Touch of Nature Environmental Center recently issued the following announcement.
With the high-profile suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain making headlines this week, talk of suicide is dominating conversations all over the country.
But what if you’re in danger of having suicidal thoughts? What can you do?
There are myriad resources at your disposal. Tisha Bayless, a licensed clinical professional counselor with Memorial Behavioral Health, and Kari Wolf, a doctor and chair of psychiatry at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, talked about those resources and how to find them.
I’m in immediate danger. What do I do?
If you’re in immediate danger of suicidal thoughts, the biggest priority is making sure you’re safe. There are several options for this:
• Reach out and talk to someone. Call family and friends, or call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, 1-800-273-8255. Most times the hotline is manned by volunteers who can connect you to local resources.
• Call 911. First responders will make sure you’re safe and take you to a hospital if needed.
• Go to the emergency room. There are mental health professionals who can help you.
I’m not in immediate danger, but I’m depressed or having suicidal thoughts.
If you’re having suicidal thoughts, you can reach out for help. Bayless says it’s important to talk to someone, whether they’re a professional or in your support network, like a friend or a family member
“Talk to anyone who is supportive,” Bayless said. “Even if they let you down. they’re not the only person around. There’s always other people available.”
You can also reach out to your primary care doctor or a religious leader. Wolf says these people deal with depressive symptoms often, and a doctor can help decide if medication or therapy or both are needed for treatment.
“Those are all good ways to get help and start treating whatever the underlying condition is,” Wolf said.
Someone close to me is going through some trouble. How can I help them?
Bayless said there are some signs to watch out for if a loved one is going through some difficulty. Be on the lookout for:
• Increased use of drugs or alcohol
• A change in sleeping habits, whether it’s not sleeping at all or sleeping a lot
• Giving away possessions, or if exchanges with this person feel like they’re saying goodbye or wrapping up things in their lives
• Decreased interest in life
If you’re worried about someone, it’s important not to take a judgmental tone when you talk to them. Wolf said many of her patients have said that when they turn to family and friends, their advice is simply to snap out of it.
“If someone comes forward to you, recognize that it is an illness and it is beyond their control,” Wolf said. “It is an illness.”
If your loved one reaches out to you, do all you can to help them but also enlist the help of a professional.
“Do something to help ensure that person’s safety,” Wolf said. “I think being there for that person, is important, but you should recognize you can’t solve the problem on their own.”
Original source can be found here.
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