09/15/2024
✨Hi! I’m Tara- Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Arizona and Oregon. I specialize in trauma therapy with veterans, first responders, and childhood trauma using EMDR.
🔔 September is Su***de Prevention Month. I wanted to highlight some of the myths about su***de to promote awareness of these myths.
🚨While post traumatic stress and PTSD may co-occur with su***de, post traumatic stress is also related to shame and does not always result in suicidal thoughts or behaviors. There are many other factors that influence depression and su***de besides post traumatic stress. We don’t want to discount these other factors.
🍃Often times, the person who is suicidal believes the people in their life are better off without them. These are irrational beliefs, but this does not mean the suicidal person is selfish. They believe this is a selfless act.
☀️It is true that not having any future plans or goals is a potential warning sign for su***de. However, just because someone has future plans doesn’t mean they’re not suicidal.
‼️Directly asking someone who you think may be suicidal if they are suicidal is one of the best ways to know. Asking them won’t make them suicidal. If they are, they will often feel relief that you asked and will feel seen. If we ignore the warning signs, that may leave someone feeling further isolated and less likely to get the help they may need.
👀 Looking at someone’s appearance doesn’t tell you the whole story. There have been many accounts of people who died by su***de who were often smiling, laughing, and joking and masked their depression.
📞If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please have them call 988. If they are a veteran; press 1. This resource can save a life. You can also check your local crisis lines.
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