Despite the fact that Suicide is considered an intentional death, people who die by suicide do not want to die. They want to end their excruciating emotional suffering. They want to be able to reach out to someone who cares and understands. The good news is that suicide is preventable. Not everyone who considers suicide has made up their mind to die. Most people with thoughts of suicide are contemplating life. They want to live, just happier and healthier. Thoughts of death and suicide are sometimes a key symptom of depression and other mental illnesses. Something goes wrong with our natural instinct of self preservation when we are experiencing such great darkness and distress. 

There are signs that someone is thinking of suicide: withdrawal, certain key phrases, and certain behaviours are some of the tell tail signs. If you are interested in learning the signs and learning how to intervene with someone who is having thoughts of suicide or someone you’re concerned about, register for one of my (ASIST) Suicide Intervention Trainings. Complete the contact card on the contact us page of the website if you are interested in joining my next session.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide please get them to an emergency room or on a crisis line right away. In Canada you can call 1-933-456-4566. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of harm call 911.