Suicide Awareness: What you should know

September is the month of National Suicide Awareness. Suicide is an extremely serious and important subject, I'm beyond grateful for the opportunity to spread awareness about it. The use of this article is to inform you about all the things you need to know regarding suicide. Whether you are a parent or a child.

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For Parents

Let's be honest, parents don't always know how to be there for their kids in the way they need. Because of that, most kids won't even tell their parents when they need help, but the 11th leading cause of death in people ages 15-24 is suicide. Try not to yell at them all the time. Pay attention to the way they're acting, talking, and their body language, do you notice anything different about them? Pay attention even when you think you don't have to. Be sure that you listen, and don't forget to let your kids know that you're there for them. One thing that I know for sure, is that it's not easy to admit when you need help. Just getting to the point of being able to not only tell people you're close to but yourself as well, that you need help is extremely difficult and takes courage. If or when your kid is telling you about what they've been going through, understand that they've most likely been going through this for longer than you know. Be patient, and listen to your tone of voice, ask them what they need, and just be attentive.

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Signs to look out for:

1. Wearing long sleeves year-round: Yes, people might wear these to prevent getting bit by mosquitos or to keep warm, but many people who self-harm wear long-sleeved shirts for many different reasons. Some of these would be fear of judgment, shame of their actions, or trouble with receiving help. But remember that self-harm isn't just in the arms, so don't fully rely on this fact.

2. Unpredictable mood swings: Trouble controlling their impulses could be another thing leading them to self-harm. Some examples would be getting agitated often, breakdowns caused by little things, or being easily offended.

3. Making jokes about self-harm: Often times when people do this, they're most likely being serious but masking it behind a laugh.

4. Becoming distant: People who self-harm will often isolate themselves from family and friends, but they won't just put their social life on pause. They'll be unmotivated to do "normal" things like school work, their job, cleaning their room, doing their laundry, taking showers, getting out of bed, leaving the house, and a lot more.

5. Strange sleep patterns: It's usually stress or restlessness from personal problems that will keep them up at night. That will then lead to longer periods of time without sleep.

6. Low energy: People with depression are often seen with low energy levels, which can sometimes be linked with suicidal thoughts. Low energy levels can be a result of those strange sleep patterns as well as the lack of motivation to do activities that would make them feel better.

7. Drugs or alcohol abuse: When someone doesn't know what to do or how to "fix" themselves, they'll often go to drugs and/or alcohol thinking it'll help. We all know that it actually does the opposite, but when you're completely lost in the head, anything that seems like it'll help, you'll take. It's often used as a way to escape their problems. Or in some cases, someone might want to worsen their burdens. It's not rare that when someone is depressed, they'll feel alone and unworthy. They might feel deserving of the pain they're feeling. So taking that into effect, they indulge in drug and alcohol abuse as a way to feel proud of making themselves feel worse. So in contrast, they'll use it as a way to magnify their problems.

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DISCLAIMER: This article is for informational purposes only and none of these points should be used to self-diagnose. If you feel like you or someone you know can relate to any of the information given, there are many sources linked below.

Sources:

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Open 24hrs, English & Spanish. Or go to 988lifeline.org.

• Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the United States, anytime. Crisis Text Line is here for any crisis. A live, trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds.

• To locate treatment facilities or providers, visit FindTreatment.gov or call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357).

• Visit https://www.vibrant.org/ for help or to donate.