempt.
- The risk of completed suicide is more than 100 times greater
than average in the first year after an attempt - 80 times greater
for women, 200 times greater for men, 200 times greater for people
over 45, and 300 times greater for white men over 65.
- Suicide rates are highest in old age: 20% of the population and
40% of suicide victims are over 60. After age 75, the rate is three
times higher than average, and among white men over 80, it is six
times higher than average.
- Substance abuse is another great instigator of suicide; it may
be involved in half of all cases. About 20% of suicides are alcohol
abusers, and the lifetime rate of suicide among alcoholics is at
least three or four times the average. Completed suicides are more
likely to be men over 45 who are depressed or alcoholic.
Preventing Suicide
Although they may not call prevention centers, suicidal people
usually do seek help; for example, nearly three-fourths of all
suicide victims visit a doctor in the four months before their
deaths, and half in the month before.
Helping a Suicidal Person
No single therapeutic approach is suitable for all suicidal
persons or suicidal tendencies. The most common ways to treat
underlying illnesses associated with suicide are with medication,
talk therapy or a combination of the two.
Cognitive (talk therapy) and behavioral (changing behavior)
therapies aim at relieving the despair of suicidal patients by
showing them other solutions to their problems and new ways to
think about themselves and their world. Behavioral methods, such as
training in assertiveness, problem-solving, social skills, and
muscle relaxation, may reduce depression, anxiety, and social
ineptitude.
Cognitive and behavioral homework assignments are planned in
collaboration with the patient and explained as experiments that
will be educational even if they fail. The therapist emphasizes
that the patient is doing most of the work, because it is
especially important for a suicidal person not to see the therapist
as necessary for their survival.
Recent research strongly supports the use of medication to treat
the underlying depression associated with suicide. Antidepressant
medication acts on chemical pathways of the brain related to mood.
There are many very effective antidepressants. The two most common
types are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and
tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). Other new types of
antidepressants (e.g. alpha-2 antagonist, selective norepinephrine
reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and aminoketones), and an older class,
monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), are also prescribed by some
doctors.
Antidepressant medications are not habit-forming. Although some
symptoms such as insomnia, often improve within a week or two, it
may take three or four weeks before you feel better; the full
benefit of medication may require six to eight weeks of treatment.
Sometimes changes need to be made in dosage or medication type
before improvements are noticed. It is usually recommended that
medications be taken for at least four to nine months after the
depressive symptoms have improved. People with chronic depression
may need to stay on medication to prevent or lessen further
episodes.
People taking antidepressants should be monitored by a doctor
who knows about treating clinical depression to ensure the best
treatment with the fewest side effects. It is also very important
that your doctor be informed about all other medicines that are
taken, including vitamins and herbal supplements, in order to help
avoid dangerous interactions. Alcohol or other drugs can interact
negatively with antidepressant medication.
Do not discontinue medication without discussing the decision
with your doctor.
Resources in Your Community
- Telephone hotlines (Can be obtained from the telephone book,
local
- Mental Health Associations, community centers, or United Way
chapters)
- Clergy
- Medical professionals
- Law-enforcement agencies
More Information
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call
1-800-SUICIDE.
National Mental Health
Association
2001 N. Beauregard Street, 12th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22311
Phone 703/684-7722
Fax 703/684-5968
Mental
Health Resource Center 800/969-NMHA
TTY Line 800/433-5959
800-SUICIDE. (1-800-784-2433)
www.hopeline.com
This will connect you with a crisis center in your area.
American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry
202-966-7300
American
Association of Suicidology
202-237-2280
Suicide Prevention Advocacy
Network
888-649-1366
NMHA's Campaign
for America's Mental Health works to raise awareness that
mental illnesses are common, real and treatable illnesses and
ensure that those most at-risk receive proper, timely and effective
treatment.
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