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| Suicide Prevention |
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Lisa writes, "There's an epidemic in Idaho that people avoid talking about. September is National Suicide Awareness month and it's never too late to start the conversation. "
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Here are some facts you may not be aware of:
1) Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for adolescents and young children in Idaho.
2) Idaho consistently ranks in the top 10 nationally for completed suicides.
3) In 2010, 290 Idahoans completed suicide.
4) In the United States, an average of one person dies every 15 minutes from suicide.
A survey given to Idaho high school students called the Idaho Youth Risk Behavior Survey found in 2009 over 2000 high school students in 53 public high schools:
- 1 in 4 9th grade females reported seriously considering suicide within the past year.
- 1 in 7 high school students reported seriously considering suicide within the past year.
- Almost 30% of high school students reported that in the past year they had felt so sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more that they lost interest in doing their usual activities.
How do I know this? For the past seven years, I’ve had the privilege to be the facilitator of the Idaho State University’s suicide prevention and gatekeeper training, “Awareness to Action, Youth Suicide Prevention Program.” To date we’ve trained over 9,000 participants to recognize the warning signs and symptoms of suicide and to get people help.
Below is a list of those warning signs.
• Prior suicide attempts
• Talking about, making a plan or threatening to complete suicide
• Giving away prized possessions, making final arrangements, putting affairs in order
• Themes of death or depression in conversation, writing, reading or art
• Recent loss of a friend or family member through death, suicide or divorce and other crises
• Sudden dramatic decline or improvement in schoolwork
• Major mood swings or abrupt personality changes
• Feeling hopeless or trapped
• Seeing no purpose in life or no reason for living, difficulty seeing themselves in the future
• Use or increased use of drugs and/or alcohol
• Chronic headaches and stomach aches, fatigue
• Withdrawal or isolation from friends, family or school activities
• Neglect of personal hygiene
• Taking unnecessary risks or acting reckless
• Loss of interest in favorite activities or hobbies
• Changes in eating habits or sleeping patterns
Over 70 percent of youth do not talk about suicide; they show their pain through these warning signs. Yet, these very signs and symptoms, with the exception of a few, can look just like your typical teenager. What to do? Start the conversation. If you suspect someone you care about is feeling suicidal, ask them directly. "Are you thinking about ending your life?" is a good starting point. It’s a myth that asking someone will prompt them to suicide. Asking someone if they have thoughts of dying gives them permission to talk about their feelings.
If someone answers "yes" you must get them to safety. If they have described a plan, remove any access to their method. Take them to the emergency room if they are actively suicidal. Do not leave them alone. It’s always better to overreact than under react and then regret what might happen to the person you love. Call their doctor or counselor/school counselor or parent. You cannot be sworn to secrecy. Listen, don’t lecture or judge, just know that this person is in a lot of pain. Ask questions; especially find out who are persons of trust in their life. Who has helped them before?
There is always hope, there is always help. As concerned parents, we must stand on the side of hope and we must break the silence. The national suicide prevention hotline 1 800 273 TALK (8255).
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Posted on Sep 29, 2011 10:56am.
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