SOS Signs of Suicide® Some Secrets SHOULD be Shared… 1

Let’s talk for a moment about Adolescent Suicide

Suicide is an adult problem. Myth or Fact? Suicide is an adult problem.

Myth! Fact: Last year, 53 Arizona youth killed themselves & Suicide is an adult problem. Fact: Last year, 53 Arizona youth killed themselves & more than 10,000 made attempts

Talking about suicide may give someone the idea. Myth or Fact? Talking about suicide may give someone the idea.

Talking about suicide may give someone the idea. Myth! Talking about suicide may give someone the idea. Fact: You don’t give a suicidal person morbid ideas by talking about suicide. The opposite is true. Bringing up the subject of suicide and discussing it openly is one of the most helpful things you can do. There is no evidence that screening youth for suicide induces suicidal thinking or behavior.

Myth or Fact? It’s normal for teenagers to be moody; teen don’t suffer from “real” Depression.

Myth! It’s normal for teenagers to be moody; teen don’t suffer from “real” Depression. Fact: Depression can affect people at any age, race, ethnicity, or economic group.

People who talk about suicide won’t really do it. Myth or Fact? People who talk about suicide won’t really do it. You may spend time on the myths as the students provide some of their own or seek clarification to their own myths.

People who talk about suicide won’t really do it. Myth! People who talk about suicide won’t really do it. Fact: Almost everyone who dies by suicide has given some clue or warning. Do not ignore suicide threats. Statements like “you’ll be sorry when I’m dead,” or “I can’t see any way out”, no matter how casually or jokingly said, may indicate serious suicidal feelings.

People who commit suicide are people who were unwilling to seek help. Myth or Fact? People who commit suicide are people who were unwilling to seek help.

People who commit suicide are people who were unwilling to seek help. Myth! People who commit suicide are people who were unwilling to seek help. Fact: Studies of suicide victims have shown that more than half had sought medical help within six months before their deaths.

Myth or Fact? If a person is determined to kill themselves, nothing is going to stop them.

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Myth! If a person is determined to kill themselves, nothing is going to stop them. Fact: Even the most severely depressed person has mixed feelings about death, wavering until the very last moment between wanting to live and wanting to die. Most suicidal people do not want death; they want the pain to stop. The impulse to end it all, however overpowering, does not last forever. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

Arizona has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation. Myth or Fact? Arizona has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation.

Fact! Arizona has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation. Fact: Arizona has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation. * In Arizona, suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in adolescents.*

There’s nothing anyone else can do to help. Myth or Fact? Teens who claim to be depressed are weak and just need to pull themselves together. There’s nothing anyone else can do to help.

Myth! Teens who claim to be depressed are weak and just need to pull themselves together. There’s nothing anyone else can do to help. Fact: Depression is not a weakness, but a serious health disorder. Both young people and adults who are depressed need professional treatment. A trained therapist or counselor can help them learn more positive ways to think about themselves, change behavior, cope with problems, or handle relationship. A physician can prescribe medications to help relieve the symptoms of depression. For many people, a combination of psychotherapy and medication is beneficial.

Depression is more than just “feeling sad.” Myth or Fact? Depression is more than just “feeling sad.”

Fact! Increase or decrease in appetite Problems with sleeping Depression is a period of 2 weeks or longer in which there is either a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure AND at least 4 of the following: Increase or decrease in appetite Problems with sleeping Fatigue or energy loss Feelings of worthlessness or excess guilt Diminished ability to think or concentrate Feelings of sadness, loneliness, despair Low self-esteem and self-reproach Withdrawal from social contact, isolation

Why might teens consider ending their lives? They may be experiencing feelings of hopelessness.

Feelings of hopelessness caused by: Break-ups (friendships, romantic relationships) Being bullied (feeling isolated, rejected or alone) Family problems (marital problems, divorce, abandonment) Sexual, physical or mental abuse Drug or alcohol use, abuse or addiction The death of a loved one School or work problems (stress, poor grades, unrealistic expectations or sense of failure) Feeling like you don't belong anywhere; Feeling abandoned Financial problems (caused by unemployment or reduction of income, losing your home) Mental illness (Including depression or worsening depression)

So what makes some teens choose suicide as a response? Many of you have experienced one or more of these things in the past. Some of you are experiencing several of these things right now. So what makes some teens choose suicide as a response?

SUICIDE: A MULTI-FACTORIAL EVENT Psychological Vulnerability Mental Illness Personality Traits Neurobiology Substance Use/Abuse Impulsiveness Hopelessness Severe Medical Illness Suicide Family History Access To Weapons Psychological Vulnerability Life Stressors Irrational Thinking 24

Why do people commit suicide? Change: suicide is a way to change how the person feels or what is happening in their life at the moment. Choice: to assert or make a choice during circumstances in which there are no choices or important choices are being taken away. Control: the suicidal act is meant to stop the person’s behavior, to control events or to effect some change in others. Self-punishment: suicidal behavior is a means to relieve guilt or punish the person for their actions. Punish Others: the suicidal act is intended to inflict harm or punishment on others. Mental Illness: the act is the result of strange and bizarre beliefs that are caused by a mental illness or a severe medical problem.

What can I do? A – C – T !!

Acknowledge Care Tell How to Tell? Acknowledge that you are seeing the signs of depression or suicide in a friend and that it is serious Care Let your friend know you care about them and that you are concerned that he or she needs help you cannot provide Tell Tell a trusted adult that you are worried about your friend

When to Tell? Who to Tell? Immediately Nurse Counselors Trusted Adult Community Agency School Psychologist School Social Worker Trusted Teacher/Administrator Immediately You are not a fixer, only a provider of resources and an avenue for the resources to be offered to them. Do you have resources you use? Who do you refer to and why and for what?

Some Secrets SHOULD be Shared… SOS Signs of Suicide® 29