The taking of one’s own life.

 The first step in suicide prevention is to identify and understand the risk factors.

 Feelings of Hopelessness  Loss of motivation and joy  Change in appetite and sleeping  Low self esteem and anxiety

 A loss of any kind ◦ Family ◦ Friend ◦ Girlfriend/boyfriend ◦ Job, etc.

 Drastic change in behavior ◦ Sudden interest or disinterest in religion ◦ No longer cares about appearance ◦ Decline in academic performance ◦ Chronic truancy or tardiness ◦ Running away

 Feelings of isolation and loneliness ◦ Withdraws from friends and family ◦ Difficulty talking about problems

Characteristics of aggression, impulsiveness, extreme sensitivity, or perfectionism ◦ Drug and alcohol abuse ◦ Giving away prized personal possessions ◦ Previous suicide attempts ◦ Talking about death or wanting to kill themselves

Alcohol / drug use  Depression ◦ A medical illness. ◦ Lasts longer than a couple of weeks. ◦ Depression affects the whole body.

 May be caused by genetics, environmental factors, or personality traits.  If chemicals in the brain that regulate how a person thinks, feels and acts, get out of balance, the brain can get “sick” and the result can be clinical depression.

 Extreme sadness  Feeling like crying a lot  Feeling alone  Feeling “empty”  Doesn’t have confidence in self  Feeling guilty  Can’t concentrate  Feeling tired no matter how much you sleep  Feeling helpless  Fog  Feeling miserable inside.

 Ask ◦ If concerned, don’t wait, ask the question ◦ Even if the person if reluctant, be persistent ◦ Talk to the person alone in private ◦ Allow the person to talk freely ◦ Have a resource handy

 “Have you been very happy lately?”  “Have you been so unhappy that you’ve been thinking of ending your life?”

 Listen to the problem with full attention  Remember, suicide is not the problem, it is the perceived insolvable problem  Do not rush judgement  Offer hope of any kind  Help the person recognize any reason for living

 Ask: “Will you go with me to get help?” “Will you let me get you some help?”  Refer ◦ Take the person directly to someone who can help.  Parent, school counselor or nurse, teacher, doctor, personal clergy, local hospital

 What is resiliency?  The skill of being able to adjust to change or recover from misfortune  How can you become more Resilient? ◦ Realize that life has many ups and downs ◦ Realize what things you can control and what things you have no control over ◦ Realize that you cannot escape change

 It is not an event that creates a feeling and a reaction…It is our thinking that determines how we feel and what we do about it.

 Is the emotional level or reaction equal to the situation? (road rage)  Does the feeling match the situation?  You choose how you will react (soccer player attacking referee)  You choose the intensity of the feeling.

 Someone cuts you off in traffic…  Your video game breaks...  Your dog dies…  You don’t get the G.P.A. you want  Someone makes fun of you…  You are being bullied at school…  Your parents separate or get divorced…  A family member dies

 Friend moves away ◦ I think: I will never have another friend ◦ I feel: Sad and lonely ◦ I react: Don’t talk with anyone ◦ How can we change or regulate our thinking? ◦ I think: I will miss my friend, but I will make other friends ◦ I feel: Sad, but I look forward to seeing them again and getting to know other people ◦ I react: I put forth effort to get to know other people.