Special Education

Appendix 6 - Suicide Warning Signs and Ways to Help

Warning signs:

Changes in behaviour
Normally active people may become withdrawn; cautious individuals may start taking unusual risks. Any significant change may be cause for concern.

Problems in school
A dramatic drop in grades, falling asleep in class, emotional outbursts or other uncharacteristic behaviour may be cause for concern.

Themes of death
A desire to end one's life may show up in the person's artwork, poetry, essays, listening to heavy metal music, or preoccupation with an occult group or activity.

A previous suicide attempt
A significant number of young people who commit suicide have attempted suicide before.

Substance abuse
Alcohol and other drug abuse appear to be significantly linked to increases risk taking and suicide attempts among young people.

Signs of depression
These may include changes in eating and sleeping habits, anxiety, restlessness, fatigue, feelings of hopelessness and guilt, and loss of interest in usual activities. Alcohol and drug abuse are common ways for people to medicate themselves from depressive feelings.

Verbal statements
Comments such as "You'd be better off without me" or "I wish I were dead" should always be taken seriously.

Giving away possessions
Someone who has decided to commit suicide may give away personal possessions: records, favourite articles of clothing, etc.

Poor coping skills
The inability to see many options for solving problems and lacking confidence in a brighter future make young people vulnerable.

Other
These may include physical complaints, frequent accidents, hyperactivity, aggressiveness, sexual promiscuity, or prolonged grief after a loss.

Ways to help:

Do

Be a good listener
Be calm, speak quietly and gently. Listen with your eyes and your ears. Look for nonverbal clues that show how the person is feeling and report what you see. For example, say "you" seem sad," then wait for a response.

Be direct
Talking openly is the only way you can find out how serious the person is about ending his or her life. Ask "have you ever felt so low that you felt that life was not worth living?"

Show that you care
Tell the person that you are always available to talk about things that may be troubling him/her. Use a warm expression and physical contact to reassure him/her that you care.

Get help
Seeking professional help is a must! Although simple depression can disappear as quickly as it came, it can develop to the point where a person may impulsively see suicide as the only way out.

Don't

Don't minimize
Avoid offering empty reassurance or dismiss the person's problems as trivial. From his perspective they matter a great deal and are making him/her unhappy.

Don't make a moral judgement
Don't act shocked or disgusted. Do not use reverse psychology. Don't tell them they have a lot to live for, argue with them, lecture or punish. If what the person tells you makes you feel angry, control those feelings.

Don't leave the person alone
If you feel there is any immediate danger, don't leave the person alone and eliminate all access to lethal weapons, drugs, and cars. The easy availability of guns or drugs increases the chances of a passing impulse ending in death.

Don't ignore the problem
Just because a person may frequently be manipulative, dramatic, or attention seeking doesn't mean they are not also suicidal.

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