CHAPTER 9 LESSON 2: SUICIDE PREVENTION

ALIENATION: FEELING ISOLATED AND SEPARATED FROM

EVERYONE ELSE.* CAN BE CAUSED BY AN EMOTIONAL OVERLOAD.

SUICIDE: THE ACT OF INTENTIONALLY TAKING ONE’S OWN

LIFE.

*PAINFUL FEELINGS BECOME UNBEARABLE AND SOME CHOOSE THE MOST DRASTIC OF ALL MEASURES.

SUICIDE RISK FACTORS: MORE THAN 90% OF THE PEOPLE WHO KILL

THEMSELVES ARE SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION OR ANOTHER MENTAL DISORDER, OR ABUSING ALCOHOL OR DRUGS.

A HISTORY OF PHYSICAL OR SEXUAL ABUSE. A HISTORY OF PREVIOUS SUICIDE ATTEMPTS. A FAMILY HISTORY OF EMOTIONAL

DISORDERS OR SUICIDE.

TEEN SUICIDE: RECOGNIZING THE WARNING SIGNSVERBAL SIGNS: Direct statements:

“I want to die.” “I wish I were dead.”

Indirect statements: “I won’t have to put up

with this much longer.” They’ll be sorry when I’m

gone.” “Soon this pain will be

over.” Writing poems, song

lyrics, or diary entries that deal with death.

Suicide threats or insinuations that are either direct or indirect.

NONVERBAL SIGNS: An unusual obsession with

death. Withdrawal from friends. Dramatic changes in

personality, hygiene, or appearance.

Impulsive, irrational, or bizarre behavior.

Preoccupation with giving away personal belongings.

Substance abuse. Violent actions, rebellious

behavior, or running away. Intolerance to praise or

rewards.

If a teen talks about suicide-he or she must be taken seriously!

STRATEGIES TO PREVENT SUICIDE:SUICIDAL PEOPLE OFTEN FEEL THAT THEIR DEATH WILL NOT MATTER. FOR THIS REASON, IT IS CRITICAL TO SHOW CONCERN AND EMPATHY.

Initiate a meaningful conversation. Show interest and compassion. (Important first step) Listen closely to what the person says. Be patient and understanding.

Show support and ask questions. Remind the person that most problems have solutions. Make it clear that you understand that the person wants

to end the pain, but emphasize that suicide is NOT the answer.

Share that most suicide survivors later express gratitude that they did not die.

Try to persuade the person to seek help. Encourage the person to talk with a parent, counselor,

therapist, or other trusted adult. Offer to go with the person to get help.

MULTIPLE SUICIDES:Cluster Suicides- a series of suicides occurring

within a short period of time and involving several people in the same school or community.

Some are the result of a pact or agreement between two or more people.

Some are the result when individuals commit suicide in response to the suicide of a friend or a suicide that has been sensationalized in the media.

Suicide clusters account for 100-200 deaths annually.

Average age ranging from 13 to 24 years old, and occur within approximately a one-to-two-year period.