WARNING SIGNS
.
FACTS ABOUT SUICIDE:
Four out of five people who
commit suicide have talked about it or threatened it previously. It is
a myth that someone who talks about it won't do it. Most often that is
a very clear call for help.
Drugs or alcohol are involved in two out of three suicides. Use of these
chemicals intensify the already-existing feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
that the person is experiencing.
A suicidal person is not necessarily mentally ill. He/she may be simply
seeing things through a very distorted and constricted lens - there seems
to be only two choices for this individual: continuation of a powerful
sense of pain, or a cessation of that pain.
The act of suicide is not seen as a moving TOWARD something, but as a moving
AWAY from an unbearable pain. Most suicidal people are undecided about
living or dying. Happily, most are suicidal for only a limited time and,
if saved from self-destruction, go on to lead useful lives.
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CLUES TO SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR:
Most people give cludes to others
through their behaviors. Some of the things we can be aware of are:
- Marked changes in personality,
behavior, appearance
- Participation in new and self-destructive
behaviors
- Talk of death
- Signs of depression such as
insomnia or a noticeable loss of appetite
- Preparation for dying, such
as giving away important and treasured objects
.
FOUR TYPES OF DANGER SIGNALS
Look for a clustering of warning
signs within a context of: recent loss, sadness, frustration, disappointment,
grief, alienation, depression, loneliness, physical pain, or mental anguish.
I. Suicidogenic Situations--the
situation itself is conducive to suicidal thoughts and feelings.
.
II. Depressive Symptoms
--the person has several symptoms which are commonly
associated with the syndrome of depression:
- Insomia
- Inability to concentrate
- Anorexia
- Weight loss
- Loss of sex drive
- Anhedonia (can't experience
pleasure)
- No energy or hyperactive
- Apathy no desire to socialize
- Seems withdrawn
- Seems preoccupied
- Often appears bored
- Agitated easily
- Poor personal hygiene
- Crying
- Feeling worthless
- Low frustration tolerance
- Dwells on problems
- Morbid views
- Appears sad
III. Verbal Warnings--
- "I'm going to kill myself!"
- "I wish I were dead!"
- "It hurts too much."
- "The only way out is for me to die."
- "I just can't go on any longer."
- "You won't be seeing me around any longer."
- "You're going to regret how you've treated
me."
- "It's too much to put up with."
- "Life has lost its meaning for me!"
- "Nobody needs me anymore."
- "I'm getting out of here."
- "Here, take this (valued possession);
I won't be needing it anymore."
IV. Behavioral Warnings--
- The giving away of a cherished object in a
casual manner.
- The strongest behavioral warning is an attempted
suicide!!!
- It has been estimated that about 45% of the
people who kill themselves have previously attempted to do so before.
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ASSESSMENT
D - I - R - T
An assessment of the past suicide attempt.
D -
Dangerousness - the greater the dangerousness in the attempt.
I - Intent -
If she honestly believed that she would die, then the present risk is higher.
R - Rescue -
If she aided in her own rescue in any way, even at the last minute, then
the present risk is lower.
T - Timing -
The more recent the attempt, the higher the current risk.*
Note: Any unexplainable deviation from an ingrained behavioral pattern
or sudden unexplainable recovery from a severe depression.
S - L - A - P
An assessment of the degree of risk.
After you realize the
person is at risk, assess the degree of risk. Always begin an assessment
with "how?", i.e., "How would you harm or kill yourself?"
If the person has a plan of attack, use the acronym SLAP.
S - Specific - details in the "plan of
attack."
L - Lethality
- level of the proposed method.
A - Availability
- of the proposed method.
P - Proximity
- of helping resources.
Note: This approach may not be a reliable technique with alcoholics, drug
addicts, psychotics, or others with highly impulsive personalities.
* Remember the 3-month guide; the person may gain energy after an initial
exhaustion in the first 3 to 4 months.
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