A person thinking of suicide may not ask for help, but that doesn’t mean that help isn’t wanted.
Most people who die by suicide don’t want to die—they just want to stop hurting. Suicide prevention starts with recognizing the warning signs and taking them seriously. If you think a friend or family member is considering suicide, you might be afraid to bring up the subject. But talking openly about suicidal thoughts and feelings can save a life.
Understanding and Preventing Suicide
The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 1 million people die each year from suicide. What drives so many individuals to take their own lives? To those not in the grips of suicidal depression and despair, it’s difficult to understand what drives so many individuals to take their own lives. But a person thinking of suicide is in so much pain that he or she can see no other option.
Suicide is a desperate attempt to escape suffering that has become unbearable. Blinded by feelings of self-loathing, hopelessness, and isolation, a suicidal person can’t see any way of finding relief except through death. But despite their desire for the pain to stop, most people thinking of suicide are deeply conflicted about ending their own lives. They wish there was an alternative to ending their life by suicide, but they just can’t see one.
Warning Signs of Suicide
Most individuals thinking of suicide give warning signs or signals of their intentions. The best way to prevent suicide is to recognize these warning signs and know how to respond if you spot them. If you believe that a friend or family member is at risk of suicide, you can play a role in suicide prevention by pointing out the alternatives. Like showing that you care, and getting a doctor or psychologist involved.
Major warning signs for suicide include talking about killing or harming oneself, talking or writing a lot about death or dying, and seeking out things that could be used in a suicide attempt, such as weapons and drugs. These signals are even more dangerous if the person has a mood disorder such as depression or bipolar disorder, suffers from alcohol dependence, has previously attempted suicide, or has a family history of suicide.
Take any suicidal talk or behaviour seriously. It’s not just a warning sign that the person is thinking about suicide—it’s a cry for help.
A more subtle but equally dangerous warning sign of suicide is hopelessness. Studies have found that hopelessness is a strong predictor of suicide. People who feel hopeless may talk about “unbearable” feelings, predict a bleak future, and state that they have nothing to look forward to.
Other warning signs that point to a suicidal mind frame include dramatic mood swings or sudden personality changes, such as going from outgoing to withdrawn or well-behaved to rebellious. A suicidal person may also lose interest in day-to-day activities, neglect his or her appearance, and show big changes in eating or sleeping habits.
More Resources
Children’s Arts and Craft Activity Book
Isaksimagit Inuusirmi Katujjiqatigiit Embrace Life Council developed this Arts and Crafts Book to inspire creativity and pride in the culture and surroundings of Nunavummiut. Children can practice their creative skills in different forms as each project has a unique style of art to work with. Children ages 9 and over may work independently, younger children.
Navigating Grief, A Guided Journal
IIKELC Grief Journal Isaksimagit Inuusirmi Katujjiqatigiit Embrace Life Council strives to assist in the grief and recovery journey in the Territory through developing and promoting mental wellness and social inclusion programs and services. The journey of grief can be extremely hard and there are many different aspects to it. It is a multidimensional process. Beyond.
Youth and Adult Arts and Craft Activity Book
Isaksimagit Inuusirmi Katujjiqatigiit Embrace Life Council developed this Arts and Crafts Book to inspire creativity and pride in the culture and surroundings of Nunavummiut. Youth and Adults can practice their creative skills in different forms as each project has a unique style of art to work with. This book contains projects made in Nunavut by.
Isumajunnattiarniq – Nunavut’s Mindfulness App Survey
A Guide for Parents and Caregivers, Supporting Children and Teens with Grief, Loss & Healing
This is a guide to help parents and caregivers support their children and teens with grief, loss & healing. Each child is different in how they understand and respond to grief. Their response will depend on age, maturity and developmental level, and their ability to understand death. If we allow children to talk to us.
Talking to Children About Suicide – Children’s Book
Over the years, IIKELC has received many requests for a resource to support families in talking to their children about suicide. In response to these requests, we have created a children’s book called “Talking to Children About Suicide” that follows the story of a child attempting to understand and process this type of loss. This.