Suicide Warning Signs
A child who is thinking about suicide may send subtle warning signs. Here's a list of what to look for.
- Giving away personal treasures.
- Strange mood swings.
- Emotional withdrawal.
- Making significant closure in relationships
- Talking or writing about suicide.
- An avid interest in reading about suicide or listening to dark, depressing music.
- An increase in risky behavior, in relative terms (compare the kid's riskiness to her own previous behavior; what's normal for one kid may be unusually risky for another).
- A change in eating or sleeping habits.
- A decrease in personal hygiene (relative to kid's previous norm).
- Cutting (not necessarily a suicide attempt).
Reprinted with permission from The Samaritans of Boston.