September is Suicide Awareness month, and our blog has been focusing on the subject. There can be such a stigma around suicide, that we want to encourage people to talk about their mental health and their struggles. When we talk about suicide, it can give us a better understanding of how to prevent it. And how to help those who might be hurting.
Today we want to explain the difference between passive suicide ideation and active suicide ideation. The difference can be thought to be very simple, but often time we know it can be much more complex than we think.
Passive Suicide Ideation is when you have thoughts of suicide or self harm but no plan to carry it out.
Active Suicide Ideation is when you have thoughts of suicide or self harm, and have developed a plan to carry it out.
Sometimes we think that there are no signs that can help us recognize when someone has formulated a plan to carry out suicide. Often times it can be a private topic or feeling, that people will keep to themselves. But other times, there can be warning signs that we can look out for. According to an article on a website called Better Help, there are a few signs and symptoms to look out for pertaining to suicide ideation. They break them down into three categories, behavioral, physical, and psychosocial.
Behavioral Symptoms:
- Giving away possessions
- Talking about death, dying, or not being around in the future
- Using phrases that make death sound like an option such as “When I am gone,” “If I were to kill myself…”
- Saying goodbye or making amends with loved ones
- Collecting items that are harmful or potentially dangerous
- Social withdraw
- Increased drug or alcohol usage
- Not participating in activities that were once enjoyable
- Engaging in risky or potentially harmful behaviors
Physical Symptoms:
- Scars from past attempts at suicide or self-harm
- Drastic or sudden change in eating or sleeping patterns
- Chronic illness
- Cognitive Symptoms:
- Obsessing over the belief that the only end to emotional pain is through death or suicide
Psychosocial Symptoms:
- Feeling Helpless or Hopeless
- Feeling that emotional pain is never ending
- Self-hatred/ self-loathing
- Paranoia
- Emotional pain
- Frequent or drastic mood swings
- Sudden changes in personality or behavior
- Intense anxiety and increased irritability
We at Biltmore Psychology and Counseling encourage you to seek help if you or a loved one are having any type of suicide ideation. The benefits of therapy can be of utmost importance when someone is feeling hopeless. We take a very supportive, caring, and individualistic approach to treating our clients when they are struggling. And there are many wonderful therapists, counselors, Psychiatrists, and Psychologists out there who do the same.
If you need support right now, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
We’re Here to Help
You can read about our team and call the our office with any questions you might have. We’re located in the Biltmore area of Phoenix, AZ. Call us today at (480) 999-7070.
Contact Biltmore Psychology and Counseling
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At some point in our lives, we will lose someone we love. Grief can be a very complicated and heavy thing, that doesn’t necessarily go away but definitely gets easier. Everyone grieves differently, and there is no perfect way to deal with losing someone you love. When you lose someone to suicide, the grieving process can be quite different. There is often shock, sadness, guilt, and anger tied to the loss. While the process can be different for the person experiencing the grief, it can also be perceived as different from the outside. Often when you lose someone to old age, an accident, or a terminal illness, the loss gains sympathy and compassion.
We are well into September now, and Fall is upon us. It can mean many things like cooler weather, back to school, and day light hours getting shorter and shorter. September is also Suicide Prevention Month. With the high profile death by suicides that occurred this past summer with Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, our society is still mourning the loss of these very public passings.
Dr. Melissa Estavillo is a Licensed Psychologist and founder of Biltmore Psychology and Counseling. With over 7 years of experience, she specializes in both individual and couples therapy in Phoenix and Scottsdale, AZ. She integrates complementary methodologies and techniques stemming from Emotionally Focused Theory, Psychodynamic Theory and Other Evidence Based Practices to offer a highly personalized approach tailored to each client.
