SOS Signs of Suicide®

Some Secrets SHOULD be Shared…

Let’s talk for a moment about

Adolescent Suicide

Myth or Fact?

Suicide is an adult problem.

Myth!Suicide is an adult problem.

Fact:Last year,

53 Arizona youth killed themselves

& more than 10,000 made

attempts

Myth or Fact?

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.

Myth or Fact?

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.

Myth or Fact?

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.

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.

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.*

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.

Myth or Fact?

Depression is more than just “feeling sad.”

Fact! 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 appetiteProblems with sleepingFatigue or energy lossFeelings of worthlessness or excess

guiltDiminished ability to think or

concentrateFeelings of sadness, loneliness, despairLow self-esteem and self-reproachWithdrawal 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 abuseDrug or alcohol use, abuse or addictionThe death of a loved oneSchool or work problems (stress, poor grades,

unrealistic expectations or sense of failure)Feeling like you don't belong anywhere; Feeling

abandonedFinancial problems (caused by unemployment or

reduction of income, losing your home)Mental illness (Including depression or worsening

depression)

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

Neurobiology

Severe MedicalIllness

Impulsiveness

Access To Weapons

Hopelessness

Life Stressors

Family History

Irrational Thinking

Personality Traits

Mental Illness

Psychological Vulnerability

Substance Use/Abuse

Suicide

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 !!

How to Tell?

AcknowledgeAcknowledge that you are seeing the signs of depression or suicide in a friend and that it is serious

CareLet your friend know you care about them and that you are concerned that he or she needs help you cannot provide

TellTell a trusted adult that you are worried about your

friend

When to Tell? Who to Tell?

ImmediatelyNurseCounselorsTrusted AdultCommunity AgencySchool PsychologistSchool Social WorkerTrusted

Teacher/Administrator

Some Secrets SHOULD be Shared…

SOS Signs of Suicide®