How can I tell if someone is actually suicidal?

Question

I accidentally stumbled upon a friend's profile on yahoo answers and didn't like what I saw. I was answering questions then I answered one of hers. I was about to answer another until I remembered it was hers and one was asking for help because she thinks she's suicidal. However, I'm not sure if she's talking about herself, or someone else she maybe worried about. But if it is her, what are some signs that she maybe suicidal?

Answer 1

She might be acting different, really depressed, keeping herself away from people. They say usually that theres no signs that they just do it, but I had a friend that told me he was going to kill his self and I didn'ttrulyy believe him. I knew he was down and out , but I just didn't take 100% that he meant it. Well he did, he o.d and hunghimselff, but thankfully somebody found him right as he hung him self and they got the rope off of him, he hadn't done it correctly or something but it closed his airway he was blue, plus all the pills he took. He about died he was in I.C.U. for two weeks... Then a mental place for a month...

Answer 2

You can never ignore someone who says they are suicidal. Unfortunately there are no really and definite signs.

My nearest and closest friend killed themselves and no hint of how they were feeling.

It is not really your problem as there is absolutely nothing you can do

Answer 3

appathy about daily activities(particularly the routine ones)

making arrangements for belongings

I knew someone in highschool, they talked to people and such, but mostly just sat in our breezeway(hallway).  They had this stuffed animal they kept around(as a good friend). One day, about a week before it happend, this person mentioned that their stuffed animal had hung itself the other night and was not with them anymore. Then they were not there anymore.

This makes me sooo sad.

Answer 4

Some of the possible signs of suicides might include:

Talking About Dying - any mention of dying, disappearing, jumping, shooting oneself, or other types of self harm.

Recent Loss - through death, divorce, separation, broken relationship, loss of job, money, self-confidence, self-esteem, loss of religious faith, loss of interest in friends, s*x, hobbies, activities previously enjoyed

Change in Personality - sad, withdrawn, irritable, anxious, tired, indecisive, apathetic

Change in Behavior - can't concentrate on school, work, routine tasks

Change in Sleep Patterns - insomnia, often with early waking or oversleeping, nightmares

Change in Eating Habits - loss of appetite and weight, or overeating

Low self esteem - feeling worthless, shame, overwhelming guilt, self-hatred, "everyone would be better off without me"

No hope for the future - believing things will never get better; that nothing will ever change

anyways i hope this helps you.

Answer 5

Well, as Jade said: some people have a tendency to start to give away possessions. Some start to make amends for things done to others in the past, some will go as far as to wash their car, get a haircut and buy new clothes (yes, that was a real case) Some people give no "warning sign". There's not a difinitive list of "Things people do before killing themselves". There may be marked behaviors, but these could also be a false indicator of meds going wrong.

There is a difference between "I wish I could die", and "I want to die"

I, though, take any suicide threat seriously.

Some say these things to get attention, some really mean it... where do you draw that line? Should you draw a line to begin with?

I thankfully have never had a patient commit suicide, and hopefully never will.

You should maybe talk to them and see what they say, best way to know something is to ask, yes?

Answer 6

Giving away stuff, getting all of a sudden really happy when she's been down for a long time previously, saying "I wish I were dead"...

things like that.

It doesn't get more straight-forward than this:

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/20...

Answer 7

giving others her belongings, all of a sudden happy and seems like nothings wrong-when before they were depressed

Answer 8

Some people give signs while others don t

here are some signs that show a suicidal person

1. Does the person seem sad all of the time? If the person in question cries a lot for no reason, or generally has a sad demeanor, it may be a sign of depression which can lead to suicide.

2. Has the person exhibited marked physical changes such as weight loss or weight gain? Weight loss or weight gain is also a sign of depression. If the person shows a loss of appetite or significant increase in appetite, then it is a definite warning sign that something is not right.

3. Has the person lost interest in friends, hobbies or things that they usually enjoy doing? Anhedonia, or lack of interest in things, is a sure sign that the person has lost the will to live. If your friend who used to enjoy going out to eat with you every week suddenly never feels like it and exhibits the first two symptoms, then you should definitely talk with him or her.

4. Does the person talk about suicide? Granted sometimes talk is just talk. But, other times it may be a warning sign. And if someone talks about suicide or self destructive behavior most of the time, they are most likely seriously thinking about it and weighing the consequences.

5. Does the person act generally helpless or hopeless? Learned helplessness is a result of not feeling in control of one's life and it often ends in suicide. If your friend has shown that he or she has no interest in even trying to do work or engage in social activities, then it is a sure sign that the person has given up.