Invisible Illness Spotlight: Suicide

There is no single cause to suicide. It most often occurs when stressors exceed current coping abilities of someone suffering from a mental health condition.

Risk Factors and Warning Signs: 

What leads to suicide?

There’s no single cause for suicide. Suicide most often occurs when stressors and health issues converge to create an experience of hopelessness and despair. Depression is the most common condition associated with suicide, and it is often undiagnosed or untreated. Conditions like depression, anxiety and substance problems, especially when unaddressed, increase risk for suicide. Yet it’s important to note that most people who actively manage their mental health conditions go on to engage in life.

Suicide Warning Signs:

Something to look out for when concerned that a person may be suicidal is a change in behavior or the presence of entirely new behaviors. This is of sharpest concern if the new or changed behavior is related to a painful event, loss, or change. Most people who take their lives exhibit one or more warning signs, either through what they say or what they do.

Talk:

If a person talks about:

Killing themselves

Feeling hopeless

Having no reason to live

Being a burden to others

Feeling trapped

Unbearable pain

Behavior:

Behaviors that may signal risk, especially if related to a painful event, loss or change:

Increased use of alcohol or drugs

Looking for a way to end their lives, such as searching online for methods

Withdrawing from activities

Isolating from family and friends

Sleeping too much or too little

Visiting or calling people to say goodbye

Giving away prized possessions

Aggression

Fatigue

Mood:

People who are considering suicide often display one or more of the following moods:

Depression

Anxiety

Loss of interest

Irritability

Humiliation/Shame

Agitation/Anger

Relief/Sudden Improvement

Suicide Risk Factors:

Risk factors are characteristics or conditions that increase the chance that a person may try to take their life.

Health Factors:

Mental health conditions

Depression

Substance use problems

Bipolar disorder

Schizophrenia

Personality traits of aggression, mood changes and poor relationships

Conduct disorder

Anxiety disorders

Serious physical health conditions including pain

Traumatic brain injury

Environmental Factors:

Access to lethal means including firearms and drugs

Prolonged stress, such as harassment, bullying, relationship problems or unemployment

Stressful life events, like rejection, divorce, financial crisis, other life transitions or loss

Exposure to another person’s suicide, or to graphic or sensationalized accounts of suicide

Historical Factors:

Previous suicide attempts

Family history of suicide

Childhood abuse, neglect or trauma

All info from: https://afsp.org/about-suicide/