Many people have a fleeting thought, or might even mutter at times that they wish they were dead. For others, suicidal thoughts are frequent and intense, and the struggle to not act on those thoughts takes every last bit of energy.
In 2016, suicide became the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 54 (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017).
If you have a loved one who expresses a wish to die, or a wish to "go to sleep and never wake up" try to assess their safety using the C-SSRS questionnaire:
* Have they actually had any thoughts of killing themselves in the past month?
* Do they have a method of how they might do it?
* Do they have an intent on acting on those thoughts?
* Did they start doing anything to prepare to end their life?
(you can learn more about the C-SSRS assessment tool here)
If you perceive your loved one to be in any immediate danger, take them to the nearest emergency room or call 911. Consider how to remove threats such as gun, knives, pills, bleach and other chemicals. If they do not have an intent or a method in mind, strongly encourage them to seek professional help as soon as possible.
CALL A HOTLINE:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline -
Call 800-273-8255 or Chat with Lifeline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/
Crisis Text-line - Text TALK to 741741
NAMI Helpline at 212-684-3264 or helpline@naminyc.org