Are You Listening?

Today. I. Talk. About. Suicide. Stop whining (and eat your damn vegetables). Remember that I'm going to write in a rather non-serious way. Not because suicide is a mild subject, but because I can't type if I'm crying my eyes out.

Let's start with some basic stuff, basic info, basic need-to-know, basic yeah....

Suicide is the act of killing oneself or putting oneself in a situation that would result in their death on purpose.

Finding consistent stats on suicide is pretty difficult. According to one site, there is 1 suicide committed for every 4 suicide attempts. And there are tons of suicide attempts. Guys are most likely to die than women from attempted suicide, simply because they tend to pick guns while chicks prefer pills. Let's just say it's a number bigger than what you imagine. It could be anybody.

So, can you tell if somebody is suicidal or may be having suicidal thoughts?

Yeah, actually. Suicidal people typically don't want to kill themselves. Unless they have a more specific, understandable reason, like a terminal illness.
There are usually signs that point out that a person may be suicidal. Like they are giving their stuff away, or talking about suicide, even just joking about it may raise a red flag. A sudden change in behavior can also be a red flag. The person might suddenly be very calm after a period of depression. They might not be interested in the things they used to enjoy. Usually, if you know the person well enough, you can feel the red flags going off. Like suddenly something's not right but you deny it, you know? Self-destructive behaviors tend to end up in suicide attempts sometimes too.

 
Well, what if someone you know might be suicidal? What do you do?



You ask. No, it will not make them suicidal or push them over the edge if they are. You should seriously just ask. Like straight-out "Are you suicidal?" "Are you cutting yourself?" "Are you having suicidal thoughts?" Asking gives the person to actually talk about it, and not act out on their suicidal thoughts. And BTW "So, how are you" doesn't count as asking, simply because "fine" will almost always be the answer. JUST ASK. I wish people asked me. I have so many issues with talking about my feelings, it's not even shyness or anything. I suppose I just grew up with a distrusting heart. Just ask. Be there. Don't judge. Bring chocolate. And a blanket. (so, maybe those last two are irrelevant... but still, it wouldn't hurt)

Is there a cause for suicidal thoughts?

Well, typically suicidal people want to get away from something, like a problem, for instance. Or they just don't know what else to do. They might feel lonely, worthless, depressed, and/or meaningless. Maybe they've been abused in some way, bullied, or a loved one died, or even committed suicide. They might have experienced some type of trauma, broken up with somebody, or their addicted to drugs or alcohol. There are many reasons and to why somebody might be suicidal. They could even have a mental illness, like Borderline Personality Disorder or Bipolar. If they're GLBTQ then maybe they are getting fed up with the hate they homophobes and whatnot are radiating.

So, what should you get out of this? Well, for one, set down your phone, pause that video, stop talking at 200 mph, close your laptop/turn off your screen, and listen. Listen.

Silence is suicide.