Suicides claim the lives of thousands of people each year, which can be saved if we know symptoms of suicidal tendencies in people. Explore suicide warning signs in teens & adults.

Suicide Warning Signs In Teens & Adults

The Indian media has widely publicized the many suicides that have rocked Mumbai city. These were reports of young children who have taken their lives due to being unable to cope up with the pressure they face each day. Apart from these children, there are many adults too who take their lives for some reason. For some, it is the inability to cope with stress or mental agony. With others, suicides are the result of emotional or mental illness, which gets out of hand. In fact, it is reported that India is among the countries with the most number of suicides! As far as the Western world is concerned, the figures are no better. Statistics of the whole world show that approximately 20 million people attempt suicide each year. Not all of these attempts are successful. However, those who survive a suicide attempt rarely recover from the trauma of the act in itself. Suicide is a devastating reality, and has increased over 300% in the last decade worldwide. You can help prevent suicide as well as attempts to commit suicide by watching out for some warning signs. If you feel that someone is thinking of killing themselves, do not hesitate to ask them. You will not be putting ideas into their head because if you think that they are thinking of it, then the idea is already there. Be alert, therefore, to identify potential suicide victims, and thus save lives.
 
Symptoms Of Suicidal Tendencies Teenagers & Adults
  • Drastic changes in mood or behavior.
  • Extreme and unusual anger.
  • Sudden withdrawal from society.
  • Complete apathy towards others or things that might have concerned the person earlier.
  • Changes in eating or sleeping habits.
  • Illnesses that occur without cause and which cannot be explained.
  • Extreme loss of energy and fatigue.
  • Changes in social habits – either over-socializing or backing off from all socializing.
  • Inappropriate behavior.
  • Loss of pleasure in simple things.
  • Loss of interest in life.
  • Risk-taking.
  • Extreme depression, accompanied by deep sadness and a lot of crying.
  • Preoccupation with death.
  • Talk of suicide, even in jest.
  • Sudden abuse of alcohol or drugs. 
Risk Factors
There are some people who are more at risk of committing suicide than others. These categories of people are as follows: 
  • Males are more at risk of suicide than females.
  • Those younger than 19 years of age and those older than 45 years of age.
  • People who are clinically depressed.
  • Anyone who has earlier attempted to commit suicide, especially if the suicide plan was organized.
  • People who are divorced, separated or widowed. This could also apply to people who have been in a very close relationship which was broken.
  • People who have received any kind of mental health service.
  • People with little or no support socially.
  • Those who abuse drugs or alcohol.
  • Those who have lost the ability to think rationally
  • People with chronic medical illnesses.

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