"Suicide is not chosen; it happens when pain exceeds resources for coping with pain."

Have you ever thought about suicide? Why were you thinking of it? Were you having problems at home? With friends? With a girlfriend or boyfriend? Pain that was becoming too much for you? Were you depressed? Are you involved with drugs or alcohol? Are you pregnany or your girlfriend pregnant? These thing are only a few possibilities out of thousands of things that could be the cause of suicide or thoughts of suicide.

If your friend or family memeber is thinking of suicide, consider the following signs:

*withdrawal or isolation, especially if he/she is always outgoing.
**signs of self-mutilation
***Violent behavior (ex.: punching holes in walls, getting into fights, self-destructive violence)
****a consistent pattern of running away from home
*****a significant change in sleeping patterns: suddenly sleeps all the time or does not sleep at all
******Neglect of personal appearance
*******lingering (a drop of grades in school, lost of interest in sports)
********loss of interest in recreational activities
*******lack of interest in praise or rewards
******weepiness; abrupt or constant crying
*****expressions of low self-esteem; feelings of worthlessness
****actions that reflect sudden interest in giving important or favorite possessions away, putting his/her affairs in order, making amends and saying good-bye.
***sudden and unaccountable cheerfulness, sense of relief after an extended period of depression.
**an abrupt change of personality, dress, style, interest, friends, etc.
*alcohol or other drug use

If you don't see any of these signs or if you do, ask yourself and/or him/her these questions:
*Has he/she withdrawn from people he/she used to feel close to?
**Is he/she rebelling in an unexplainable and severe way?
***Is he/she writing notes/poems about death?
**Has he/she attempted suicide before?
*Has he/she thought about suicide before?

The people who are at the greatest risk for committing suicide are those who:
*have a family history of suicide
**have a firearm in their home
***consume alcohol and/or abuse other substances
****are depressed
*****have experienced violence (physical, sexual, domestic or child abouse)
******are experiencing unusually stress due to adverse life events(ex.: divorce or seperation)
******have spend time in jail or prison
****have a medical condition
***move frequently from one location to another
**experienced poor parent/child communication
*feel socially isolated

If you are having suicidal thoughts you are NOT a bad person, or crazy, or weak, or flawed because you are thinking about suicide. You can sruvive suicidal feelings if you can do one of two things: (1) find a way to get rid of the thoughts and what caused the thoughts, or (2) find a way to increase your coping abilities.

If you have a friend who is considering suicide there are eight things that you can do to help your friend:
1-take any suicidal threats seriously
2-remember: sucidal behavior is a cry for help. Part of the person wants to live and part of the person wants to die.
3-be willing to give and get help sooner rather than later. Helping a friend who is suicidal is a here and now activity.
4-Listen to the person. Give the person every opportunity to uburden his/her troubles and ventilate his/her feelings.
5-ASK: "Are you having thoughs of suicide?" If you ask the suicidal person this you are showing you care about him/her, you are taking him/her seriously and that you are willing to let him/her share his pain with you.
6-Urge professional help!
7-If the person actually is suicidal, do NOT leave him/her alone!!!
8- Keep NO secrets!!

If you are considering suicide, think about these five things:
1-Hear that people do get through rouch times--even people who feel as badly as you feel.
2-Give yourself time--say to yourself "I'll wait 24 hours before I do anything."
3-People often turn to suicide because they are seeking relief from something they can't handle. Remember that relief is a FEELING, and you have to be ALIVE to feel it. You will not feel the relief you so desperately seek, if you are dead.
4-Some people WILL react badly to your suicidal feelings, either because they are scared or angry; they may actually increase your pain instead of helping you.
5-Suicidal feelings are, in themselves, traumatic. After they subside, you need to care for yourself.

FACTS:
**Most suicides occur in or near the home
**Nearly 5,000 teens commit suicide a year
**There are 30 to 50 times the number of attempted suicides
**No one is immune to suicide.

REMEMBER: Suicide is NOT the answer!