Suicide Warning Signs
If you or someone you know exhibits several of the suicide symptoms below, immediate action is needed.
Suicide Warning Signs
- Appearing depressed or sad most of the time
- Feeling hopeless
- Expressing hopelessness
- Withdrawing from family and friends
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Feeling tired most of the time
- Gaining or losing a significant amount of weight
- Making statements such as these:
- "I can't go on any longer"
- "I hate this life"
- "There's no point to this stupid life"
- "Everyone would be better off without me"
- "Life is not worth living"
- "Nothing matters anymore"
- "I don't care about anything anymore"
- "I want to die"
- Any mention of suicide
- Writing notes or poems about suicide or death
- Acting compulsively
- Losing interest in most activities
- Giving away prized possessions
- Writing a will
- No sense of humor
- Facing a perceived "humiliating" situation
- Facing a perceived "failure"
- Feeling excessive guilt or shame
- Acting irrationally
- Being preoccupied with death or dying
- Behaving recklessly
- Irritability
- Frequently complaining about headaches, stomachaches, etc...
- Neglecting personal appearance
- A dramatic change in personal appearance
- A dramatic change in personality
- Performing poorly at work or in school
- Abusing alcohol or drugs
- Inability to concentrate
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Coping with Suicide Thoughts
It should be noted that some people who die by suicide do not show any suicide warning signs.. Many people hide their depression because there is still a strong social stigma against mental illness and they are afraid they will be perceived as weak. Mental illness is no different then high blood pressure or diabetes. With treatment you can be helped.
But most people do show warning signs of suicide, so we need to be aware of what the suicide warning signs are, and try to spot them in people. If we do see or know of someone or if it is you exhibiting suicide warning signs, we need to do everything that we can to help them.
Remember to tell yourself or the person you are concerned about that suicide is not an option.
Suicide Thoughts
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If you or the person you know has constant thoughts of suicide make a contract with them or if it is you make a contract with someone you trust that BEFORE you make an attempt you MUST verbally speak to them and tell what your planning to do.
It can be a verbal contract or if it makes you feel better put it in writing.
I had a standing verbal suicide contract with my psychiatrist. I had to speak to him first, not voicemail or text and that is what saved my life.
I am happy I lived by the trust of my contract.
Sometimes it is just the thought or plan that needs to be shared.
It helps to tell someone it takes the urgency to act on your plan away.