Suicide

Most of the time potential victims present behaviors that are recognizable before suicide is attempted. As with any other form of violence, suicide is preventable. The two most important steps for it's prevention are looking for the warning signs and seeking help.

What makes a person start thinking in suicide?

One of the biggest factors is depression. Suicide attempts usually occur when a person is seriously depressed or sad. The person feels suicidal desires because they don't find another exit to his/her problems, doesn't find another way to run away of the emotional pain, nor finds a way to communicate the un happiness and desperation.

The warning signs of a potential suicide include:

• Previous suicide attempts
• Significant alcohol or drug use
• Threatening or communicating thoughts of suicide, death, dying or the afterlife
• Increase in moodiness, withdrawal or isolation
• Feelings of hopelessness, guilt or worthlessness
• Poor control over behavior
• Lack of interest in usual activity

Frequently the suicidal thinking starts with a desire of finishing with the deep psychological pain. Death seems the only way out, but it's not true.

If a friend mentions the desire of killing himself take it seriously. Listen carefully and with attention, and then look for help immediately. Never keep it as a secret what he told you, even though he asked you to do it. Remember that you are taking the risk of loosing that person forever.

When you recognize signals of a suicidal behaviour in someone, do something to look for help. Tell an adult you trust what you heard or saw. Look for the help of a professional in mental health (counsellor, psychologist, and psychiatrist) as soon as possible. They can help to solve the problems that seems don't have any way out, or that feels they don't have any solution. p>

What about you?

Maybe you have had desires to end with your life. Don't feel shame for it. Many people, young and older have felt the same. Talk with someone you trust. Things can be really hard some times, but situations don't last forever. Look for help. You can be helped. Because you deserve it.

Getting help

If you have being thinking in killing yourself, look for help as soon as possible, instead of waiting if your mood gets better. When a person have being feeling bad for a long time it's difficult to understand that suicide it's not the solution (a permanent solution to a temporal problem). Talk with someone that you know as soon as possible (a friend, a teacher, trainer, counselor, psychologist, spiritual leader or any other adult you trust). Look in the telephone guide for a number to call in case of suicidal crisis. If there is one, usually they work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and trained professionals answer your call and will assist you without the need of giving your name or looking at your face. All calls are confidential, they can't see your phone number, they can't write anything, and no one will know you called. In the USA there's the National Suicide Helpline: - 1-800-SUICIDE). If you have a friend or partner that's thinking in killing himself, look for help quickly and don't wait for him to get better or feel better. Even though your friend made you swore to keep the secret. You have to look for help as soon as possible, could be that his life depends on you.