Usually those that commit suicide don’t want to die. All they want is to end whatever pain they are going through. That is all that go through their head. So they think that the better option is just to end their lives. Before a person who is passing through a lot finally decides to take his or her life, they have showed signs. A person doesn’t just wake up one morning and end their life. I think all these passes through stages. If you are close to a person that is suicidal, you will definitely notice these signs if you are sensitive enough. So, when they talk about suicide, don’t just dismiss it and think it’s an empty threat or their cheap attempt to gain attention.
There are some signs that a person will show and it becomes clear that they are thinking about suicide, if you notice these signs, the best you can do is to get help. In most cases, suicide can be prevented and the best way to prevent it is to stay on alert and recognize the warning signs of suicide and interfere before the person completes the process of self-destruction.
Persons who are lucky to have caring family members and friends who give their support are less likely to commit suicide. But this is not the case of those who are isolated from sources of care and support. So if someone is displaying some signs of suicide, be quick to ask them if they are depressed. Most times, all a suicidal person need to know is that someone cares. So encourage him or her to talk to you or rather you can go ahead and seeks professional help.
It is not difficult to spot suicide warning signs and no, you don’t have to know how serious a person is before you can step in to help them. So the question now is what are the warning signs of suicide? The signs are discussed below;
- THE PERSON BECOMES EXCESSIVELY SAD AND MOODY
A person contemplating suicide suddenly starts having long lasting sadness and mood swings. This minute, he or she is all happy and joyful but within some seconds, the person’s mood has changed. They go cold and moody and you are left wondering what went wrong. Most times, the person is facing depression and it is often a major risk factor for suicide. A suicidal person is capable of going from extreme happiness to sadness to irritability and intense anger. These mood swings could be a sign that they are not stable both emotionally and psychologically.
- THE PERSON WILL SUDDENLY WITHDRAW HIMSELF:
A person considering suicide most times will choose to be alone. He or she will avoid friends and any social activity where they will meet people. If you notice a person who once loved hanging out with friends suddenly withdraw and chooses to be alone, that is a huge sign of depression and shouldn’t be avoided. When a person withdraws from activities and friends, it is obvious that the person is struggling with his thoughts and emotions. Try and reach out even though most times they wouldn’t want to let you in.
- THE PERSON STARTS PUTTING HIS BUSINESS IN ORDER
This is also one of the warning signs of a person that is suicidal. A person considering suicide will most times start putting his or her businesses together. They will start visiting friends and family members that they haven’t visited in a long while, call a lawyer to help write their will if they have properties, give away their possessions as gifts to people because they don’t think they will need them anymore. Some even go as far as writing a suicide note. In some cases, the person will clean up his or her room and keep everything in order. If you notice someone displaying the sign above, the best you can do is to reach out. Don’t just wave it aside.
- THE PERSON STOPS PAYING ATTENTION TO HIS APPEARANCE:
A suicidal person most times stops paying attention to his appearance; he doesn’t give a damn about how he looks. He doesn’t bother taking his bath or brushing his teeth or combing his hair. He doesn’t even care if his clothes are dirty. He or she totally neglects personal hygiene because they are more focused on survival rather than appearance. To them, nothing interests them anymore; looking good ceases to be their priority and they don’t even care what other people think or say about them. They are too miserable, exhausted and emotionally and psychologically messed up to care about how they look. So if you notice someone who once made their appearance their priority lose interest in looking good, just know that something is definitely wrong and try to reach out to the person.
- THE PERSON BECOMES PREOCUCUPIED WITH DEATH:
Another sign that can be displayed by someone who is suicidal is that the person becomes very much preoccupied with death. He or she focuses on death that all they can do all day is to talk about it. They dwell on the topic so much and most times they can go as far as making research on way to kill themselves wither by a gun, knife or pills. Someone considering suicide has the tendency of always making statements like, “This life isn’t worth living anymore”, “I think everyone will be better off without me”, “I can’t deal with this life again”, “This life is too fucked up, I can’t wait to leave”, “I wish I can just disappear from this world”. When someone makes these kinds of statements, they should be taken seriously even though the person has said it multiple times over several years. Don’t just shrug it off and think they are looking for attention. Most times, they are not. In other words, every threat to commit suicide should be taken seriously no matter how harmless, exaggerated or overly dramatic it appears to be.
- THEY DWELL ON DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
A person considering suicide most times start dwelling on drugs and alcohol because in a way it helps them ward away that depressive feeling. At that point, they are too overwhelmed with the crisis happening in their life; they either feel too anxious, agitated, or distressed and in order to feel calmer, they turn to drugs and alcohol for relief. They take all these substances to numb themselves and make themselves feel better. In other words, these substances serve as a huge relief from whatever crisis they are going through. So if it happens that someone who hasn’t been using drugs or alcohol suddenly turns around and starts using it often, you should know that something is wrong and try to reach out. Don’t just sit back and watch. When a person who is already emotionally and psychologically messed up starts taking much drugs and alcohol, it is like adding salt to injury because it will definitely make him to do something very fatal.
- THEY START FEELING LIKE THEY ARE A BURDEN TO PEOPLE AROUND THEM;
Someone who is suicidal usually gets to the point where he or she starts considering himself to be a burden to people around. They start felling like a failure and most times they go ahead making statements like, “Everyone will be better off without me”. Times without number, I have read stories online about how young people take their lives because they think they are not reaching the standards set by their family. Personally, I have this distant friend of mine that committed suicide and from the suicide note he dropped, he apologized to his parents for not being the kind of son they wanted him to be and because they complained a lot, he felt he was a burden to his family and decided to end it all. Someone who was close to him revealed that he before his death, he was always saying stuffs like, “I am tired of listening to my parents’ complaints, I think they will be better off without me”. His friend who obviously thought it was just a mere statement didn’t take him serious. Few weeks later, his body was found in his room hanging on the ceiling fan.
- NOTHING INTERESTS THEM ANYMORE:
Another warning sign that can be displayed by someone considering suicide is that, he or she suddenly feels so depressed that nothing feels good or is interesting to them anymore. To them, everything is hard, exhausting and feels for bland. They let their accomplishments and achievements go away because they are more focused on their pain. They think it is pointless celebrating their accomplishments. They don’t even have the energy to put more effort in their work; they don’t find pleasure in them and all they want to do is to end it all.
In conclusion, most people considering suicide are in a way responding to real life issues that appear to them as insurmountable. Issues like social humiliation, relationship breakups, joblessness, homelessness are enough to drive a person to commit suicide. But before the take the final step, they usually display the above signs. It is now left for us to be quick in detecting the signs and step in immediately.
