IS IT AN EMERGENCY?
One of the risks of depression is suicide. If you, or somebody in your care, have chest pains, difficulty breathing, or severe bleeding, it could be life-threatening. Call 911 or the local emergency number immediately.
HealthLink Alberta
1 866 408 5465
Mental Health Help Line
1 877 303 2642
Kids Help Phone
1 800 668 6868
Service partners
Health Link Alberta
Service locations
Please visit Alberta Health Services for more details about this service at various locations or contact them by telephone at 1 877 303 2642.
Alberta Education: Suicide Prevention and Coping
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Suicidal Warning SignsTeachers, and other school staff members, must be aware of suicidal warning signs. These include:
Physical Cues: 1. Neglect of personal appearance. 2. Sudden changes in manner of dress, especially when the new style is completely out of character. 3. Chronic or unexplained illnesses, aches, and pains. 4. Sudden weight gain or loss. 5. Sudden changes in appetite. Emotional Cues: 1. Sense of hopelessness, helplessness, or futility. 2. Inability to enjoy or appreciate freindships. 3. Wide mood changes and sudden outbursts. 4. Anxiousness, extreme, tension and agitation. 5. Lethargy. 6. Changes in personality: from outgoing to withdrawn, from polite to rude, from compliant to rebellious, from well-behaved to “acting out”, etc. 7. Loss of the ability to concentrate: daydreaming. 8. Depression, sadness. 9. Loss of rational thought. 10. Feelings of guilt and failure. 11. Self-destructive thoughts. 12. Exaggerated fears of cancer, AIDS, or physical impairment. 13. Feelings of worthlessness or of being a burden. 14. Loss of enjoyment from activities formerly enjoyed. Behavioral Cues: 1. Decreased school activity; isolation. Sudden drop in achievement and interest in school subject. 2. Loss of interest in hobbies, sports, etc. 3. Unexplained use of alcohol or other drugs. 4. Increased use of alcohol and drugs. 5. Withdrawal from family and former friends, sometimes acting in a manner which forces other ways. 6. Changes in eating and/or sleeping habits. 7. Changes in friendship group. 8. Running away from home; truancy. 9. Accident proneness and increase in risk-taking behavior such as careless driving, bike accidents, dangerous use of firearms (Russian Roulette). 10. Sexual promiscuity. 11. Giving away prized possessions. 12. Sudden changes in personality. 13. Preoccupation with thoughts of death. 14. Making a will; writing poetry or stories about suicide or death. 15. Quietly putting affairs in order (“taking care of business”) 16. Threatening suicide. 17. Hoarding of pills, hiding weapons, describing methods for committing suicide. 18. Previous suicide attempts. As a staff member at a school, what can I do to help? - Always treat talk about suicide seriously; don’t believe that “it’s just attention seeing.” - Do not swear to keep it a secret; suicide information is one of the secrets you cannot keep. It’s not worth the risk. - Do not give quick advice or say that “everything will be alright.” - Be an active listener. Let the person know you are hearing what they are saying. - Remember that it is okay to ask the person if they have been thinking about suicide. It won’t give them an idea they have not been thinking about. - Help the person explore his or her own feelings. Do not add to their possible guilt by saying things such as “think how your friends and family will feel.” - Don’t “discount” their feelings or crisis by making comments such as “things aren’t bad” - Show and describe your concern and caring to the person. - Don’t be afraid to talk openly about the suicidal thoughts. - Encourage the person to go to a counselor, religious leader, or parent for additional help. - If the risk seems high or immediate, do not leave the person alone or send them on their own to an agency or other resource person. - You can often be a help just by being there for the person to talk to. Many suicidal crises are immediate and short term. By talking and listening, you may swing the ambivalent person from feelings of “self death” to “self life.” - Remember: even though the risk of suicide may be past for the individual, the person may continue to need assistance – yours as well as that of a professional. **All information above is taken from Alberta Education's "Manual for Teachers, Counsellors, and Administrators: Suicide Prevention and Coping" |
Alberta Education Suggested Resources for Further Information:
Youth in Crisis: A Curriculum - Barrett
Talking With Your Teenager - Bell and Wildflower
My Son ... My Son - Bolton
Tunnel Vision - Darrick
All Dressed Up and No Place to Go: Teenagers in Crisis - Elkind
Too Many Faces of Suicide - Farberow
A Cry for Help - Giffin
Ordinary People - Guest
After Suicide - Hewett
Preventing Teen Suicide - Joan
A Handbook for the Study of Suicide - Perlin