“We can all help prevent suicide. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255).”
September is national suicide prevention month. Sadly, it can be difficult for a person who suffers with suicidal thoughts to ask for help and hard for loved ones to detect. There is no shame in reaching out when feeling unbearable pain and despair. Even people who appear happy, are wealthy, and in good health are not immune to suicidal thoughts.
The recent deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain brought a lot of attention to suicide prevention and revealed that no one is safe from suicide, even highly accomplished and successful people. For those who have clinical depression, the tug toward suicide can feel amped up by this kind of news.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report shows an increase in suicides throughout the U.S. over the past decade, and states that 54 percent of the suicides reviewed did not have a mental health issue. “Instead, these folks were suffering from other issues, such as relationship problems, substance misuse, physical health problems, job or financial problems, and recent crises or things that were coming up in their lives that they were anticipating,” said Deborah Stone, a behavior scientist at the CDC and the lead author of the new study.
We can all take action to prevent suicide. According to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, “Evidence shows that providing support services, talking about suicide, reducing access to means of self-harm and following up with loved ones are just some of the actions we can all take to help others.”
Knowing some of the warning signs of suicidal thoughts can help. Here are some of the risk factors to look for if you suspect a loved one is suicidal:
- Talking about wanting to die
- Buying a gun
- Talking about feeling hopeless
- Feeling unbearable pain
- Feeling like a burden
- Substance abuse
- Acting anxious
- Disruptive sleep patterns
- Isolation
While not everyone with suicidal tendencies suffers from mental illness, many do. Mental illness often coexists with a substance use disorder or addiction. Cypress Lake Recovery specializes in treating dual diagnosis. If you or a loved one struggles with addiction and a co-occurring mental health condition, get help today.
Cypress Lake Recovery specializes in addiction treatment and encompasses holistic addiction therapy for the mind, body, and soul. The focus is on physical, mental, and emotional well-being by generating the balance of life-enriching treatment, wellness, and healthy, sober, sustainable relationships. Call us to get started: 409-331-2204
