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Suicide Prevention – 10 Questions and Answers

 

The tragedy of suicide has struck again, here in Northern Virginia. I am heartbroken to learn of four student deaths in three days, in nearby Prince William County. Each one was ruled a suicide. As we grieve more dreadful losses to mental illness, I must ask, how can we stop this from happening again?

“Tell your children you love and support them,” urges a message from the school superintendent. I wholeheartedly agree.  Further, I ask you to do something more to help prevent another suicide, beginning today.

Underestimating the need for suicide prevention is disastrous. Let us make time now to overcome the stigma of talking about mental health, so we can help each other face and seek treatment for mental health concerns and distress. This will prevent a great deal of suffering and save more lives.

Suicide is a scary topic, but the cost of not knowing how to help, and the danger of overlooking the needs of people who are suffering is too great to ignore a moment longer.

Take a few minutes now, to consider these 10 brief but important questions and answers about suicide prevention.

1) How do you know someone might be suicidal?

You may hear them say statements like:

  • “I wish I was never born.”
  • “Your life would be so much better without me.”
  • “I feel like I’m just taking up space.”

If hearing such statements worries you, it should. These sentiments are warning signs that a person is thinking about suicide, also called suicidal ideation.

Though these are passive suicidal statements, they should be taken very seriously. They may mean a person is thinking about ending his or her life. This person is struggling with a mental health crisis and we need to attend to this.

Even passive thoughts of suicide deserve prompt attention. Respond immediately. To know better what to make of the statements you just heard, ask more questions.

2) What behaviors are warning signs for suicide?

Some people may keep their thoughts and plans for suicide to themselves, which makes helping them very difficult.

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