Combatting Suicidal Thoughts

Depression is the number one cause of death by suicide in all age groups. However, there are other contributing factors, such as anorexia, bipolar disorder, as well as substance abuse.

Suicidal thoughts can range in severity from transient thoughts to deep-held plans. So if you suffer from depression, it's important to watch out for specific behaviors or patterns, because they can increase your risk of suicidal thoughts.

Family History and Suicide

Firstly is your family history. If you have a history of death by suicide in your family, it's important to know about it, because you're at an increased risk of dying by suicide as well.

So it's important to know your family history.

Engaging in Reckless Behavior

Secondly is if you have been engaging in reckless behavior if you've been driving recklessly or even participating in reckless sexual behavior. It's important to know these kinds of actions because they can lead you to these types of thoughts as well.

Other risk factors or behaviors to look out for are mood swings, traumatic events, excessively talking about death, as well as reducing your social engagement.

How to Combat Your Suicidal Thoughts

Here are a few tips that you can try to implement when you have these suicidal thoughts.

Talk to Someone

I always say talk to someone, whether that's somebody who's professional, a friend, or even a hotline.

If you feel like you have no one to talk to, you can always call the police, or there are a lot of national hotlines that can be there to aid you in times of distress. So please take advantage of those.

Remove Anything Lethal to Your Safety

Anything that can be lethal to your safety like weapons or large amounts of medicine should be removed from your home. You're less likely to follow through if you don't have these items around you or in your home.

Identify Your Triggers

Sometimes you're in situations or events can be triggering for these kinds of thoughts. So identify them and try to distance yourself from them so that they don't affect you negatively.

Set Goals

Set some long-term goals, as a way for you to have something to look forward to that you want to achieve in your life.

Make a Safety Plan

These leads me to my fifth tip, which is to have a safety plan that you use to decompress when your suicidal thoughts emerge.

Whether that's to do something relaxing or to have some time goals where you allow 10 minutes pass for these thoughts to pass.

So it's imperative if you or somebody else is dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts to address those because it's a very serious issue.