If you or someone you know exhibits several of the suicide warning signs listed below, immediate action is required:

· Appearing depressed or sad most of the time. (Untreated depression is the number one cause for suicide.)
· Feeling hopeless.
· Expressing hopelessness.
· Withdrawing from family and friends.
· Sleeping too much or too little.
· Feeling tired most of the time.
· Gaining or losing a significant amount of weight.

Making statements such as these:
· "I can't go on any longer."
· "I hate this life."
· "There's no point to this stupid life."
· "Everyone would be better off without me."
· "Life is not worth living."
· "Nothing matters anymore."
· "I don't care about anything anymore."
· "I want to die."

--And any mention of suicide--
· Writing notes or poems about suicide or death.
· Acting compulsively.
· Losing interest in most activities.
· Giving away prized possessions.
· Writing a will.
· No sense of humor.
· Facing a perceived "humiliating" situation.
· Facing a perceived "failure."
· Feeling excessive guilt or shame.
· Acting irrationally.
· Being preoccupied with death or dying.
· Behaving recklessly.
· Irritability
· Frequently complaining about headaches, stomachaches, etc.
· Neglecting personal appearance.
· A dramatic change in personal appearance.
· A dramatic change in personality.
· Performing poorly at work or in school.
· Abusing alcohol or drugs.
· Inability to concentrate.

It should be noted that some people who die by suicide do not show any suicide warning signs. Many people hide their depression because there is still a strong social stigma against mental illness. Also, many people believe that they will be perceived as weak, so they also hide their depression.

But most people do show suicide warning signs, so we need to be aware of what the suicide warning signs are, and try to spot them in people. If we do see someone exhibiting suicide warning signs, we need to do everything that we can to help them.

If you or someone you know exhibits several of the suicide warning signs listed above, immediate action is required; so please read the information on the home page of this website and take action.

Source From: http://preventsuicidenow.com/suicide-warning-signs.html

© 2005 By Afro Staff