Suicide Prevention for Our Loved Ones
By Erin Clark
Winter and Spring are some of the hardest times in Montana. It’s almost as if people are holding their breath, waiting, and white knuckling through the hard times, anticipating summer. Depression can worsen during this time and suicide attempts and completed suicides go up in the spring and early summer months, (Shapiro, 2019).
You have probably heard the unfortunate statistic that Montana is always in the top 5 states for suicides in the nation. We often top the charts in the top 3 states. Men are more likely to die by lethal means (hanging, firearms), suicide is the 10th leading cause of death and those experiencing chronic pain, veterans and LGBTQ youth are at very high risk of dying by suicide.
What can you do if someone you love is suicidal?
1: Be there for them. Offer your support in the form of check ins, stopping by and offering to listen when they need a helpful ear. Isolation can make depression and suicidal thoughts worse.
2: Link them to local and national services for suicide prevention. Going to therapy sessions on a regular basis can lower suicide risk by 38% and attempts go down 27% (Johns Hopkins, 2014). Make sure they have access to the National Suicide Prevention Line (800) 273-8255 and our local crisis line in Bozeman through The Help Center (406) 586-3333 or 211. If they are refusing to keep themselves safe and threatening suicide, call 911.
3: Thoughts do not equal action. Suicidal thoughts can often come and go with the stream of thought/consciousness and have a tendency to be like a wave; they get increasingly more intense, peak, and then calm down. Knowing they are not alone can really help.
4: Help them safety plan. Talking about their suicidal thoughts and ask them questions, such as what their plan is, and if they have any intention to follow through. Doing so will NOT increase suicide risk (Rosston, 2021). Talk to them, gather information about if they have a plan, put measures in place to prevent it from happening, such as locking up guns, taking ammo with you, putting away knives and locking up medication that could be used to overdose.
5: If your family member is in the perinatal period (pregnancy and postpartum) and they are showing signs of depression, help them talk to their doctor about options. 1 in 7 women and 1 in 10 men experience postpartum depression. Yes, even men experience it. The large hormonal fluctuations caused by pregnancy create a different level of vulnerability to depression, bipolar disorder and psychosis. If something seems off, say something. The major changes of parenthood after birth can leave people feeling isolated, lonely and lost.
6: Get support for yourself. It can be incredibly hard and sometimes traumatic hearing about a loved one’s experiences and their suicidal ideation. We know that trauma can be passed on through stories and us imagining what Is happening, called secondary and vicarious traumatization. Make sure you have a therapist or other caring person to talk to and debrief about what you just went through. It is a gift to provide support to loved ones, but it doesn’t mean you are unaffected by the experience.
If you or a loved one need help, contact us at 406-595-3746.
Here are some helpful links:
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
https://dphhs.mt.gov/assets/suicideprevention/SuicideinMontana.pdf
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/suicide-rates-spike-in-spring-not-winter
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2014/suicide-risk-falls-substantially-after-talk-therapy
Rosston, K. (2021). Suicide in Montana: Facts, Figures and Formulas for Prevention. Montana DPHHS. https://dphhs.mt.gov/assets/suicideprevention/SuicideinMontana.pdf
Shapiro, M. (2019). Suicide Rates Spike in the Spring, Not Winter. Johns Hopkins. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/suicide-rates-spike-in-spring-not-winter
Johns Hopkins. (2014).Suicide Risk Falls Substantially After Talk Therapy. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2014/suicide-risk-falls-substantially-after-talk-therapy
