1. Preventing Suicide
Increasing awareness

2. What's going on?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people between the ages of 10 and 24.
Suicide attempts are usually made when a person is seriously depressed or upset. A person who is feeling suicidal may see no other way out of problems, no other escape from emotional pain, or no other way to communicate their desperate unhappiness. * The majority of suicide attempts and suicide deaths happen among teens with depression.
Sometimes teens who feel or act suicidal mean to die and sometimes they don't. * Sometimes a suicide attempt is a way to express the deep emotional pain they're feeling in hopes that someone will get the message they are trying to communicate

3. What's going on?
Using a suicide attempt to get someone's attention or love or to punish someone for hurt they've caused is never a good idea. People usually don't really get the message, and it often backfires on the person.
It's better to learn other ways to get what you need and deserve from people. There are always people who will value, respect, and love you - sure, sometimes it takes time to find them - but it is important to value, respect, and love yourself, too.

4. Facts and Myths
Talking to someone about suicide may give him or her the idea.
False. A person who is experiencing a traumatic loss, emotional crisis or mental illness is already depressed and may already be having self-destructive thoughts or practicing life-threatening behavior. Talking to them about these thoughts and feelings creates an immediate connection that grounds them and provides them with an outlet for their fears and other emotions.

5. Facts and Myths
Anyone who tries to kill him or herself is irrational or insane.
False. Most people have fairly understandable reasons and/or life circumstances that contribute to their reason for feeling suicidal. They may be upset, grief-stricken, depressed or despairing, responding to a trauma or overwhelming circumstances, etc., which does not necessarily mean they are irrational or experiencing a mental illness.

6. Facts and Myths
The majority of people who commit suicide are uneducated and impoverished.
False. In the United States the largest number of suicides are committed by middle-age and older middle-age Caucasian males which, according to the US Census have the highest level of education and the largest earning potential in our society.

7. Facts and Myths
People who talk about suicide don’t usually do it, they just want attention.
False. According to research, as many as 75% of the people who commit suicide do or say something to indicate their state of mind and intentions before they act. If a person has to go to the extreme of threatening to do his or herself bodily harm or commit suicide, it is not that he or she wants attention, they need it!

8. Facts and Myths
Teens who have ways to cope with difficult or troublesome feelings are less likely to commit suicide.
Fact. Everyone has a tough times or experiences difficult feelings that can cause stress or pressure. But people who know ways to help handle or cope with strong feelings are more likely to bounce back and stay balanced as they navigate the ups and downs of life. This makes them much less likely to harm themselves because they know that they can move through the difficult feelings and feel good again.

9. Facts and Myths
If someone is determined to take his or her own life there is nothing you or I can do about it.
False. Suicide is an ambivalent act with anywhere from 20 to 100 attempts (depending on age, sex and other circumstances) for every completion. Most people who attempt suicide do not want to die, they want their pain to stop, and that can lead to self-destructive and life- threatening acts. The vast majority of people who call suicide hotlines who have already taken a potentially lethal action, change their minds as their situation deteriorates, ultimately asking for help.

10. Facts and Myths
There are usually warning signs that someone is thinking about suicide
Fact. Most people will sow warning signs of their intention to hurt themselves.

11. Risk Factors Depression and other mental disorders
Substance-abuse (often in combination with other mental disorders)
Prior suicide attempt
Family history of suicide
Family violence including physical or sexual abuse
Firearms in the home
Incarceration
Exposure to suicidal behavior of others, such as family members or peers

12. Warning Signs
There are often signs that someone may be thinking about or planning a suicide attempt. Here are some of them:
talking about suicide or death in general
talking about "going away"
referring to things they "won't be needing," and giving away possessions
talking about feeling hopeless or feeling guilty
pulling away from friends or family and losing the desire to go out
having no desire to take part in favorite things or activities
having trouble concentrating or thinking clearly
experiencing changes in eating or sleeping habits
engaging in self-destructive behavior (drinking alcohol, taking drugs, or cutting, for example)

13. Warning Signs in Details
Behavior
Talk
A person’s suicide risk is greater if a behavior is new or has increased, especially if it’s related to a painful event, loss, or change.
Increased use of alcohol or drugs.
Looking for a way to kill themselves, such as searching online for materials or means.
Acting recklessly.
Withdrawing from activities.
Isolating from family and friends.
Sleeping too much or too little.
Visiting or calling people to say goodbye.
Giving away prized possessions.
Aggression.
If a person talks about:
Killing themselves.
Having no reason to live.
Being a burden to others.
Feeling trapped.
Unbearable pain.

14. Warning Signs in Details
Mood
People who are considering suicide often display one or more of the following moods.
Depression.
Loss of interest.
Rage.
Irritability.
Humiliation.
Anxiety.

15. When things become overwhelming
When struggling with problems or if life becomes overwhelming, it helps to:
Tell someone you trust what's going on with you.
Be around people who are caring and positive.
Ask someone to help you figure out what to do about a problem you're facing.
Work with a therapist or counselor if problems are getting you down and depressed — or if you don't have a strong support network or feel you can't cope.

16. If you have ever felt suicidal
If you have been thinking about suicide, get help right away, rather than simply hoping your mood might improve. When a person has been feeling down for so long, it's hard for him to understand that suicide isn't the answer - it's a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Talk to anyone you know as soon as you can - a friend, a coach, a relative, a school counselor, a religious leader, a teacher, or any trusted adult.

17. What to do if its someone you know
If you have a friend or classmate who you think is considering suicide, get help right away rather than waiting to see if he will feel better. Even if your friend or classmate swears you to secrecy, you must get help as soon as possible - your friend's life could depend on it. A person who is seriously thinking about suicide is depressed - and isn't able to see that suicide is never the answer to his problems.

18. Hotlines Suicide hotline 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
Samaritans 24-Hour Crisis Hotline (212)
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline TALK (8255)
911

19. Paper Folds On each of the Flaps write answer the following
What are the signs
The 4 steps one should follow when talking to someone who might be suicidal
What not to say
Where to get help
Fill in the middle with facts about suicide or risk factors
ntable.org/