Warning signs
Transcript
JUDY BAILEY
There’s an old story about a frog and boiling water. The way the story goes – if the frog lands in the water while it's boiling, it will jump straight out again. But if it finds itself in cold water and the heat is slowly turned up, it won’t realise the danger, even though the signs of danger are all around.
While there’s no checklist that will say for certain if someone will attempt suicide, there are some visible warning signs which, if observed, should not be ignored.
The following are behaviours that have, in the past, been associated with suicide and suicide attempts.
DR PETER WATSON - SCHOOL OF POPULATION HEALTH, UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND
If someone is interrupted when they had planned to kill themselves, and there was no... and it was completely by accident that they were interrupted, and it was a very lethal means, then that would be the most concerning warning sign. You should be acting immediately around ensuring the safety of that person, which would be about talking to them, about getting help;and the most immediate help, of course, if you can’t... if there’s no one around you, is to call 111 on your mobile phone, or whatever emergency service that you have available in your community.
JUDY BAILEY
Some people may openly threaten to kill themselves, or look for ways to kill themselves.
ELIZA SNELGAR - REGISTERED NURSE, CLINICAL ADVISORY SERVICES AOTEAROA (CASA)
When someone cries out for help, they mean it. They really absolutely do mean it. If they say I’m thinking of hurting myself, they mean it; they could even have the date and the means sorted at that stage. So at that point it’s really important to get them help.
JUDY BAILEY
Sometimes a person may talk about suicide, or make statements about not seeing any point to living.
DR SUNNY COLLINGS - CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO
If a person starts talking more openly about suicide in a way that you think is perhaps unhelpful, not a way that’s around trying to do some problem solving around it, but just more openly talking about their hopelessness; hopelessness is very closely linked to risk of actual suicide. And by hopelessness I mean a sense of futility about the future, that there really is nothing that could happen to make the future any better. So if a person starts talking about feeling hopeless in that sort of way, then that is a cause for concern.
If a person seems to be making plans around maybe farewelling people, or planning what’s going to happen to their stuff, giving away their precious things to people, then those kinds of things are warning signs.
JUDY BAILEY
You may notice sudden changes in behaviour or sleep patterns.
DR PETER WATSON
There are other signs of emotional distress – anger, violence, the use of drugs and alcohol to dull pain or to obliterate one’s self, so one cannot be party to what’s going on around them, rather than just recreational or social use. Withdrawal. Marked lack of enjoyment over activities that previously were enjoyable. Change in relationships with friends. Change in performance at school or work.
JUDY BAILEY
So what should you do if you notice one, or more, of these warning signs? Well the most important thing is to communicate.
MATUA RAWIRI WHAREMATE - CULTURAL ADVISOR, MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION OF NEW ZEALAND
Particularly in New Zealand, because we’re a very, very private people, we see things happening but we won’t get involved; and the reason why we won’t get involved is because it’s almost like we’re interfering in the lives of others. But there’s a difference between interfering with the lives, and interfering with the lives of individuals, and being able to go and divert the lives of the people to safety.
DR PETER WATSON
If it’s assumed to be just attention-seeking, and thereby minimised, I think what it does is it invalidates their emotional distress. It’s saying well I don’t care about your emotional distress, or your emotional distress isn’t real, or it’s not important, or somehow it’s not worthy of, you know, worrying about.
And so I think what that does is it compounds the person’s level of distress, and therefore, you know, it makes any change even more difficult.
JUDY BAILEY
Some of these warning signs on their own may not be a cause for concern, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Check with the person to see how they are, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
DR PETER WATSON
Most people who get into some sort of treatment, or in some sort of therapy, actually don’t commit suicide. And potentially all people, at some level, want... who are suicidal, want things to be different; it’s how do they get helped on that journey. And that journey is possible for everybody.
JUDY BAILEY
If you’re concerned about a loved one, or are yourself feeling depressed or suicidal, there is help available. Visit SPINZ online at www.spinz.org.nz for a list of services in your area that can assist.
