Great strides have been made in awareness of suicide risk and prevention, but we still have along way to go. Hopefully this resource page with further help awareness about suicide prevention.
First off if you or someone you love is in crisis:
Call 911 for police assistance if the situation is life threatening or if it looks like someone may get hurt.
If there is no immediate physical danger, call Crisis Connections at 206-461-3222 or 1-866-427-4747, or visit www.CrisisConnections.org.
Crisis Connections can help link you to available and appropriate resources; their services lines are available 24/7, 365 days of the year.
You can also contact at anytime The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Second, know what the signs of suicide ideation (the medical term for thinking about suicide) are. The following is directly from The National Suicide Prevention website:
Know the Warning Signs
Some warning signs may help you determine if a loved one is at risk for suicide, especially if the behavior is new, has increased, or seems related to a painful event, loss, or change. If you or someone you know exhibits any of these, seek help by calling the Lifeline.
- Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves
- Looking for a way to kill themselves, like searching online or buying a gun
- Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
- Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
- Talking about being a burden to others
- Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
- Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly
- Sleeping too little or too much
- Withdrawing or isolating themselves
- Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
- Extreme mood swings
I would also add to this list giving away treasured personal possessions.
5 Steps to talking about suicide with a loved one
This comes from bethe1to.com. To summarize the 5 steps, I will just list them here, and you can read the details through the link.
1) ASK: Asking the question “Are you thinking about suicide?”
2) BE THERE: This could mean being physically present for someone, speaking with them on the phone when you can, or any other way that shows support for the person at risk.
3) KEEP THEM SAFE: if suicide is being thought about, ask if he or she has a plan. If the answer is yes and they have immediate access to the means to carry out that plan, then make sure the individual is not left alone.
4) HELP THEM CONNECT: facilitate getting help – through crisis connection, the National suicide hotline, or qualified healthcare providers.
5) FOLLOW UP: “After your initial contact with a person experiencing thoughts of suicide, and after you’ve connected them with the immediate support systems they need, make sure to follow-up with them to see how they’re doing. Leave a message, send a text, or give them a call. The follow up step is a great time to check in with them to see if there is more you are capable of helping with or if there are things you’ve said you would do and haven’t yet had the chance to get done for the person.”
Be Prepared Seattle 