SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF SUICIDE
According to the Calgary Mental Health Association, the following are signs and symptoms of suicide:
- Ideation - Having suicidal thoughts or ideations
- Substance abuse - excessive or increased amount of substance use
- Purposelessness - feeling like there is no purpose in life or reason for living
- Anxiety - feelings of intense anxiety, feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope
- Trapped - feeling trapped or feeling like there is no way out of a situation
- Hopelessness or Helplessness - having no expectation of good or success, no hope for the future
- Withdrawal - avoiding friends, family, or activities
- Anger - Uncontrolled anger or rage
- Recklessness - Acting or engaging in risky or reckless behaviours that would normally be avoided
- Mood - Dramatic mood changes
Distress Centre Calgary
Distress Centre Calgary
Access Mental Health
Distress Centre Calgary
A fire department is three times more likely to experience a suicide in any given year than a line-of-duty death.
– The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
Myths
Thousands of people attempt suicide every day.
When framed in terms of recovery, treatment
and hope, discussing suicide is one of the most helpful things you can do.
In fact suicides are lowest in December and peak in the spring.
Teenage suicide receives more media coverage but the elderly are more likely to take their own lives.
Most suicides occur on Mondays.
Suicide is a serious but treatable illness that has nothing to do with moral strength or weakness.
Facts
You don’t have to be mentally ill to think about suicide.
Three times more women attempt suicide, but four times more men actually kill themselves.
A family history of depression increases the chance of suffering the same by a factor of 11.
Exposure to others who have committed suicide may reduce some of the barriers to people thinking of doing it.
Fortunately, only 1 in every 10 of 25 attempts result in death.
Treating underlying psychiatric disorders can reduce suicidal thoughts.