Suicide: Knowing the Signs and General Dos and Don'ts

We all know what suicide is, but few of us knows how to tell if someone is suicidal, and what to do if someone we love is contemplating suicide. Some seem to think that their loved ones are only at risk if they've had a bad breakup. Most of us have no idea what we should do if we were to find out that a loved one wanted to commit suicide. Call a therapist? Talk it out? Ignore it and hope the problem goes away?

I recently became very aware of how easy it is to overlook or misinterpret the signs of someone contemplating suicide. I also became all-too-aware that I had no idea what to do once I found out. I was led to believe that you just had to keep watch over your loved one and make an appointment with a therapist ASAP.

In the hopes that someone other than a few friends will read this, I have compiled a list of common symptoms of those contemplating suicide, as well as a few general dos and don'ts with dealing with a depressed loved one.

Common symptoms:
-Telling you "I want to kill myself."
-Giving away valued possessions.
-Withdrawing from family and friends.
-Taking unnecessary risks.
-Showing personality changes.
-Acting and looking depressed.
-Losing interest in favorite activities.
-HOPELESSNESS
Keep in mind, especially with adolescents, that these symptoms can be easily misinterpreted. It's common for teens to withdraw, let the grades slip, get moody, and do stupid things. Trust me, I know this all to well, and it's unfair. But life isn't fair. The only thing I can suggest to you is to communicate. Make sure your loved one knows that you're a safe person to talk to. Be loving and supportive.

On that note, here are the promised does and don'ts:

Do:
-Take him/her to the emergency room immediately. They'll have psychiatrists to assess your loved one and determine if he or she is a danger to him or herself, and what kind of treatment he/she needs.
-Be supportive.
-Always be there for him/her, no matter what he/she needs.

DON'T:
-Ignore the problem.
-Make your loved one feel ashamed for being depressed. Usually they can't help it.
-Make an issue about how expensive treatment/medicine/hospital stays are.

I hope at the very least this post gets you to stop and think. Hopefully more than just my "followers" will read this post.