Healthy State: Suicide Prevention Month
Each month the Healthy State, campus wide initiative, focuses on one topic to bring awareness to our overall health and wellness. September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Follow #HealthyStateGSU all month to learn more about the resources at Georgia State University that are available to students, staff, and faculty.
The Give An Hour non-profit provides the following summary of the five signs that may mean someone is in emotional pain and might need help:
Personality changes. You may notice sudden or gradual changes in the way that someone typically behaves. People in this situation may behave in ways that don’t seem to fit their values, or the person may just seem different.
Uncharacteristically angry, anxious, agitated, or moody. You may notice the person has more frequent problems controlling his or her temper and seems irritable or unable to calm down. People in more extreme situations of this kind may be unable to sleep or may explode in anger at a minor problem.
Withdrawal or isolation from other people. Someone who used to be socially engaged may pull away from family and friends and stop taking part in activities that used to be enjoyable. In more severe cases the person may start failing to make it to work or school. Not to be confused with the behavior of someone who is more introverted, this sign is marked by a change in a person’s typical sociability, as when someone pulls away from the social support typically available.
May neglect self-care and engage in risky behavior. You may notice a change in the person’s level of personal care or an act of poor judgment. For instance, someone may let personal hygiene deteriorate, or the person may start abusing alcohol or illicit substances or engaging in other self-destructive behavior that may alienate loved ones.
Overcome with hopelessness and overwhelmed by circumstances. Have you noticed someone who used to be optimistic and now can’t find anything to be hopeful about? That person may be suffering from extreme or prolonged grief, or feelings of worthlessness or guilt. People in this situation may say that the world would be better off without them, suggesting suicidal thinking.
The Counseling Center is available to all Georgia State University students at 404-413-1640.
