Would You Recognize The Signs That Someone May Be Contemplating Suicide?

Years ago my father’s roommate committed suicide in his bedroom. The signs were clear but my father had no idea. The roommate woke up one morning and mowed the yard, cleaned the house, he returned everything he had borrowed including money owed. He then went to his bedroom and didn’t come out for hours. For reasons unknown to me my father went to check on his gun and it was missing. He knocked on the door repeatedly with no answer. Growing concerned he called the police, the moment the police breached the door the gun went off.

Being familiar with the signs that someone may be in a mental health crisis may save their life, the key is understanding the signs and knowing how to approach the conversations. This is not an easy task and often you will not be let in. That should not stop us from trying. This is a very fragile time and it takes great empathy, patience, and understanding to help someone in crisis. This is not a short-term, wham-bang fix and doesn’t involve your ego.

These are warning signs shared by The National Institute of  Mental Health.

In the post How To Start A Conversation About Suicide, Jeremy Forbes has done a great job in his TED Talk video, check it out.

I hope you or someone you care about doesn’t ever reach the point of planning suicide, please reach out or be the person who tries hard to help.

Melinda