Guns, depression lead to suicide concerns
mber one mode of suicide in the United States and Minnesota. Although there is no single cause for suicide, a dangerous time is when a person is is coming out of a deep depression, according to Maggie Freiberg, Mental Health Therapist at Lakewood Health System.
Freiberg gave those tips and more at a breakout session during the Community Connect resource fair on Oct. 26 at Staples-Motley High School.
“When they start to come out of a deep depression, they have more energy to engage in suicidal activities,” said Freiberg.
But she said mental health problems are treatable and also had suggestions to deal with the firearm problem.
Freiberg said depression is often undiagnosed or untreated. She said most people who actively manage their mental health conditions lead fulfilling lives.
Besides depression, warning signs for suicide include loss of interest, rage, irritability, humiliation or anxiety, especially if it is out of character for the person.
People contemplating suicide often talk about: being a burden to others, feeling trapped, experiencing unbearable pain, having no reason to live, or killing themselves.
Behaviors associated with suicide include: giving away prized possessions, increased use of alcohol or drugs, searching for a way to kill themselves, acting recklessly, withdrawing from activities isolating from family and friends, sleeping too much or too little, visiting and calling people to say goodbye, or aggression.
Freiberg said there is always hope to actively manage mental health. Some ways to avoid mental health problems includs having healthy social support, engage in activities that give your life meaning, be physically active, eat healthy foods, avoid alcohol and drugs, get regular sleep, and take medications as prescribed.
She said the best way to get help for mental health problems is to reach out to family, friends and mental health professionals.
“You have to accept help when you need it,” she said.
Freiberg gave some resources for people considering suicide or dealing with mental health issues: Crisis Line & Referral Service - call 218-828-4357 (HELP) or 1-800-262-5525. Other options are to call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Firearms
Guns play a big role in suicides. Nationally, they were involved in 21,334 suicides, compared to 10,945 used for homicides, said Freiberg. The other top two methods of suicide, suffocation and poisoning, don’t even reach that level combined.
For that reason, Freiberg recommended that anyone who owns a firearm keep ther ammunition and weapon in separate areas, as that gives a person considering suicide more time to think about what they are doing, between the time they get the gun, get the ammunition and start to load it.
Other firearm safety recommendations include trigger locks and a locked gun safe. Freiberg said it is a good idea to remove all firearms from the home of someone who is showing signs of being suicidal.
