I have been called unprofessional for talking so much about my personal life on this blog which is on my business card. I've had former colleagues tell me I'm 'despicable' for how I've handled a lot of my patients. This was before I went solo as a general purpose practitioner whom no other doctor would ever associate with due to reputation problems.

I have some compensation to do, so I'll get right down to business in this blog post and I'll try to avoid talking anymore about myself.

Warning signs of suicide

Preventing a friend or a loved one from committing suicide will likely take close observation and finding the right time to take drastic action can be tricky and emotionally hard on them as well as yourself. It would be ideal if you referred suicidal people to ME since this is one of my favorite medical problems to treat. I currently offer a referral based commission to people who refer suicidal patients to me. You would receive 25% of the medical bills paid to me for that patient. In other words, if you referred someone to me for a one hour evaluation, you may be eligible to receive $25 for that visit. Simply mention this blog post via phone, email, or an office visit if you're dropping this person off.

Get opinions from their family members and friends, depending on what your relationship with them is. How is this person just not being themselves? Do they seem abysmally depressed? Questions like these are important to ask yourself, and other people who know the person that you care for. Below are some warning signs for suicide.

Situational:

Recent loss of a loved one (death or divorce).

Survivor of a previous suicide attempt.

Loss of prestige (could be loss of job or business).

Serious illness (chronic pain or exhaustion with no end in sight).

Exhaustion of resources - could be real or imaginary (money or credit lines).

Family history of suicide.

A close friend commits suicide.

Behavioral:

Talking or writing about death and suicide. Other dark topics could be a sign as well.

Giving away personal possessions.

Changes in behavior or mood.

Freefalling grades or decline in work performance.

Ending close relationships.

Not smiling as much, crying a lot.

Flat or blunted affect.

Negative self talk.

Withdrawal, not participating in regular activities.

Buying weapons, pills, poisonous ingrediants, or objects such as a rope.

Reading a lot about suicide, or self harm such as cutting.

Extreme anger outbursts.

Someone you know might be severely depressed without you knowing this.

Emotional

Overwhelming sense of loss or personal failure.

General lack of interest in things they were once fond of.

Feelings of hopelessness, overwhelming sadness, or guilt.

Withdrawal/isolation.

Feelings of being a burden to others.

Great loss of self esteem.

There are certainly verbal signs of suicidal thinking which you need to watch out for as well. Some obvious ones include "No one cares about me or my life", "I have nothing left to live for", "They're better off without me.", etc. However there are some seemingly benign verbal statements which may indicate thoughts of suicide as well. Some examples are:

"It's too late now."

"There is nothing left to do."

"What's the use."

"I just want the pain to stop."

"Nobody gets me."

"You just don't understand!"

If you see many of the warning signs described in this article, you need to help this person. Connect with them more often than you previously did, subtly try and get more information as well. I don't recommend asking blunt questions like "Are you planning on killing yourself" unless you feel like an emergency has already begun. (just try and use good judgment) Go to their place of residence, and make note of things which seem out of the ordinary. Perhaps invade their privacy somewhat by looking inside of drawers when they are not around, if this is at all possible. Those of us who are fortunate to have privacy appreciate it, but when it comes to life and death you need to set the priorities straight. Often times it is good to stay with this person until they go to sleep, if this is at all possible.

*As I reflected on what I wrote in this article, I'm realizing that I've been suicidal in recent times myself (prior to the last blog post). For people my age, this doesn't really matter. I am 76 years old; I've already lived my life. Many people who are well into their 80s are senile, and have terrible health to the point where its not worth it. I'd like to point out that for people who are more than just a little bit elderly, like me, suicide doesn't matter as much. Such people don't have as many quality years to look forward to.

*If you read the previous blog post, I obviously just mean this on a general basis. I probably have a really sweet deal to look forward to!