Suicide Prevention: Recognize the Warning Signs and Save Lives 🚨

According to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ... in 2020, suicide was the cause of death for close to 46,000 people in the U.S.
Medical professionals say that recognizing the signs of a person who may be considering suicide is complex.
"You can look back in time, when someone’s made an attempt or has died, and go, ‘Oh, look at all these things that were going on in their life.’ The difficulty is that a lot of people handle or experience those types of stressors as well but never go on to [attempt suicide]. However, professionals say that those who are considering suicide often exhibit behavioral changes. A lot of times people need to kind of work up to that actual making an attempt because it’s a biologic thing you have to go against, your own survival." Justin Baker, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, via CNN
Some signs that a person is considering suicide may include unusual behaviors concerning pills or guns.
Letting go of belongings, unusual sleep patterns, isolation and expressions of anger are also potential signs.
Health professionals say that if a person mentions a desire to die in conversation, it should always be taken seriously.
"If someone is struggling to come up with a reason for living, that’s a much higher-risk person than someone who’s even able to identify one [reason]. In addition, professionals recommend talking to loved ones who exhibit signs they might be considering suicide and offering to help them connect with professionals. We are no better able to predict who will die by suicide than who will be in a car accident." Justin Baker, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, via CNN.
"This does not help to alleviate the grief or pain for those who have lost loved ones to suicide, but hopefully it helps remove some of the guilt and responsibility." Justin Baker, Ohio State University
Wexner Medical Center, via CNN