September is Suicide Awareness month, we will be bringing you resources, links and references to collated articles to inform you about suicide.

Suicide has been documented to be the 10th leading cause of death in the United States leading to about 45,000 deaths recorded in 2017 with about 1.4 million documented attempts.

Every day about 120 people die in the United States alone with the highest demographic of suicides being Whites, American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Out of 25 attempts at least one person succeeds.

We’ve all seen the deaths of many famous people like Robin Williams, Anthony Bourdain, Kate Spade and many others.
But we don’t hear about the other 47,000 who died in one year from an illness that can be treated

Here is a list of warning signs broken into 3 categories, many of which can be attributed to depression.

Talking

  • Talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself
  • Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose;
  • Talking about feeling trapped or being in unbearable pain;
  • Talking about being a burden to others;

Behaviors

  • Looking for a way to kill oneself;
  • Increasing the use of alcohol, drugs;
  • Acting anxious, agitated, or reckless;
  • Sleeping too little or too much;
  • Withdrawing or feeling isolated, isolating from family and friends;
  • Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge;
  • Visiting or calling people to say goodbye
  • Giving away prized possessions

Moods

  • Depression/Sadness
  • Anxiety
  • Loss of interest
  • Irritability
  • Humiliation/Shame
  • Agitation/Anger

If you, or someone you know, are showing signs of having issues in any of the categories above, don’t hesitate to call a crisis hotline like the National Crisis Hotline, bring them to an ER, or call 911 immediately.

Also, don’t be afraid to contact a local Mental Health Professional for ongoing support.

References/Resources: