Suicide

The tragic results from suicide have taken the lives of someone in every age group, all races, both sexes, and every income bracket. In the United States suicide hit an all time high in 1932, during the last phases of the Depression, and in recent years has climbed to alarming proportions. Suicide has consistently been one of the leading causes of death for most of this century, especially among the elderly and teenagers.

Causes

People in danger of acting on suicidal thoughts are usually under a great deal of stress stemming from experiences like the loss of a spouse or loved one through divorce, separation or death; failure in school; losing a job; or suffering a humiliating incident. They begin to feel the stress will never let up and, as a result, suffer from a strong sense of depression or anxiety. Eventually, suicidal persons feel there is no reason to go on living, without proper intervention they end up taking their own lives

Warning Signs

When someone may be thinking of killing himself, there are a number of possible warning signs including the following:

• Giving away prized possessions.
• Talk that suggests the person has developed a detailed plan to kill himself such as buying a lethal weapon (a knife, gun, rope or poison), jumping from a high place, or collecting pills.
• Loss of interest in usual activities.
• Trouble sleeping at night, waking early in the morning or a constant tired feeling during the day.
• Poor school work for no explainable reason.

Recommended Course of Treatment

If you think someone close to you may be thinking of killing himself, immediately contact Serenity Mental Health Services. If you are unable to reach a counselor or if the person is on the verge of acting on an impulse to take his/her own life, call 911 or your local law enforcement agency or the National Suicide Prevention Hot Line below.