Suicide Prevention: How You Can Help

September is suicide awareness month, and we want to shed some light on this common problem. Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone no matter what age or gender.

But there is help and hope. If you, a friend or a loved one, have struggled with suicidal thoughts, know that you are not alone. We are here to help you. Here is some information on suicide and how you can help someone.

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What are the risk factors of suicide?

Suicide is rarely caused by any one factor. Some risk factors include:

Mental health condition
A family history of suicide
Drug or alcohol abuse
Job, relationship, legal, money or housing stresses
Access to firearms or stockpiled medication
A serious or chronic medical illness
A history of trauma or abuse
Prolonged stress
A recent tragedy or loss

What are the warning signs?

Noticeable change in behavior
Withdrawal or aggressive behavior towards family and friends
Impulsive or reckless behavior
Giving stuff away
Saying goodbye
Change in sleep or other physical symptoms

What if I am having suicidal thoughts?
If you are having suicidal thoughts, and you don’t think you can keep yourself safe, you need to get yourself to the ER or call the suicide hotline. Don’t drink or take drugs. Alcohol or drugs impair your judgment so you can’t make good choices.

What can I, friends and family do to help?
It’s hard enough to be someone’s spouse or friend without also trying to be their therapist. Suicidal thoughts are serious and need to be treated by a medical professional. We have the training and the experience to deal with this. My colleagues and I are here to help.

If you see changes in a friend or family member, say something. “You don’t look like you are doing so well. What can I do to help you?”
It’s okay to ask them if they are considering suicide. It won’t give them the idea and many will be relieved that you’ve started the conversation.
Take their feelings seriously. You may be the only person they tell.
Help them get the professional help they need by taking them to ER or the doctor’s office.
Stay with them and remove any dangerous items like firearms or stock piled medication. Kids don’t have to be very old to figure out how to get out dad’s gun. Learn how to safely store firearms, get rid of extra medicine and create a safety plan.
Call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 or text TALK to 741741 to text with a trained crisis counselor for free, 24/7.

Get professional help
Suicidal thoughts “ideation” have many causes (see above) and unfortunately the thoughts can drive self-harm behavior. If your thoughts are frequent or intense/severe, seek professional help to see if you have a psychiatric condition which medications may help or to receive counseling.

Suicide and teens
The teenage years are a time of lots of physical and emotional changes and feelings of self-doubt, stress, confusion, and fear. Even teens can experience extreme stress, and they don’t have the maturity or experience to put challenges into proper perspective. They may lack the knowledge and resources to get help.

Social media can have its upside and downside. For some kids, it can be a terrible problem and can lead to low self-esteem, bullying and lots of stress. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned.

Don’t brush it off or think they’ll get over their suicidal feelings. If your teen has had changes in behavior, changes in eating or sleeping habits, is neglecting personal habits like showering, or is saying they want to die, get them professional help immediately.

There is hope

With professional assessment, it is possible to get relief from suicidal thoughts.

Take the first step today

Call the Perham Health Clinic at (218) 347-1200 to learn more about how we can help or schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.

Other Resources

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
National Alliance on Mental Illness

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